2024 Italian Olympic Trials: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2024 ITALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Tuesday, March 5th – Saturday, March 9th
• Riccione, Italy
• LCM (50m)
• ITA Olympic Qualification Criteria
• Meet Central
• Entries
• SwimSwam Preview
• Live Results
• 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
• Day 5 Prelims Recap

As a refresher on the Italian selection process, qualification began last November at the nation’s Absolute Open Championships. Athletes who qualified at that competition were fused with those who reached a qualifying time at the World Championships in Doha last month.

This means these Olympic Trials represent a third opportunity for athletes to add their names to the roster, while a final chance for any remaining spots will take place at the Sette Colli Trophy in June.

COMPETITION PROGRAM

• Women’s 50m breast
• Men’s 50m breast
• Women’s 400m free
• Men’s 400m IM
• Women’s 200m back
• Men’s 1500m free
• Women’s 50m fly

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• Italian record: 29.30 – Benedetta Pilato, 2021

GOLD – Benedetta Pilato, 29.87
SILVER – Arianna Castiglioni, 30.71
BRONZE – Anita Bottazzo, 30.94

19-year-old Benedetta Pilato carried her top seed momentum into tonight’s women’s 50m breast final. She took the gold in a time of 29.87, although her heats swim was quicker at 29.59.

Arianna Castiglioni sliced .05 off of her morning outing of 30.76 to snag the silver in 30.71 while Anita Bottazzo captured bronze in 30.94.

Pilato has been as quick as 29.58 this season, a result logged on the World Aquatics Swimming Cup circuit. All told, Pilato has been under 30 seconds a remarkable 28 times in her young career.

She took bronze in this event at this year’s World Championships, clocking a time of 30.01.

MEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• Italian record: 26.33 – Nicolo Martinenghi, 2022

GOLD – Simone Cerasuolo, 26.53
SILVER – Ludovico Blu Art Viberti, 27.05
BRONZE – Peter John Stevens (SLO), 27.74

The men’s non-Olympic 50m breaststroke saw Simone Cerasuolo upgrade his 2nd seed to gold in the final this evening.

20-year-old Cerasuolo put up a time of 26.53 to handily defeat the field, registering the sole sub-27-second outing of the pack.

Behind him was this morning’s fatseest swimmer Ludovico Blu Art Viberti who clocked 27.05, dropping .20 from his 27.25 heats swim.

Slovenia’s Peter John Stevens slid in for bronze in 27.74 while the next-fastest Italian athlete was Alessandro Pinzuti only .01 off the podium in 27.75.

Cerasuolo’s effort marks a huge personal best, crushing his previous career-quickest 26.76 from last year’s Sette Colli Trophy. His result fell within .20 of Nicolo Martinenghi‘s national record of 26.33 set in 2022, making him the #2 Italian performer of all time.

He also ranks 5th in the world this season.

As a reminder, Martinenghi opted out of this event, focusing instead on just the 200m distance which he won last night in a new PB off 2:10.09.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• Italian record: 3:59.15 – Federica Pellegrini, 2009
• Italian Olympic standard: 4:05.2 (4:05.29)
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 4:07.90
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 4:09.14

GOLD – Simona Quadarella, 4:06.55
SILVER – Antonietta Cesarano, 4:11.09
BRONZE – Linda Caponi, 4:11.64

Already qualified for this year’s Olympic Games in the 800m and 1500m free distances, Simona Quadarella raced in the 400m freestyle final tonight.

25-year-old Quadarella produced the sole sub-4:11 outing of the field, touching in 4:06.55 for the gold.

That falls about 3 seconds off of her personal best of 4:03.35 which garnered her gold at the 2018 European Championships. Since then she’s posted times of 4:04.66 for gold at the 2021 European Championships and 4:04.77 for silver at the 2022 edition of the same event.

Quadarella would have had to shave about another second off her outing in order to meet the stiff Italian Swimming Federation-mandated standard of 4:03.29.

As of now, no Italian woman has qualified for Paris in this 4free event.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• Italian record: 4:09.29 – Alberto Razzetti, 2023
• Italian Olympic standard: 4:11.9 (4:11.99)
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 4:12.50
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 4:13.76

GOLD – Pier Andrea Matteazzi, 4:14.90
SILVER – Christian Mantegazza, 4:18.52
BRONZE – Samuele Martelli, 4:18.66

Alberto Razzetti has already claimed one slot on the Olympic roster in this men’s 400m IM, courtesy of the 4:09.29 he ripped at last November’s Italian Championships.

That meant the rest of the field was chasing the 4:11.99 QT to fill the 2nd slot. Unfortunately for Italian swimming fans, none made the grade, with Pier Andrea Matteazzi finishing first in 4:14.90.

That set himself apart from the field with time to spare, as Christian Mantegazza touched the wall over 3 seconds later in 4:18.52 while Samuele Martelli was a hair behind in 4:18.66 for bronze.

26-year-old Matteazzi owns a lifetime best of 4:12.79 in this race, a time he produced en route to placing 4th at the 2021 European Championships.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• Italian record: 2:05.56 – Margherita Panziera, 2021
• Italian Olympic standard: 2:08.5 (2:08.59)
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 2:10.39
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 2:11.04

GOLD – Margherita Panziera, 2:09.08
SILVER – Erika Gaetani, 2:09.70
BRONZE – Francesca Fresia, 2:12.22

National record holder Margherita Panziera fell just over half a second short of making the 2:08.59 qualification standard needed for the Olympic Games.

The 28-year-old turned in a time of 2:09.08 to top the field, with last night’s 100m back champion Erika Gaetani also registering a sub-2:10 outing in 2:09.70 as tonight’s runner-up.

Panziera has dipped under the 2:08.59 QT on well over a dozen instances while Gaetani’s result tonight marks her first time in the 2:09-zone. Entering this competition, Gaetani’s PB rested at the 2:10.28 posted at the 2019 European Junior Championships when she topped the podium.

Panziera’s most recent LCM 200 back appearance came at the Italian Championships in April of 2023 where he hit 2:08.12.

MEN’S 1500 FREE – FINAL

• Italian record: 14:32.80 – Gregorio Paltrinieri, 2022
• Italian Olympic standard: 14:46.0 (14:46.09)
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 15:00.99
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 15:05.49

GOLD – Luca De Tullio, 15:02.71
SILVER – Marcello Guidi, 15:03.72
BRONZE – Ivan Giavonnoni, 15:07.62

Luca De Tullio completed is trifecta of victories, adding this 1500m free gold to hois earlier conquests of the 400m and 800m.

De Tullio hit a time of 15:02.71, although that fell well short of the 14:46.0 needed to qualify for teh Olympic Games.

Post-race De Tullio told Rai Sport that he was disappointed with the time.

Open water specialist Marcello Guidi clocked 15:03.72 for silver and Ivan Giovannoni wrangled up bronze in 15:07.62.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

GOLD – Sonia Laquintana  26.17
SILVER – Viola Scotto Di Carlo  26.40
BRONZE – Costanza Cocconcelli  26.67

Sonia Laquintana earned a new personal best time of 26.17 en route to grabbing the women’s 50m fly gold.

Laquintana owns a lifetime best of 26.19 in this event from the semi-finals at last year’s World University Games. There in Chengdu, she ultimately placed 6th in 26.46.