2019 Is Italy’s Best World Championship Ever With 8 Medals And 14 New Records

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Italy has confirmed the rapid improvement of the national swim program over the last two years at the 2019 FINA World Championships. Their 8 medals were the most that Italy has ever earned  in that meet, and they also set 14 new National Records. This follows a 2018 European Championship meet where they also set an all-time best for medals. The country has now set Italian Records in 29 long course events since 2016, leaving just 14 older than that.

Here’s a comparison with past World Championships:

ITALY’S ALL-TIME SWIMMING MEDALS

YEAR GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL
1973 1 0 2 3
1975 0 0 1 1
1978 0 0 0 0
1982 0 0 1 1
1986 0 2 0 2
1991 1 1 4 6
1994 0 0 1 1
1998 0 2 0 2
2001 2 2 2 6
2003 0 0 0 1
2005 1 2 0 3
2007 1 1 4 6
2009 3 0 1 4
2011 2 3 0 5
2013 0 1 1 2
2015 1 3 1 5
2017 3 0 3 6
2019 3 2 3 8

GOLD

Simona Quadarella won three gold medals at the European Championships in Glasgow last year, 400/800/1500 m free. This year in Gwangju brings home a gold and a silver medal.

Federica Pellegrini, at the age of 31, managed to continued her unprecedented longevity in the 200 free and got on the podium of a World Championship for the 8th time in 8 editions.

Gregorio Paltrinieri, after winning the silver in the 4x1250m mixed relay in the open water, won a gold and a bronze medal in the pool.

SILVER

Benedetta Pilato became the youngest Italian female in history to win a medal in an international competition. She won silver in the 50 breaststroke at 14-years old in the first international final of her life.

Simona Quadarella pushed American Katie Ledecky to the final 50 before ultimately taking silver. Her time of 8:14.99 is the new National Record.

BRONZE

NEW NATIONAL RECORDS

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KeithM
5 years ago

Not too surprising coming off a very successful European Championships last year. They had a few disappointing swims but some new faces winning medals made up for it.

Heyitsme
5 years ago

I said Pellegrini would win jokingly but oof I should’ve picked her first my points would’ve been higher

Emanuele
5 years ago

Great performances overall (some little disapointment here and there).
The new selection methods used since 2017 are really paying off. Btw an even strictier selection process wuold be ideal even in the relay.

Mike keeler
Reply to  Emanuele
5 years ago

What is the selection process?

Emanuele
Reply to  Mike keeler
5 years ago

A real trial method during nationals in April with tough (but not impossible) QT. Unfortunately this year the “coach” was super lax and allow a lot of undeserved (qualitatively speaking because they all great person) athetes to go to Korea – Pizzini, Condorelli in the individual, Sabbioni, Cusinato, Bianchi plus Acerenza, but he perform well, because past accomplishment or late QT.
I wuold be super strict: or you qualify during NT or, if you are injuried, you need at least a top5/6 worldwide time to take part at WC/OG. Even the relay: top 4 plus 1 with the best time during the year, if the relay can’t enter the final don’t bring them.

About Giusy Cisale

Giusy Cisale

 GIUSY  CISALE A law graduate, and attorney for 15 years while devoting herself to running her swimming-focused blog, Scent of Chlorine. In 2015, she collaborated with Italian swimming news websites before joining SwimSwam in 2017. She loves swimming from every point of view and in 2016  became an official of the Italian …

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