2026 Sette Colli Trophy: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

67th SETTE COLLI TROPHY 

• Friday, June 26th – Sunday, June 28th
• Prelims at 9am local (3am ET)/A-Finals at 7pm local (1pm ET)
• Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
• SwimSwam Preview
• Entry List
• Prelims Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Finals Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2
• Live Results
• Prelims Livestream
• Finals Livestream

The third and final day of action at the 2026 Sette Colli Trophy is upon us, and the stacked pools of talent on both the men’s and women’s sides have the potential to bring about even more head-turning results and record-breaking swims.

American Gretchen Walsh will try to fend off the likes of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom and the host country’s Sara Curtis in the women’s 50m freestyle to kick things off. This morning, 23-year-old Walsh turned in a time of 24.10 to establish the 4th-best time of her career.

And, new mom Sjostrom is hoping to continue her speedy ways after finishing behind Walsh in the 50m fly earlier in the competition, remarkably less than a year since giving birth to her first child, son Adrian.

Curtis is on the warpath, however, having notched a monster new personal best and Italian national record of 52.69 as she claimed 100m free bronze.

The men’s and women’s 200m backstroke races are on the agenda, which means we’ll see Swiss Olympic medalist Roman Mityukov lead the men and Hungarian Dora Molnar enter lane four for the women’s edition.

Noe Ponti has already put on displays of speed at this competition, but the 25-year-old Swiss Olympic medalist will have his hands full in the 50m fly.

He already put up a significant swim of 22.81 as the sole time of the prelims under 23 seconds; however, Hungary’s Kristof Milak and rising ace Stergios-Marios Bilas of Greece won’t go down quietly.

The men’s 200m free has a heavy plate of talent about to take to the Foro Italico pool, with Olympic multi-medalist David Popovici primed to follow up his 100m free victory from earlier in the meet.

He notched 1:47.66 this morning to hold a slight advantage over British Olympic medlaist Jack McMillan (1:47.75), with Lithuanian Tomas Lukminus (1:47.81) also on the prowl, hoping to give his nation its first medal here.

Throw in the men’s and women’s 200m breaststroke events, 200m IM races, along with the women’s 400m free and men’s 1500m free and we’re sure to see some fireworks to bring this three-day affair to an explosive conclusion.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 23.59, Kate Douglass (USA), 2026
• World Junior Record – 24.17, Claire Curzan (USA), 2021
• European Record – 23.61, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2023
• European Junior Record – 24.56, Sara Curtis (ITA), 2024
• Italian Record – 24.29, Sara Curtis, 2026
• Meet Record – 23.75, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2024

GOLD – Gretchen Walsh (USA), 23.55 *World Record*
SILVER  – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 23.86
BRONZE – Sara Curtis (ITA), 24.09 *Italian Record*

We could not have asked for more from this women’s 50m freestyle final, as 23-year-old Gretchen Walsh of the United States made collective jaws drop with a monster time of 23.55 to establish a new World Record.

After hitting 24.10 this morning in the prelims to notch the 4th-fastest time of her career, the Olympian entered an entirely other gear to clear the 24-second threshold for just the 3rd time ever.

In doing so, she erased the short-lived World Record of 23.59 that American Olympic teammate Kate Douglass established just last week at the Pro Swim Series.

European Record holder and new mom Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden was impressive as well, posting 23.86 as a humongous return to this event since giving birth to her first child, son Adrian, last August.

Then, coming in with the bronze, was 19-year-old Sara Curtis, who unleashed an eye-popping new personal best and Italian national record of 24.09 en route to 3rd place. That easily overtook the 24.29 she put on the books earlier this year.

Walsh’s new WR obviously situates her as #1 in the world right now, relegating Douglass to the #2 spot. Sjostrom now ranks 3rd in the world on the season, with Curtis ranked 6th overall.

MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• World Record – 1:51.92, Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009
• World Junior Record – 1:55.14, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017
• European Record – 1:53.19, Hubert Kos (HUN), 2025
• European Junior Record – 1:55.14, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017
• Italian Record – 1:55.71, Thomas Ceccon, 2025
• Meet Record – 1:55.05, Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2012

GOLD – Roman Mityukov (SUI), 1:57.32
SILVER  – John Shortt (IRL), 1:57.73
BRONZE – Benedek Kovacs (HUN), 1:57.76

The women’s 50m free final was a tough act to follow for this men’s 200m back main event, with just six of the eight finalists clearing the 2:00 barrier.

As expected, Swiss Olympic medalist Roman Mityukov carried the momentum from holding the top seed out of the morning, hitting the wall tonight in 1:57.32 for gold.

That was well off the 1:54.83 national record he logged at last year’s World Championships, but enough to grab the top spot this evening.

Ireland’s national record holder and World Junior Championships multi-medalist John Shortt bumped himself up from 3rd seed to earn the silver, registering 1:57.73 to knock about two seconds off his morning swim of 1:59.68.

Hungary’s Benedek Kovacs also landed on the podium with his mark of 1:57.76, good enough to capture the bronze.

Of note, the Sette Colli Trophy record remains at the 1:55.05 Japanese Olympic icon registered in 2012 for one of the oldest meet records still remaining.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• World Record – 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• World Junior Record – 2:03.35, Regan Smith (USA), 2019
• European Record – 2:04.94m Anastasia Fesikova (RUS), 2009
• European Junior Record – 2:06.62, Benchmark
• Italian Record – 2:05.56, Margherita Panziera, 2021
• Meet Record – 2:06.87, Margherita Panziera (ITA), 2019

GOLD – Aurora Velati (ITA), 2:12.57
SILVER  – Anna Conti (ITA), 2:13.30
BRONZE – Dora Molnar (HUN), 2:13.67

Despite entering this women’s 200m backstroke as the top-seeded swimmer with a morning result of 2:12.88, 19-year-old Dora Molnar saw herself get passed by a pair of Italians to ultimately be relegated to the bronze medal position.

It was Aurora Velati who got to the wall first, posting 2:12.57 for the gold, leading teammate Anna Conti who notched 2:13.30 for the silver.

Molnar of the NCAA’s University of Southern California still landed on the podium, but settled for bronze in 2:13.67.

Velati made the most of tonight’s final, with her 2:12.57 demolishing her previous career-swiftest performance of 2:13.26 from just this past April.

MEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

• World Record – 22.27, Andrii Govorov (UKR), 2018
• World Junior Record – 22.96, Diogo Ribeiro (POR), 2022
• European Record – 22.27, Andrii Govorov (UKR), 2018
• European Junior Record – 22.96, Diogo Ribeiro (POR), 2022
• Italian Record – 22.67, Thomas Ceccon, 2025
• Meet Record – 22.27, Andrii Govorov (UKR), 2018

GOLD – Noe Ponti (SUI), 22.73
SILVER  – Kristof Milak (HUN), 22.86
BRONZE – Stergios-Marias Bilas (GRE), 23.08

The top three men from this morning’s 50m butterfly heats maintained their positions, with Swiss Olympic medlist Noe Ponti dropping his AM outing of 22.81 down to 22.73 to lead the field.

That checks in as the 4th-quickest outing of his storied career, one which boasts a PB and Swiss standard of 22.51 put on the books en route to snagging silver in this event at the 2025 World Championships.

Hungarian Olympic champion Kristof Milak demolished his 23.06 morning swim with a silver medal-worthy result of 22.86 to join Ponti as the only sub-23-second performers on the night.

That’s a big-time PB for the 200m fly World Record holder, crushing his former best-ever performance of 23.03 from April of this year. He also now becomes the Hungarian national record holder in this event, outperforming the 22.90 Szebasztian Szabo registered at the 2019 World Championships.

Greek swimmer Stergios-Marios Bilas bagged the bronze in 23.08, only .08 removed from the national record of 23.00 he put on the books at the 2025 World Championships.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – FINAL

• World Record – 2:01.81, Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
• World Junior Record – 2:03.03, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
• European Record – 2:04.27, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2009
• European Junior Record – 2:06.26, Lana Pudar (BIH), 2023
• Italian Record – 2:06.50, Caterina Giacchetti, 2009
• Meet Record – 2:07.05, Sara Isakovic (SLO), 2008

GOLD – Ellen Walshe (IRL), 2:08.02
SILVER  – Helena Rosendahl Bach (DEN), 2:08.15
BRONZE – Paola Borrelli (ITA), 2:08.63

This women’s 200m fly final came down to the wire, with the top three competitors separated by just over half a second when all was said and done.

24-year-old Irish swimmer Ellen Walshe put her own national record on notice en route to getting to the wall first, producing a gold medal-worthy time of 2:08.02.

Walshe turned in the 6th place position at the 150m mark but fired up the jets to surpass Denmark’s Helena Rosendahl Bach who settled for silver just .13 behind in 2:08.15.

Italian top seed Paola Borrelli was relegated to bronze, hitting a still-solid outing of 2:08.63.

Walshe’s Irish national record remains at the 2:07.48 turned in at the 2025 World Championships, while Bach’s performance tonight was off her PB and Danish standard of 2:06.65 notched at the 2024 Olympic Games.

21-year-old Borrelli’s lifetime best checks in at the 2:07.47 put up just this past April at the Italian Championships to qualify her for this summer’s European Championships.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record – 2:05.48, Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2023
• World Junior Record – 2:06.59, Shin Ohashi (JPN), 2026
• European Record – 2:05.85, Leon Marchand (FRA), 2024
• European Junior Record – 2:08.32, Filip Nowacki (GBR), 2025
• Italian Record – 2:08.50, Loris Facci, 2009
• Meet Record – 2:07.63, Arno Kamminga (NED), 2021

GOLD – Caspar Corbeau (NED), 2:09.02
SILVER  – Christian Mantegazza (ITA), 2:10.00
BRONZE – Kerem Ilyem (TUR), 2:11.27

Olympic medalist Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands upgraded himself from 2nd seed to the gold medal position, courtesy of getting to the wall first in 2:09.02.

That garnered nearly a one-second advantage over Christian Mantegazza of the host nation, who turned in a time of 2:10.00 for silver.

Turkey’s Kerem Ilyem collected the bronze in 2:11.27.

Former University of Texas athlete Corbeau remains ranked 4th in the world in this 2breast event as a result of the 2:08.50 he notched last month.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record – 2:17.55, Evgenia Chikunova (RUS), 2023
• World Junior Record – 2:19.64, Viktoria Gunes (TUR), 2015
• European Record – 2:17.55, Evgenia Chikunova (RUS), 2023
• European Junior Record – 2:19.64, Viktoria Gunes (TUR), 2015
• Italian Record – 2:22.28, Lisa Angiolini, 2026
• Meet Record – 2:20.72, Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2018

GOLD – Mona McSharry (IRL), 2:22.71
SILVER  – Tes Schouten (NED), 2:22.89
BRONZE – Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU), 2:24.61

The women’s edition of the 200m breast was also on the quiet side, with no female clearing the 2:20 barrier during the final.

Ireland’s national record holder and Olympic medalist Mona McSharry clocked the speediest effort, turning in a time of 2:22.71 as the gold medalist.

That eked out the win ahead of Dutch Olympic medalist Tes Schouten, who settled for silver just .18 behind in 2:22.89.

Further back was Lithuania’s Kotryna Teterevkova, who turned in a mark of 2:24.61 for bronze.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• World Junior Record – 1:42.97, David Popovici (ROU), 2022
• European Record – 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• European Junior Record – 1:42.97, David Popovici (ROU), 2022
• Italian Record – 1:45.15, Carlos D’Ambrosio, 2025
• Meet Record – 1:45.49, David Popovici (ROU), 2023

GOLD – David Popovici (ROU), 1:44.48 *Meet Record*
SILVER  – Carlos D’Ambrosio (ITA), 1:46.41
BRONZE – Jack McMillan (GBR), 1:46.71

21-year-old David Popovici of Romania owned this men’s 200m freestyle event from start to finish, ultimately stopping the clock at a speedy result of 1:44.48 for a new meet record.

His time overwrote the 1:45.49 competition standard he put on the books three years ago to beat the field tonight by nearly 2 seconds.

Popovici split 24.36/26.53 (50.90)/26.91/26.68 to get the job done in Rome this evening.

Runner-up status went to Italy’s national record holder Carlos D’Ambrosio, who notched 1:46.41, while British Olympic relay medalist Jack McMillan rounded out the podium at a solid in-season result of 1:46.71.

Popovici now ranks #2 in the world on the season, sitting only behind Korean Olympian and national record holder Hwang Sunwoo, who delivered a rapid result of 1:43.92 at last October’s Korean Sports Festival.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 3:54.18, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025
• World Junior Record – 3:56.08, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
• European Record – 3:59.15, Federica Pellegrini (ITA), 2009
• European Junior Record – 4:03.57, Ajna Kesely (HUN), 2018
• Italian Record – 3:59.15, Federica Pellegrini, 2009
• Meet Record – 4:02.64, Camilee Muffat (FRA), 2013

GOLD – Simona Quadarella (ITA), 4:05.10
SILVER  – Elisa Pignotti (ITA), 4:10.39
BRONZE – Maria Heitmann (BRA), 4:10.59

27-year-old Simona Quadarella ensured a 1-2 Italian finish in this women’s 400m free, clocking a winning time of 4:05.10.

That got her to the wall over five seconds ahead of countrywoman Elisa Pignotti, who snagged the silver in 4:10.39, followed by Brazil’s Maria Heitmann, who notched 4:10.59 as the bronze medalist.

Quadarella already posted a swift outing of 4:03.59 at April’s Italian Championships to represent the 11th-fastest swimmer on the planet right now.

MEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record – 1:52.69, Leon Marchand (FRA), 2025
• World Junior Record – 1:56.53, Yumeki Kojima (JPN), 2026
• European Record – 1:52.69, Leon Marchand (FRA), 2025
• European Junior Record – 1:56.99, Hubert Kos (HUN), 2021
• Italian Record – 1:56.21, Alberto Razzetti, 2023
• Meet Record – 1:57.11, Daiya Seto (JPN), 2019

GOLD – Alberto Razzetti (ITA), 1:57.83
SILVER  – Simone Spediacci (ITA), 1:59.32
BRONZE – Dominik Torok (HUN), 1:59.63

After hitting a pedestrian time of 2:02.05 as the 6th seed out of the men’s 200m IM heats, 27-year-old World Championships multi-medalist Alberto Razzetti of the host nation blazed to the wall first to hit 1:57.83 for the gold.

That held off teammate Simone Spediacci, the top seed, who settled for silver in 1:59.32, as Hungarian Dominik Torok also landed on the podium in 1:59.63, good enough for bronze.

Razzetti’s performance checks in just outside the list of his 10 best performances to-date. Last year in Singapore, the veteran clocked a mark of 1:57.53 to finish 10th in this event.

–WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record – 2:05.70, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025
• World Junior Record – 2:06.56, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
• European Record – 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015
• European Junior Record – 2:11.03, Benchmark
• Italian Record – 2:09.30, Sara Franceschi, 2023
• Meet Record – 2:08.28, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2019

GOLD – Alex Walsh (USA), 2:09.05
SILVER  – Ellen Walshe (IRL), 2:11.40
BRONZE – Sara Franceschi (ITA), 2:12.11

American Olympic medalist Alex Walsh carried the momentum from claiming the top seed into this final of the women’s 200m IM, topping the podium in 2:09.05.

That gave the American Olympic medalist a 2nd gold, pairing with the 400m IM meet title she already collected last night.

Irish national record holder Ellen Walshe landed on her second podium of the evening, adding 200m IM silver in 2:11.40 to the 200m fly gold she reaped earlier in the session.

Host country swimmer Sara Franceschi rounded out the podium in 2:12.11.

As for Walsh, her lifetime best remains at the big-time 2:07.13 she established on her way to earning gold in the event at the 2022 World Championships. Her stellar career includes following that up with silver in Fukuoka the following year (2:07.97), then topped off with a painstaking disqualification at the 2024 Olympic Games. Prior to the DQ, she was on her way to a personal best of 2:07.06, which would have garnered her the bronze.

MEN’S 1500 FREE – FASTEST HEAT

• World Record – 14:30.67, Bobby Finke (USA), 2024
• World Junior Record – 14:41.22, Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR), 2024
• European Record – 14:32.80, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 2022
• European Junior Record – 14:41.22, Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR), 2024
• Italian Record – 14:32.80, Gregorio Paltrinieri, 2022
• Meet Record – 14:33.10, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 2020

GOLD – 
SILVER  – 
BRONZE –