The first day of finals at the 61st Settecolli IP International Swimming Meet delivered unforgettable emotions and memories, with the Stadio del Nuoto in Rome packed to the rafters. The show will continue until Saturday, June 28.

De Tullio’s Roaring Return

Marco De Tullio emerged from the water visibly moved after dominating the 400m freestyle, a result that marks his comeback after two injury-plagued seasons. The 25-year-old from Bari, now training under Gianluca Belfiore at CC Aniene since last September, clocked an outstanding 3:44.89 (split: 1:51.02), impressing with his steady pace—consistently around 28.5 seconds per lap—showcasing a remarkable return to top form. “It’s been a long time since I wanted to get back to this level. I’ve changed a lot in my life, and now I’m reaping the rewards,” said De Tullio, who placed fifth at the 2022 Budapest World Championships and is the older brother of Luca. “Even this year didn’t start well due to shoulder issues. Winning here in Rome is fantastic, and I hope it truly marks a rebirth.” The competition was left behind, with Germany’s Florian Wellbrock—Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist in the 1500m and gold in the 10km open water—second in 3:47.50, and Davide Marchello (Esercito/Aurelia Nuoto) third in 3:48.11.

Viberti, King of the 100m Breaststroke

After securing his Olympic berth at the 2024 Settecolli, Ludovico Blu Art Viberti confirmed his status as a leading light of Italian breaststroke at the 2025 edition. The 23-year-old from Piedmont, representing CN Torino and coached by Antonio Satta, won the highly anticipated 100m breaststroke final in an excellent 59.06, a time that could have been even faster had he not paid the price for a bold first split of 27.31, with a more ragged finish of 31.75. The podium was worthy of a European Championship, with Russian Ivan Kozhakin second in 59.14 and Olympic champion Nicolò Martinenghi third in 59.37. Martinenghi, Italy’s national record holder (58.26), trained by Matteo Giunta since January after rising to the top under Marco Pedoja, was satisfied with his performance, feeling his form is on the rise after finishing altitude training in Livigno days earlier. “I was hoping for a 58.9, but I just missed it,” said Viberti, son of Giorgio, a veteran journalist at La Stampa. “Winning in Rome is amazing—the atmosphere is magical.” Martinenghi added, “Today I really enjoyed myself, showing that where there’s a will, there’s a way. I gave exactly what I wanted, and there’s still plenty of room to improve.”

In the women’s 100m breaststroke, Britain’s Angharad Evans won in 1:06.33, ahead of Ireland’s Mona Mc Sharry (1:06.86) and Hungary’s Henrietta Fangli (1:07.25). Benedetta Pilato, as planned, will only compete in the 50m.

Quadarella, Queen of Rome

Simona Quadarella, always a crowd favorite, did not disappoint in the closing event, winning the 1500m freestyle. The world champion and three-time European champion, now with CC Aniene and coached by Gianluca Belfiore since autumn, accelerated over the last 300 meters to outpace Germany’s Isabel Gose (15:57.83) and reclaim her crown in 15:54.23—a time that could secure her a second world championships berth after her 800m qualification in Riccione two months ago. Barbara Pozzobon (Fiamme Oro/Hydros) took a surprise third in 16:34.22. “I’m extremely happy because I didn’t think I had this time in me,” said Quadarella. “It was a great race with Isabel—a thrilling head-to-head as is often the case.”

High-Level 100m Backstroke

The afternoon session opened with a thrilling 100m backstroke, featuring four top contenders separated by less than half a second. The title went to Russia’s Miron Lifintsev, more accustomed to short-course swimming, in 53.23. Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon, not yet at his best after a long training camp in Australia, was just eight hundredths behind in 53.31 (splits: 25.76 and 27.55), well off his world record of 51.60 set at Budapest 2022. Greece’s Apostolos Christou, silver medalist in the 200m at the Olympics and gold in the 50m at Rome 2022, was third in 53.47. Italy’s Christian Bacico, one of the country’s rising stars and bronze medalist at the 2023 World Junior Championships, clocked 53.71, setting his third-best personal time. “I’m not at all satisfied with what I showed tonight,” said Ceccon, coached by Alberto Burlina at the Federal Centre in Verona. “I didn’t even look at the time because, objectively, it’s modest by my standards. I need to analyze what went wrong and reset, especially ahead of the world championships, where it’s important to perform well from the heats. Here at Settecolli, I’m racing to build my form.”

100m Butterfly Show

Noè Ponti was in superb form, lowering the meet record to 50.40 in the morning heats (0.49 faster than Kristof Milak’s 2021 mark of 50.89) and then winning the final in 50.49 with a blistering first split of 23.40. The 24-year-old Swiss, European silver medalist in Rome 2022 and Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo, was untouchable. “The first 50 went very, very well, then I struggled a bit, but that’s normal,” said Ponti, coached by Simone Menoni. “I love racing in Rome, with this crowd and in this setting. I can say I’m ready for the world championships.”

The best among the rest was Federico Burdisso, who clocked 51.55 with a controlled first split of 24.16 and a strong finish in 27.39. The 24-year-old from Pavia, double distance bronze medalist at Glasgow 2018, was radiant after a challenging period and a return to his longtime coach Simone Palombi. “Winning today was impossible, but for me it was important to get back to this level,” said Burdisso, an engineering graduate. “I’ve had a tough time, but I’m still young and eager to prove my worth.”

50m Backstroke Surprise

Federica Toma, a natural sprinter, took the 50m backstroke title in 27.97, beating Britain’s Lauren Cox (28.05), who had dominated the heats. Toma, 23, from Salento, was the only swimmer under 28 seconds in the final. “I can’t say I didn’t expect it, because I felt very good these days,” said Toma. “It’s a shame I didn’t beat my personal best, but it’s still a great victory.” Francesca Pasquino was third in 28.31.

50m Butterfly: German Dominance

Germany’s Angelina Köhler, world champion at Doha 2024, won the 50m butterfly in 25.55, ahead of Greece’s Anna Ntountounaki (25.97) and Italy’s Silvia Di Pietro (25.98), who was just two tenths off her Italian record of 25.78 set in 2014. “The crowd pushed me a lot tonight,” said Di Pietro, who boasts 30 World and European medals. “I’m very satisfied with the time—going under 26 seconds is never easy.”

200m Freestyle: British Victory

The 200m freestyle final was dominated by Britain’s Freya Colbert, world champion in the 400m individual medley, who won in 1:57.32—the only swimmer to break 1:58. Teammate Abbie Wood was second in 1:58.21. Italy’s Bianca Nannucci, just 17, made a breakthrough with a third-place finish in 1:58.35. “I really didn’t expect this time or to go so fast,” said Nannucci, who will train in Virginia, USA, from September. “I know I still have a lot to work on.”

Deplano Still Flying

Leonardo Deplano, already assured of a world championships berth, was a strong third in the 50m freestyle, won by Russia’s Igor Kornev in 21.58. The 26-year-old Florentine clocked 21.89, just one hundredth ahead of Serbia’s Andrej Barna. “I’m extremely happy,” said Deplano, European silver medalist in Rome 2022 and seventh at the Paris Olympics. “I didn’t prepare specifically for Settecolli, so this time is very encouraging for me. My build-up to Singapore is going perfectly.”

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Photo Andrea Staccioli / DBM
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