15-Year-Old Pilato Crushes 50 Breast World Junior Record

2020 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE: MATCH 1

  • Friday, October 16: 4 PM-6 PM Local Time (10 AM-12 noon U.S. Eastern, 11 PM-1 AM J+1 Japan)
  • Saturday, October 17: 8 PM-10 PM Local Time (2 PM-4 PM U.S. Eastern, 3 AM-5 AM J+1 Japan)
  • Duna Arena – Budapest, Hungary
  • Short Course Meters (SCM) format
  • 2020 ISL Scoring Format
  • 2020 ISL Prize Money and Bonuses
  • How To Watch
  • Teams: Energy Standard, Cali Condors, LA Current, NY Breakers

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST

  1. Lilly King (CAC)
  2. Benedetta Pilato (ENS)
  3. Molly Hannis (CAC)
  4. Imogen Clark (ENS)
  5. Emily Escobedo (NYB)
  6. Sarah Vasey (NYB)
  7. Abbey Weitzel (LAC)
  8. Kierra Smith (LAC)

While American Lilly King ran away with the women’s 50m breaststroke victory for Cali Condors on day 1 of match 1 of the International Swimming League (ISL), it was 15-year-old Benedetta Pilato who came into the wall just over a tenth behind to reap silver.

King touched in 28.86 while Pilato busted out a lifetime best as well in a time of 28.97 to become Italy’s first-ever swimmer under 29 seconds in the event.

Pilato’s time tonight outperformed the Italian teenager’s previous personal best of 29.32 she produced at last year’s European Short Course Championships. That time in Glasgow also rendered Pilato the new World Junior Record holder in short course to pair with her long course WJR mark produced in Gwangju (29.98 in prelims). She would later lower the mark down to 29.85 at the 2019 Sette Colli Trophy.

The teen took the silver at last year’s World Championships (LCM) and was a late addition to Team Energy Standard for this ISL season 2, already showing up big.

With tonight’s performance, Pilato’s 28.97 renders the Italian as the world’s 5th fastest performer ever with a shiny new World Junior Record and Italian national record to boot.

RANK TIME ATHLETE NF COMPETITION
COUNTRY / DATE
1 28.56WR ATKINSON Alia JAM FINA Swimming World Cup 2018 HUN
06 Oct 2018
2 28.80WR HARDY Jessica USA FINA/Arena Swimming World Cup 2009 GER
15 Nov 2009
3 28.81 MEILUTYTE Ruta LTU 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) 2014 QAT
03 Dec 2014
4 28.86 KING LILLY USA ISL 2020 Match 1
5 28.97 PILATO Benedetta USA ISL 2020 Match 1
6 29.05 HANNIS Molly USA ISL 2019 Season – Grand Final USA
20 Dec 2019
7 29.08 EFIMOVA Yuliya RUS FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup 2016 GER
31 Aug 2016
8 29.32WJ PILATO Benedetta ITA European Short Course Swimming Championships 2019 GBR
04 Dec 2019
9 29.37 MEILI Katie USA FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup 2016 GER
31 Aug 2016
10 29.43 CLARK Imogen Louise GBR SE Winter Championships (25m) 2018 GBR
15 Dec 2018

 

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Xman
3 years ago

How is she doing in other strokes?

nuotofan
Reply to  Xman
3 years ago

She’s completely focused on breaststroke, a real breaststroke specialist like Peaty (and in the same distances: 50 and 100). Her second best stroke is perhaps fly, but her coach, considering her natural gift, has chosen to specialize her, first on the 50 br. and then also on 100 br.

Daniel Jablonski
3 years ago

imagine being 15 and swimming for one of the fastest teams in the world… 😳😳

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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