2015 Italian Spring Nationals and WC Trials: Day One Finals – 2 Italian National Records and 5 Tickets to Kazan

2015 Italian Spring National Championships and WC Trials

• Dates: Tuesday, April 14 – Sunday, April 5, 2015
• Times: prelims 9:00 am, semis/ finals 5 pm
• Location: Riccione, Italy (GMT +1, or 6 hours ahead of N.Y., 9 ahead of L.A.)
• Results: Available
• Championship Central

The Italian Spring National Championships and World Championships Trials opened in Riccione on Tuesday, with 621 athletes from 139 teams. From the opening bell there was excitement; Simone Sabbioni of Army/Swim Pro SS9 set the Italian record in the very first event, going 53.49 in the 100 back, putting him at sixth in the world so far this year. Sabbioni was the 2014 European Youth Swimmer of the Year. There was also a club record set at the end of the session: Army broke the women’s 4×100 free relay mark they had set last year by 3 seconds, going 3:40.68.  Complete Results

The meet is doubling as a selection meet for the Italian team who will compete at 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia. The Italian qualifying standards for Kazan are more difficult than what we saw two weeks ago in France. There are, in fact, three standards:

• A = event winners must achieve these times in order to swim those events in Kazan
• B = the top two swimmers can qualify for Kazan if both go under these times
• C = if a relay qualifies, swimmers must achieve these times individually

There will be a second opportunity for relay swimmers to make the standards at this summer’s Sette Colli Trophy.

Men’s 100 Backstroke Final

• Italian Record: Mirco Di Tora, 53.77 – Rome, 2009
• 2014 Champion: Christopher Ciccarese (CC Aniene), 53.94
• Kazan Qualifying Time: 53.70

After finishing third in last year’s final, and setting both the Junior World and Italian Junior records with 54.74, Simone Sabbioni (Army / Swim Pro SS9) dropped 1.3 seconds and set both the Italian National and Italian Cadet records, and picked up the national title with 53.49. Runner-up was last year’s champion, Christopher Ciccarese (Rome Golden Flames / CC Aniene) in 54.16. Niccolò Bonacchi (Army / N Pistoiesi) rounded out the podium with 54.41.

Sabbioni moves to sixth in the world so far this year with his record-breaking swim.

Women’s 100 Backstroke Final

• Italian Record: Arianna Barbieri, 1:00.25 – London, 2012
• 2014 Champion: Arianna Barbieri (Yellow Flames / Blue 91), 1:00.42
• Kazan Qualifying Time: 1:00.30

Margherita Panziera (CC Aniene) swam a dominant race in the women’s 100 back, touching in 1:00.83. Fourth at the 50, Panziera shut down the field over the second half, coming home in 30.89, the fastest back half by nearly a second. Stefania Cartapani (SMGM Team Lombardia) just edged defending champion Arianna Barbieri (Yellow Flames / Blue 91), 1:01.22 to 1:01.29.

No one qualified for Kazan, either individually or for a possible medley relay, but they will have a second chance at Sette Colli.

Men’s 50 Breaststroke Final

• Italian Record: Fabio Scozzoli, 27.17 – Shanghai, 2011
• 2014 Champion: Mattia Pesche (Rome Golden Flames / Forum Sport Center), 27.38
• Kazan Qualifying Time: 27.30

2014 runner-up Francesco Di Lecce (RN Torino) won his first national title by a narrow .05 margin over Fabio Scozzoli (Army / Imolanuoto), 27.75 to 27.80. Andrea Toniato (Yellow Flames / Team Veneto) was only .18 behind the leaders; he touched in 27.98. Di Lecce was thrilled with his inaugural national title but said in his post-race press conference that he was focused on making the Kazan team in the 100 breast.

Women’s 400 Freestyle Final

• Italian Record: Federica Pellegrini, 3:59.15 – Rome, 2009
• 2014 Champion: Federica Pellegrini (CC Aniene), 4:04.56
• Kazan Qualifying Time: 4:06.50

Alice Mizzau (Yellow Flames / Team Veneto), who finished second last year, was two seconds faster this time around and picked up a national title in the process, winning in 4:06.22. Mizzau led wire-to-wire and just made it in under the Kazan qualifying standard. Diletta Carli (Rome Golden Flames / Tyrrhenian Swim) had an outstanding back half but just missed the mark. Carli was fifth at the 200 and tied for fourth at the 300; she came home 2 seconds faster than Mizzau over the final 100 but just fell short, touching second in 4:06.78. Defending champion and Italian record-holder, Federica Pellegrini (CC Aniene) finished third with 4:08.27.

Pellegrini, who has been working with Mireia Belmonte’s coach, Fred Vergnoux, in Sabadell, Spain, said she was happy with her race, and congratulated Mizzau and Carli for their performances.

Men’s 800 Freestyle Final

• Italian Record: Gabriele Detti, 7:42.74 – Riccione, 2014
• 2014 Champion: Gabriele Detti (Army / SMGM Team Lombardy), 7:42.74
• Kazan Qualifying Time: 7:54.00

Gregorio Paltrinieri (Rome Golden Flames / Coopernuoto) punched his ticket to Kazan with the fourth-fastest time in the world so far this year, and second-fastest in Europe, 7:50.43. He finished second with 7:43.01 in last year’s championships. Second place went to Samuel Pizzetti (Police / Swimmers Milanesi) with 7:57.83, while Federico Vanelli (Rome Golden Flames / CC Aniene) rounded out the podium with 8:02.26.

Women’s 200 Butterfly Final

• Italian Record: Caterina Giacchetti, 2:06.50 – Pescara, 2009
• 2014 Champion: Stefania Pirozzi (Rome Golden Flames / CC Naples), 2:07.82
• Kazan Qualifying Time: 2:08.00

2014 runner-up Alessia Polieri (Yellow Flames / Imolanuoto) got her revenge with a 2:08.62 to 2:10.55 victory over defending champion, Stefania Pirozzi (Rome Golden Flames / CC Naples). Third place went to Emanuela Albenzi (SMGM Team Lombardy) in 2:11.59.

Men’s 100 Freestyle Final

• Italian Record: Filippo Magnini, 48.04 – Rome, 2009
• 2014 Champion: Luca Dotto (Forest / Larus), 49.04
• Kazan Qualifying Time: 48.60

The Italian men showed their depth at both ends of the freestyle spectrum, putting up another world top-5 time, this time in the 100 free. Marco Orsi (Rome Golden Flames / Uisp Bologna), fourth in last year’s championships, put up a 48.50 to earn a spot on the Kazan squad and tie France’s Jeremy Stravius at number 5 in the world and number 2 in Europe. Filippo Magnini (SMGM Team Lombardy) repeated as runner-up, although with a faster 48.79 this year. Magnini made it onto the Kazan squad for the 400 free relay. Defending champion Luca Dotto (Forest / Larus) was third in exactly the same time he won the race in last year, 49.04.

Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay Final

• Italian Record: Army, 3:43.49 – Riccione, 2014
• 2014 Champion: Army, 3:44.43
• Kazan Qualifying Time: 3:40.50

The Army team of Laura Letrari (55.45), Alice Nesti (55.91), Giorgia Biondani (55.57), and Erika Ferraioli (53.75) broke the Italian Club record by nearly 3 seconds with 3:40.68. CC Aniene also came in under the old record with their 3:42.71 second-place finish; that included a 54.47 third leg from Pellegrini. Forest was third in 3:45.54.