The spotlight of the morning session at the 61st Trofeo Sette Colli IP—running through Saturday, June 28—belongs to a sensational Ludovico Blu Art Viberti, who not only took the lead in the 50m breaststroke but also shattered the Italian record. The 23-year-old from Piedmont—competing for Fiamme Oro and CN Torino and coached by Antonio Satta—clocked 26.27, demolishing his previous personal best of 26.80 and beating the previous Italian mark of 26.33 set by Nicolò Martinenghi for the European title in Rome 2022. Viberti’s time is also the world’s fastest this year. The closest rival to the Savoyard breaststroker is Russian Ivan Kozhakin, who posted 26.60. Simone Cerasuolo (Fiamme Oro/Imolanuoto) finished in 27.03, while Olympic 100m champion Martinenghi (Fiamme Oro) touched in 27.06.

“This record is a huge satisfaction and the culmination of so much hard work,” said Viberti, son of Giorgio, a veteran journalist at La Stampa. “I believe I deserve it and I think there’s still room for improvement. I love swimming and it’s almost my entire life. Making it to the World Championships was a goal, but it’s not the finish line: the aim is always to keep improving.”

Viberti’s story is remarkable. His middle name, Blu Art, comes from his parents’ favorite color and a tribute to Art Kenney, a former Simmenthal Milano basketball player from the 1970s. His swimming career almost never started—as a child, he suffered a serious fracture to his left humerus and underwent surgery, with doctors pessimistic about a full recovery. However, thanks to water therapy and swimming, he made a complete recovery. His brother, Federico Giorgio Pietro, is a backstroker, while his sister Eleonora was a solid breaststroker before retiring a few years ago.

Viberti is studying air transport science and technology and, once he retires from swimming, plans to become an air traffic controller. He supports Torino FC and is a fan of American sports, especially the NBA and NFL. As a youngster, he was a promising basketball player—like his father Giorgio, who follows him closely—but ultimately chose swimming.

Other Heats Highlights

The session opened with the 100m butterfly. The fastest time was set by German world champion Angelina Koehler, yesterday’s winner in the 50m, clocking 57.83—the only swimmer under 58 seconds in the morning. Swedish Louise Hansson, bronze medallist at Doha 2024, was second in 58.11. Italy’s always-reliable Costanza Cocconcelli, 23, from Castel San Pietro and competing for Fiamme Gialle and NC Azzurra 91, took third in 58.36—her third-best time ever, just 0.59 shy of her 57.77 set at the Italian Championships in Riccione 2024.

The men’s 200m butterfly final promises to be thrilling. Japan’s Tomoru Honda, Olympic silver medallist at Tokyo 2020, posted the fastest time in 1:56.59. However, the favourite is Britain’s Duncan Scott—second at Paris 2024 in the 200m IM—who was close behind in 1:57.50. Italians will be strong contenders in the evening: Federico Burdisso, 24, from Pavia and Italian record holder (1:54.28), is fourth after a comfortable 1:57.90. Alessandro Ragaini (Carabinieri/Team Marche) and Giacomo Carini (Fiamme Gialle/Can. Vittorino da Feltre) were fifth and sixth in 1:58.13 and 1:58.74, respectively.

The women’s 100m backstroke saw two Italians leading the way and ready to confirm their form in the final. Anita Gastaldi, 22, from Bra, competing for Carabinieri and V02 Nuoto Torino and coached by Fabrizio Clary, set the pace in 1:01.54, with a bold first 50m in 29.86 and a slightly slower second half in 31.68. She was chased by Federica Toma (Carabinieri/In Sport Rane Rosse), second in 1:01.84, aiming for a double after winning the 50m yesterday.

The men’s 50m backstroke was tightly contested. Russians Miron Lifintsev and Pavel Samusenko led in 24.94 and 24.99, respectively. Third place was shared by Michele Lamberti (Fiamme Gialle/GAM Team), coached by his father Giorgio in Brescia, and Lorenzo Mora (Fiamme Rosse/VVFF Modena), trained at the Federal Centre in Ostia by Claudio Rossetto, both clocking 25.22.

World-class finals are expected in the 400m IM. Among the women, British world champion Freya Colbert led in 4:48.07, but Sara Franceschi, finally in good health after injuries late in 2024, was right behind in 4:48.12. The 26-year-old from Livorno, competing for Fiamme Gialle and Livorno Aquatics and coached by her father Stefano, was third at the 2024 Doha Worlds. Among the men, another Brit, Max Litchfield, led in 4:17.45. Italian record holder (4:09.29) Alberto Razzetti, 26, from Lavagna, competing for Fiamme Gialle and Genova Nuoto My Sport, European champion in Rome 2022 and fifth at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was fifth in a relaxed 4:20.80, confident he can perform at a higher level in the final.

The 100m freestyle heats, as usual, were a highlight. Sara Curtis, 18, from Savigliano, competing for Esercito and CS Roero and coached by Thomas Maggiora, was fastest in 54.17, over a second off her Italian record of 53.01 set at the Unipol Italian Championships in Riccione this spring. She was followed by Chiara Tarantino (Fiamme Gialle/In Sport Rane Rosse) in 54.45. Among the men, another young star, Carlos D’Ambrosio, 18, from Valdagno, competing for Fiamme Gialle and Fondazione Bentegodi, led in 48.60 (23.41 at the halfway mark), just 0.05 off his personal best of 48.55 set at the 2024 Italian Age Group Championships. Behind him were Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth in 48.66 and Thomas Ceccon (Fiamme Oro/Leosport) in 48.68.

Finally, in the women’s 50m breaststroke, Benedetta Pilato (CC Aniene) was the only woman under 30 seconds, clocking 29.99—the same time as her 2024 heat. She was followed by Finland’s Veera Kivirnta in 30.56 and Arianna Castiglioni (Fiamme Gialle/Team Insubrika) in 30.71.

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Photo Andrea Staccioli / DBM
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