2024 ITALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS
- Tuesday, March 5th – Saturday, March 9th
- Riccione, Italy
- LCM (50m)
- ITA Olympic Qualification Criteria
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- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
We entered the penultimate day of action at the 2024 Italian Olympic Trials, with a pair of teenagers wowing the crowds in Riccione.
We already reported how 17-year-old Sara Curtis clocked a new Italian national record in the heats of the women’s 50m freestyle. The ace logged a result of 24.56 to establish the new national benchmark while also producing a new European Junior Record.
Tonight’s men’s 200m freestyle final saw another teenager put up fireworks, as 17-year-old Alessandro Ragaini busted out a lifetime best of 1:45.83 for gold.
Ragaini upset national record holder Filippo Megli who settled for silver while Giovanni Caserta rounded out the the podium in 1:46.88.
Ragaini’s time tonight represented his first-ever foray under the 1:46 barrier, skipping the 1:47-zone entirely.
Entering these Olympic Trials, Ragaini’s personal best rested at the 1:47.24 he notched as lead-off on the Italian boys’ 4x200m free relay at last year’s World Junior Championships. He also earned silver in the individual event there in Netanya in 1:47.28.
This morning, Ragaini dropped that PB down to 1:47.12 to establish a new Italian Junior Record.
Flash forward to tonight, however, and Ragaini unleashed splits of 25.17/26.49/27.15/27.02 to come within .16 of Megli’s senior national record of 1:45.67 from 2019.
Ragaini’s outing qualifies for this summer’s Olympic Games, clearing the Italian Swimming Federation-mandated selection standard of 1:45.89.
Just like that, the teen ranks 9th in the world this season.
2023-2024 LCM Men 200 Free
POPOVICI
1:43.13
| 2 | Lukas MÄRTENS | GER | 1:44.14 | 04/27 |
| 3 | Sunwoo HWANG | KOR | 1:44.40 | 09/27 |
| 4 | Matthew RICHARDS | GBR | 1:44.69 | 04/07 |
| 5 | Duncan SCOTT | GBR | 1:44.75 | 04/07 |
| 6 | Maximillian GIULIANI | AUS | 1:44.79 | 12/12 |
| 6 | Luke HOBSON | USA | 1:44.79 | 07/29 |
| 8 | Danas RAPSYS | LTU | 1:44.96 | 02/12 |
| 9 | James GUY | GBR | 1:45.04 | 07/30 |
| 10 | Thomas DEAN | GBR | 1:45.09 | 04/07 |
For perspective, Ragaini’s new PB of 1:45.83 would register as a new National Age Group Record for 17-18-year-old American men. It would overwrite Olympic legend Michael Phelps’ PB from that age group of 1:45.99 from 2003.
Ragaini ranks as the 4th-fastest Italian in history in this men’s 200m free event.
Top 5 Italian Men’s LCM 100 Freestyle Performers All-Time
- 1:45.67 – Filippo Megli, 2019
- 1:45.70 – Marco De Tullio, 2022
- 1:45.77 – Stefano Ball0, 2021
- 1:45.83 – Alessandro Ragaini, 2024
- 1:46.29 – Emiliano Brembilla 2009
Trailed Megli for 180 metres and then passed him. Masterpiece. We havent heard the last of him.
Lamberti 1988. Dun
I love it when the young kids stand up to be counted on a big stage. Now it’s his time for the biggest stage of all, good luck to him, 👏👏👏.
What about Lorenzo Galossi?
Still struggling after his physical problems of last year. Today, in the 200 free, he swam the seventh time (1.50.90) among the juniors: this shows how strong the Italian junior team is
He swam the 400 as well in 3:55.3 if memory serves. Finishing 15th. Slowly recovering.
Looks like Sid from Toy Story
Zamn
Huge talent which every Italian swimming fan knows well. His gradual physical development (and he has still room for improvement) is clear considering his PBs: he had 1.53.91 at the end of 2021, 1.49.05 (Lima Junior Worlds) at the end of 2022, 1.47.24 (second place behind Southam at Netanya Junior Worlds) at the end of 2023, and now – at the beginning of March 2024 – he is already at 1.45.83.
Wow … this guy is significantly faster than Max Williamson in one of Max’s best events at a similar age. Crazy.