Carlotta Zofkova surprises. Stefania Pirozzi and Andrea Toniato strengthened. Sjoestroem gained the speed. Katinka Hosszu wins the prize of sthakanovit. Ruta Meilutyte decreases the event record in 50m breaststroke. The rain is on the Stadio del Nuoto in Rome and on great performances at the 51st edition of Trofeo Settecolli Clear. The first goal is of Carlotta Zofkova. The 21-year-old born in Imola wins 100m backstroke with 1'00"44, decreasing her personal record of 32 hundredths. She is under the time limit requested by Federnuoto for the European championships (1'00"50) and becomes the second Italian all time performer behind Arianna Barbieri, vice European champion, with the Italian record of 1'00"25. So this is the fifth Italian time. “I am very happy because I trained a lot to reach this goal – the athlete of federal center of Verona, trained by the technical responsible Tamas Gyertyanffy, tells – I am very happy to move to the specialization center. The work ambient is very good. There is competitiveness and a rising group thanks to Tamas that I would like to thank for his faith in me. “Behind her the Czech Simona Baumrtova (1'00"58) and Federica Pellegrini (1'00"94), who left out of the podium for 11 hundredths Katinka Hosszu, few minutes before protagonist in 200m butterfly with 2'07"53 with the seventh seasonal world performance and second in 400m medley with 4'43"64. In 32 minutes she is the protagonist of three finals. Stefania Pirozzi is ahead winning with 4'38"06: second time that she never swam in her carrier after the 4'36"75 at the last spring championships and a good time in a phase of hard work. “I am happy for my swum time because I train a lot – the 20-year–old champion tells. She trains at the federal center in Ostia with her technical responsible Stefano Morini. It was a good test to continue my training towards the European Championships. But first of all I am happy because it is my first victory at Settecolli and because I passed Katinka Hosszu, even if she participated in two finals few minutes before. Stefania Pirozzi tells about her choose to compete in thirty minutes in three finals. “Working with tiredness increases the resistance threshold. We think to follow a good training. Surely, I am tired but I am here to continue to work in this high level background for the European Championships.”
Again under the time limit for European Championships, but not replaying the performance at the heats, Andrea Toniato wins in 50m breaststroke with 27"46 ahead of the south African Giulio Zorzi and the Lithuanian Giedrius Titenis, respectively with times of 27"58 and 27"66. Andrea Toniato swims in the heats with 27"25: six hundredths at the event record registered by Fabio Scozzoli last year, seven hundredths less his personal record swum at category championships at the Stadio del Nuoto last August and under the time limit of 27"50. “I hoped to reach the heats time – the 23-years-old champion tells, the other bet won by the coach Tamas Gyertyanffy in Verona – maybe I suffered the temperature change. This is an important day both due to the victory and the time.”
Sarah Sjoestroem is the protagonist. On Friday she wins in 50m freestyle with 24”36 and 100m butterfly with the best seasonal world and event record with 56"50. The Swedish champion wins in 100m freestyle with 53”19, preceding the Dutch Femke Heemskerk (53"50) and the Olympic Ranomi Kromowidjodjo (53"86). “I feel fast in the water – she tells – it was a good training. The seasonal goal is to win in Berlin, but considering Rome as a step is limitative”.
The first and second seasonal world times are in 50m female breaststroke won by the Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte. The world record holder brings the event record to 29"90 after decreasing it to 30”13 in the heats. Jennie Johansson ranks second with 30"56. Both under 31 seconds. “I am very happy for my swum time – the 17-years-old Lithuanian Olympic and worlds champion in 100m tells – Rome is so beautiful and Settecolli is a meeting where it is easy to be happy due to the organization and people involvement.”
No surprises in 200m men freestyle. The German Paul Biedermann wins with 1'47"50, replaying the success in 400m as in World Championships in Rome 2009. Behind him the Hungarian Dominik Kozma with 1'47"78 and Damiano Lestingi who swims one of his better times with 1'48"62 leaving out of the podium Filippo Magnini for 24 hundredths. “I would like to thank all the Italian fans that went here to follow the races under the rain – the German champion underlines –the Italians are beautiful people. The competition conditions were not so good, but for me the pool of Stadio del Nuoto is fast”. “Competing with Bierdermann was an honour – Lestingi tells – He is one of few champions to pass Michael Phelps after his victories in 200 and 400m freestyle in a world championships in Rome. I am very happy, because I passed the great champion Filippo Magnini. The time of backstroke is finished. For me the freestyle and medley times are started”.
In the other finals successes of the German Jan-Philip Glania in 100m backstroke with 54"88, of the Hungarian Bence Pulai in 200m butterfly with 1'58"27 and Federico Turrini in 400m medley with 4'18"00, ahead of Luca Marin, second with 4'20"27.
At the award ceremony of 100m backstroke, the President of Federnuoto Paolo Barelli gave Federica Pellegrini a memorial ten years after her victory of silver medal in 200m freestyle in Olympic games in Athens 2004. She was 16 years and 12 days old, becoming the youngest athlete in Italian history to conquer a Olympic medal in an individual competition.
We meet you on Sunday. Third and last day of the oldest swimming meeting in the world.
All the podia of the day
200m butterfly F
1. Katinka Hosszu (Hun) 2'07"53
2. Liliana Szilagyi (Hun) 2'09"23
3. Martina Van Berkel (Sui) 2'09"23
200m butterfly M
1. Bence Pulai (Hun) 1'58"27
2. Matteo Pelizzari (Ita) 1'58"32
3. Francesco Pavone (Ita) 1'59"21
100m backstroke F
1. Carlotta Zofkova (Ita) 1'00"44
2. Simona Baumrtova (Cze) 1'00"58
3. Federica Pellegrini (Ita) 1'00"94
100m backstroke M
1. Jan-Philip Glania (Ger) 54"88
2. Simone Sabbioni (Ita) 54"96
3. Chistopher Ciccarese (Ita) 55"08
400m medley F
1. Stefania Pirozzi (Ita) 4'38"06
2. Katinka Hosszu (Hun) 4'43"64
3. Luisa Trombetti (Ita) 4'43"82
400m medley M
1. Federico Turrini 4'18"00
2. Luca Marin 4'20"27
3. Andrea Velluti 4'23"65
100m freestyle F
1. Sarah Sjoestroem (Swe) 53"19
2. Femke Heemskerk (Ned) 53"50
3. Ranomi Kromowidjodjo (Ned) 53"86
200m freestyle M
1. Paul Biedermann (Ger) 1'47"50
2. Dominik Kozma (Hun) 1'47"78
3. Damiano Lestingi (Ita) 1'48"62
50m breaststroke F
1. Ruta Meilutyte (Ltu) 29"90 rec. man.
2. Jennie Johansson (Swe) 30"56
3. Moniek Nijhuis (Ned) 31"08
50m breaststroke M
1. Andrea Toniato (Ita) 27"46
2. Giulio Zorzi (Rsa) 27"58
3. Giedrius Titenis (Ltu) 27"66
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