2022 Italian Spring Championships: Meet and Euro Junior Records Fall on Day 1

2022 ITALIAN SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 9th – April 13th
• Riccione, Italy
• LCM (50m)
• World Championships Qualifier
• Start List
• SwimSwam Italia Coverage
• LIVE RESULTS

Italian swimming is gathered in Riccione for the 2022 Italian Spring Championships, which will serve as the Italian Federation’s qualifying meet for five upcoming major international championships taking place later this year. Like many other international qualifying meets taking place this month, in order to qualify for the World Championships in Budapest in June, Italian swimmers must swim faster than the standard set by their national federation. In this case, the Federazione Italiana Nuoto, or simply Italian Swimming or FIN, the standards can be significantly faster than those imposed by FINA, meaning an athlete may hit a FINA ‘A’ cut but still not make the World Championships team.

The competition, held in a 50 meter Olympic pool, is a qualifying event for:

• 2022 FINA World Championships, Budapest, Hungary (June 18 – June 25)
• World University Games, Chengdu, China (June 26 – July 7)
• 2022 Mediterranean Games, Oran, Algeria (June 25 – July 5)
• 2022 European Swimming Championships (individual event winners only; August 11 – August 21)
• European Junior Championships, Bucharest, Romania (July 5 – July 10)

Though this championship is first and foremost for Italy, there are some Ukrainian swimmers competing. The Ukrainians, however, seem to be swimming in an exhibition style that has no true impact on the outcome of the meet from a team scoring perspective. So far, the Ukrainians who have swam in championship finals have solely competed out of lane zero (0). For reference, Ukraine’s Vladyslav Bukhov put up the 6th-fastest time in the prelims of the 50 freestyle but was still slotted into lane 0 in the evening championship final.

Men’s 50 Backstroke Final

• Italian Record: BONACCHI Niccolò: 24.65 (12/04/2014, Riccione)
• Italian Swimming (FIN) Worlds Cut: 24.70
• European Juniors Cut: 25.9

Podium

1. LAMBERTI Michele (Fiamme Gialle /G.A.M. Team Brescia) 24.95
2. CECCON Thomas (GS Fiamme Oro/Leosport) 24.99
3. STEFANI‘ Simone (Time Limit) 25.07

In a tight finish, Michele Lamberti clenched the National title in the 50 backstroke in 24.95, just 0.04 ahead of Thomas Ceccon. Simone Stefani took the bronze in 25.07, meaning all 3 men came in under the FINA ‘A’ cut but none of them were faster than the 24.70 imposed by Italian Swimming.

Women’s 800 Freestyle – Fastest Heat

• Italian Record: QUADARELLA Simona, 8:14.99 (27/07/2019, Gwangju)
• Italian Swimming (FIN) Worlds Cut: 8:24.30
• European Juniors Cut: 8:41.0

Podium

1. QUADARELLA Simona (Circolo Canottieri Aniene) 8:24.23 World Championships Qualified
2. CARAMIGNOLI Martina Rita (GS Fiamme Oro/Aurelia Nuoto) 8:31.03
3. SALIN Giulia (GS Fiamme Oro/Nuoto Venezia) 8:34.58

Italian Record Holder Simona Quadarella may have been nearly 10 seconds off her lifetime best , but she still managed a dominant performance in the 800 freestyle Saturday. Quadarella’s swim was a masterpiece in consistency as she split 31s on every single split, save for the very first 50 and the final 50. Quadarella just managed to sneak under the qualifying time for Budapest, slipping under the FIN-imposed mark by 0.07.

Runner-up Martina Caramignoli kept things interesting for the first 300 meters. Though Caramignoli never actually took the lead over Quadarella, she was within half a second of Quadarella until the 7th 50; from there, Quadarella maintained her 31s to Caramignoli’s 32s.

Here again all 3 women who made the podium came in under the FINA ‘A’ cut but only Quadarella swam a time fast enough to go to Budapest, per Italian Swimming’s standards.

Men’s 400 Freestyle Final

• Italian Record: DETTI Gabriele, 3:43.23 (21/07/2019, Gwangju)
• Italian Swimming (FIN) Worlds Cut: 3:45.40
• European Juniors Cut: 3:53.8

Podium

1. DE TULLIO Marco (Circolo Canottieri Aniene) 3:44.47 World Championships Qualified
2. GALOSSI Lorenzo (Circolo Canottieri Aniene) 3:45.93 European Junior Record/Italian Junior Record
3. DETTI Gabriele (CS Esercito/ In Sport Rane Rosse) 3:46.12

Veteran Marco de Tullio won the national title in the men’s 400 freestyle and punched his ticket to Budapest with a 3:44.47, beating out three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist Gabriele Detti, as well as rising sensation Lorenzo Galossi, a 15-year-old.

En route to his silver medal finish, Galossi notched a new European Junior Record in the men’s 400 freestyle, shaving 0.13 from Hungarian Gabor Zambori‘s 2016 mark. Prior to today, Galossi’s lifetime best rested at 3:53.62. In the morning heats, Galossi lowered the mark to 3:50.04 before his big swim in the championship final.

The entire race was between de Tullio, Detti, and Galossi, with de Tullio leading from start to finish. Galossi held the 3rd-place position for most of the race and then made his move at the 300-meter turn, where he pulled even with Detti, flipping just 0.01 behind the 27-year-old Olympian. Galossi surpassed Detti on the final 50 meters, splitting a 28.33 to Detti’s 28.40.

De Tullio, Galossi, and Detti now currently hold the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fastest times in the world this year, respectively.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke Final

• Italian Record: CASTIGLIONI Arianna 1:05.67 (25/06/2021, Roma)
• Italian Swimming (FIN) Worlds Cut: 1:06.20
• European Juniors Cut: 1:09.8

Podium

1. PILATO Benedetta (Circolo Canottieri Aniene) 1:05.70 World Championships Qualified/Italian Championship Record
2. CASTIGLIONI Arianna (Fiamme gialle/Team Insubrika) 1:06.17 World Championships Qualified
3. ANGIOLINI Lisa (Virtus Buonconvento) 1:06.82

Benedetta Pilato just missed her own Italian Record, but easily qualified for Budapest with a new Championship Record in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:05.70, a full half second under the mark established by the Italian Swimming Federation to qualify for Worlds. Arianna Castiglioni kept it interesting but could not overcome Pilato’s blistering speed on the the first 50. Pilato hit the 50-meter turn in 30.53 to Castiglioni’s 31.45, though Castiglioni managed a 34.72 to Pilato’s 35.17 on the back-half. Castiglioni also finished under the qualifying time for the 2022 World Championships.

Pilato’s time now ranks her 5th in the world this year, while Castiglioni’s puts her at 7th.

Men’s 200 Butterfly Final

• Italian Record: BURDISSO Federico 1:54.28 (19/05/2021, Budapest)
• Italian Swimming (FIN) Worlds Cut: 1:55.20
• European Juniors Cut: 1:59.7

PODIO

1. CARINI Giacomo (Fiamme Gialle/Can. Vittorino da Feltre) 1:55.53
2. RAZZETTI Alberto (Fiamme Gialle/Genova Nuoto My Sport) 1:55.79
3. BURDISSO Federico (CS Esercito/Aurelia Nuoto) 1:56.16

Giacomo Carini took gold in the men’s 200 butterfly, besting both a world champion and an Olympic medalist in the process. 2020 Olympic bronze medalist in the 200 butterfly at the 200 butterfly and Italian National Record holder in the event Federico Burdisso placed 3rd in Riccione on Saturday, meaning he will not contest this race at the World Championships in Budapest in June. 2021 short course world champion and ISL hero Alberto Razzetti placed 2nd. Burdisso and Razzetti were nearly even at the 150-meter turn, splitting 1:24.83 and 1:24.98, respectively, though it was Carini’s big final 50 that elevated him above the rest of the field. Carini, in the final 50 meters, split a 30.50 versus Razzetti’s 30.81 and Burdisso’s 31.33.

The championship final in Riccione was comprised of eight Italian men as well as one foreigner: Denys Kesil, who is one of 12 Ukrainian swimmers currently training in Italy. Kesil is a Tokyo 2020 Olympian and the 2018 Youth Olympics silver medalist in the 200 butterfly.

Women’s 400 IM Final

• Italian Record: FILIPPI Alessia 4:34.34 (10/08/2008, Pechino)
• Italian Swimming (FIN) Worlds Cut: 4:37.0
• European Juniors Cut: 4:48.0

PODIO

1. FRANCESCHI Sara (Fiamme Gialle/Livorno Aquatics) 4:40.13
2. FRESIA Francesca (Aquatica Torino) 4:44.04
3. TONI Carlotta (Centro Sportivo Esercito/Rari Nantes Florentia) 4:44.69

Though she did not turn 1st at 50 meters, Sara Franceschi quickly asserted herself as the leader in the 2nd 50 of the race and never relinquished her position. Franceschi negative the backstroke and freestyle legs of the race, though her breaststroke faltered slightly as she added nearly a second from her 1st 50 to her 2nd 50 on the 3rd 100of the race. Franceschi won te gold by nearly 4 seconds and came in 3 seconds under the FINA ‘A’ cut, but failed to hit the World qualifying time established by Italian Swimming.

Men’s 50 Freestyle Final

• Record italiano: VERGANI Andrea 21.37, (08/08/2018, Glasgow)
• Italian Swimming (FIN) Worlds Cut: 21.70
• European Juniors Cut: 22.8

Podium

1. DOTTO Luca (Centro Sportivo Carabinieri/Larus Nuoto) 21.86
2. DEPLANO Leonardo (Circolo Canottieri Aniene) 21.87
3. ZAZZERI Lorenzo (Centro Sportivo Esercito/Rari Nantes Florentia) 22.04

31-year-old Luca Dotto got his hand on the wall just a fingernail ahead of Leonardo Deplano, a man 9 years his junior, touching 21.86 to 21.87. Though both men, as well as bronze medalist Lorenzo Zazzeri were comfortably under the FINA ‘A’ time of 22.18, they fell just short of the time imposed by Italian Swimming.

Similar to the men’s 200 butterfly, this heat was also comprised of eight Italian men and one Ukrainian, with Vladyslav Bukhov swimming a 22.67 to place 7th.

Women’s 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay Final

• Record italiano: 3:40.68 Centro Sportivo Esercito, 14/05/2015 – Riccione (ITA)

Representing Centro Sportivo Carabinieri, the team of Anna Mascolo (57.02), Rachele Ceracchi (56.10), Paola Biaglioli (55.77), and Silvia di Pietro (54.31) stormed to victory in the women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay, recording a time of 3:43.20 with a crescendo of descending splits from each subsequent swimmer. Centro Sportivo Carabinieri hit the wall a mere 0.17 ahead of the runners-up from Fiamme Gialle, who recorded nearly-identical splits: Arianna Castiglioni (57.04), Alice Mizzua (55.44), Helena Biasibetti (56.10), and Chiara Tarantino (54.79). Three women total, di Pietro, Castiglioni, and Centro Sportivo Esercito’s Giulia Verona, hit sub-55 on their splits, clocking 54.31, 54.79, and 54.80, respectively.

Podium

1. Centro Sportivo Carabinieri 3:43.20
2. Fiamme Gialle 3:43.37
3. GS Fiamme Oro 3:44.93