Un-Retired World Champion Magnini Entered In This Week’s Italian C’ships

2020 ITALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, December 17th – Saturday, December 19th
• Riccione
• LCM (50m)
• Olympic Qualifying Event
• Italy’s Olympic Qualifying Procedures
• SwimSwam Italia Preview
• Regulations and timing

With the Italian Open Championships kicking off on Thursday, the entry lists have been published, giving us a good glimpse into the caliber of talent ready to race in Riccione.

REGISTRATION ITALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

In addition to the key elite players to the tune of Federica Pellegrini, Alessandro Miressi and Federico Burdisso, just to name a few, a just-out-of-retirement Filippo Magnini is appearing across multiple events.

38-year-old freestyle Magnini revealed just last month that he was coming out of retirement after nearly 3 years away from competition. Amidst his accolades, including an Olympic bronze medal in the men’s 800 free relay at the 2004 Games in Athens, Magnini was also involved in a doping scandal that almost cost him his career.

In the fall of 2019, the Italian anti-doping organization (NADO) officially banned Magnini and fellow swimmer Michele Santucci for four years each. Both were accused of “use or attempted use of doping substances,” and Magnini was also accused of abetting and administration or attempted administration of a prohibited substance.

In his appeal to NADO, Magnini “objected to the facts found against him by the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunals.” Both swimmers appealed their bans with a national anti-doping tribunal. Santucci won his appeal and had his suspension dropped, but Magnini’s appeal was rejected.

Magnini pursued a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and was successful. In February of 2020, CAS officially overturned Magnini’s suspension.

The freestyle ace is entered in the men’s 100m and 200m freestyle events here in Riccione. Of note, world champion Simona Quadarella and Olympic medalist Gabriele Detti are absent from the entry lists.

Below are the key swimmers slated to compete:

Stefano Ballo
Federico Bocchia
Federico Burdisso
Linda Caponi
Martina Caramignoli

Martina Carraro
Arianna Castiglioni
Thomas Ceccon
Matteo Ciampi
Luca De Tulio
Stefano Di Cola
Luca Dotto
Erika Francesca Gaetani
MIchele Lamberti
Filippo Magnini
Nicolo Martinenghi
Alessandro Miressi
Marco Orsi
Gregorio Paltrinieri
Federica Pellegrini
Silvia Di Pietro
Federico Poggio
Simone Sabbioni
Giulia Salin
Silvia Scalia
Andrea Vergani