20-Year-Old Sofia Morini Rises to the Top of Italian Women’s Sprinting

59TH ANNUAL SWIMMING TROPHY SETTECOLLI

Three new names have joined consideration for the Italian roster for the upcoming World Championships so far in two days of the 2023 Sette Colli Trophy. That list includes a medal contender and a rising young talent in the women’s sprint events.

Alessandro Miressi, who was 8th at last year’s World Championships in the 100 free, swam 48.27 at Sette Colli on Saturday. That is more than three tenths better than he swam at the Italian Championships in the spring.

The novel name is that of Sofia Morini. The 20-year-old swam 54.21 in finals to dip under the “A” standard. That time makes her the fastest Italian woman in the 100 free so far this year, jumping Chiara Tarantino’s 54.40 from April.

Giacomo Carini, who placed 12th at Worlds last year in the 200 fly, swam 1:55.72 at Sette Colli. That was slightly-slower than he was at Nationals, but was again under the “A” cut. The “A” cut at nationals alone did not guarantee a spot at Worlds.

Italian Nationals Time Worlds “A” Cut Sette Colli Time
Alessandro Miressi M 100 free 48.61 48.51 48.27
Sofia Morini W 100 free 54.76 54.25 54.21
Giacomo Carini M 200 fly 1:55.67 1:56.71 1:55.72

Italy, a country that over the last half-decade has bullied its way among the best swimming countries in the world, underwent a change of leadership earlier this year after Paolo Barelli was suspended by World Aquatics, and with the new leadership has come a nebulous and complicated new qualifying system.

Swimmers who hit Italy’s special, higher-than-A-cut, time standard at April’s National Championships, were chosen to the team.

After that, things become trickier. Swimmers who hit “A” standards at this Settecolli meet are able to qualify for “consideration” for selection to the World Championships, but ultimately it will be at the discretion of National Team coach Cesare Butini to complete the roster – including awarding relay slots.

It’s not yet clear what standards he will use to select swimmers. Miressi, one of the stars of the Italian team and a crucial relay leg, seems like a shoe-in. Morini’s choice seems like a wise move to support a rising talent in a historic weakness for the Italian women.

The biggest question mark is that of Carini. He was 3rd at Nationals behind Alberto Razzetti (1:54.98) and Federico Burdisso (1:55.61). Razzetti’s spot was guaranteed with that swim, but neither Burdisso or Carini were under the selection standard at that meet.

Burdisso did not swim at Sette Colli but is the Olympic bronze medalist in the event and has a faster time in 2023.

The 12 swimmers who posted qualifying times at Italian Nationals in April are below:

WOMEN

  1. Simona Quadarella 400m free 4:05.83/ 800m free 8:21.14/1500m free 15:53.29
  2. Lisa Angiolini 100m breast 1:06.18
  3. Sara Franceschi 400m IM 4:35.98/200m IM 2:10.05
  4. Benedetta Pilato 50m breast 30.08
  5. Margherita Panziera 200m back 2:08.12

MEN

  1. Marco De Tullio 400m free 3:44.69
  2. Alberto Razzetti 200m fly 1:54.98
  3. Leonardo Deplano  50m free 21.89
  4. Thomas Ceccon 100m back 53.36
  5. Federico Poggio 100m breast 58.76
  6. Nicolo Martinenghi 100m breast 59.06
  7. Matteo Restivo 200m back 1:56.96

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Ldn
1 year ago

L De Tullio with his 8:47 800 free and S Cerasuolo with his 26.76 50 breast surely must be selected as well; A Bottazzo’s great 50 breast today genuinely complicates choosing who to take alongside Pilato for that event

BearlyBreathing
1 year ago

She rose so high she broke the headline

WV Swammer
1 year ago

I have also rose to the top of

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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