2025 Italian Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2025 ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Riccione – Swimming Stadium Pool
• April 13–17, 2025
• Prelims at 10am local (4am ET)/Senior Finals at 6pm local (12pm ET)
• World Championships Qualification
• SwimSwam Italia Event Page
• Entries
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Prelims Recap
• Day 1 Finals Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

The final session from the 2025 Italian Championships is set to get underway from Riccione, with more World Championship qualifying spots on the line.

Through four days, just eight swimmers have met the lofty Italian World Championship standards:

World Championships Qualifiers Through Day 4:

1. Simona Quadarella – women’s 800m free
2. Anita Bottazzo – women’s 100m breast
3. Lisa Angiolini – women’s 100m breast
4. Leonardo Deplano – men’s 50m free
5. Nicolo Martinenghi – men’s 100m breaststroke
6. Sara Franceschi – women’s 200m IM
7. Anita Gastaldi – women’s 200m IM
8. Sara Curtis – women’s 100m free, women’s 50m free

This isn’t the lone opportunity for Italians to qualify for Singapore, however, with the Sette Colli Trophy also serving as a qualifier in June.

• Day 5 Finals Heat Sheet

Highlighting the final are the 50 breaststroke events, with three swimmers who have already punched their Worlds tickets leading the way.

In the women’s race, Anita Bottazzo (30.39) and Lisa Angiolini (30.89) qualified 1-2 out of the prelims and have already qualified in the 100 breast, while on the men’s side, Nicolo Martinenghi (27.15) owns Lane 4 tonight after earning his spot in Singapore in the 100.

Simone Cerasuolo (27.19) sits 2nd out of the prelims and is one to watch for tonight, owning a best time (26.53) well under the Worlds cut (26.79).

In the women’s 400 free, Simona Quadarella holds the top seed (4:12.48) after already punching her ticket in the 800 free, while the men’s 400 IM has no imminent threats for the Worlds cut after National Record holder Alberto Razzetti was a no-show in the prelims. Razzetti, who narrowly missed qualifying times in the 200 fly and 200 IM earlier in the meet, likely has refocused towards the Sette Colli Trophy.

There’s a similar case in the women’s 200 back, with the top prelim time from Francesca Romana Furfaro (2:13.23) more than four seconds off the qualifying time of 2:08.99.

The men’s 1500 free is missing Gregorio Paltrinieri but does include Luca De Tullio, who set a lifetime best of 14:48.77 at last year’s Sette Colli Trophy. De Tullio would need to drop a bit of time, down to 14:47.09, to qualify for Worlds automatically.

The last individual race of the meet is the women’s 50 fly, where Italian Record holder Silvia Di Pietro leads the field out of the prelims in 26.18.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record: 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2023
• European Record: 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2023
• Italian Record: 29.30, Benedetta Pilato – 2021
• World Championship Qualifying Time: 30.29

Podium:

1. Anita Bottazzo, 30.42
2. Arianna Castiglioni, 30.58
3. Lisa Angiolini, 30.63

Anita Bottazzo was just shy of her prelim swim, but it was enough to claim victory in the final of the women’s 50 breaststroke, as the rising University of Florida sophomore clocked 30.42 to top Arianna Castiglioni and Lisa Angiolini.

Bottazzo, who owns a best time of 30.02 from 2023, went 30.39 in this morning’s prelims to rank 4th in the world this season.

Castiglioni took the runner-up spot in 30.58, three one-hundredths off her season-best of 30.55 set last month at the Swimming Cup in Milan.

Angiolini, who has already solidified a spot at the World Championships in the 100 breast, was 3rd in 30.63, improving on her season-best of 30.89 set in the prelims while narrowly missing her PB of 30.58 from last year.

MEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2017
• European Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR) – 2017
• Italian Record: 26.33, Nicolo Martinenghi – 2022
• World Championship Qualifying Time: 26.79

Podium:

1. Simone Cerasuolo, 26.59
2. Nicolo Martinenghi, 26.78
3. Ludovico Viberti, 27.01

Simone Cerasuolo punched his ticket to the World Championships and took over the top spot in the world rankings this season with a monstrous swim in the final of the men’s 50 breast, beating Nicolo Martinenghi head-to-head.

Cerasuolo blasted his way to a time of 26.59, passing Aussie Sam Williamson (26.66) for the fastest time in the world while narrowly missing his personal best of 26.53 set in March 2024.

Martinenghi, the Italian Record holder, was the runner-up in 26.78, joining Cerasuolo under the Worlds qualifying time of 26.79 and moving to #3 in the world. Martinenghi had already qualified for Singapore in the 100 breast.

Ludovico Viberti rounded out the podium in 27.01, climbing to #7 in the world rankings while adding 21 one-hundredths from his PB of 26.80.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• World Record: 3:55.38, Ariarne Titmus (AUS) – 2023
• European Record: 3:59.15, Federica Pellegrini (ITA) – 2009
• Italian Record: 3:59.15, Federica Pellegrini – 2009
• World Championship Qualifying Time: 4:06.09

Podium:

1. Simona Quadarella, 4:08.50
2. Noemi Cesarano, 4:10.81
3. Anna Chiara Mascolo, 4:12.34

Veteran Simona Quadarella went wire-to-wire to earn a comfortable victory in the final of the women’s 400 freestyle, posting a season-best time of 4:08.50.

The swim for Quadarella improves on her previous season-best of 4:09.24, set last month in Livorno, and moves her into 8th this season in the world rankings.

The 26-year-old owns a lifetime best of 4:03.35, set in 2018, and last year, produced her fastest swim of 4:06.43 in June. She has already qualified for the World Championships in the 800 free, but her swim tonight was more than two seconds off the Italian standard of 4:06.09.

Noemi Cesarano, 21, moved into 2nd place on the third 50 and never looked back, clocking 4:10.81 to fall just shy of her PB of 4:10.47 set in July 2022.

Anna Chiara Mascolo edged out Rebecca Rimoldi on the last 50 to claim 3rd, with Mascolo clocking 4:12.34 and Rimoldi touching 4th in 4:12.91. Mascolo owns a best time of 4:09.37 from 2019, while Rimoldi, a teenager, shattered her best time of 4:16.26.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• World Record: 4:02.50, Leon Marchand (FRA) – 2023
• European Record: 4:02.50, Leon Marchand (FRA) – 2023
• Italian Record: 4:09.29, Alberto Razzetti – 2023
• World Championship Qualifying Time: 4:11.99

Podium:

1. Pier Andrea Matteazzi, 4:16.12
2. Emanuele Potenza, 4:17.34
3. Samuele Martelli, 4:17.73

Pier Andrea Matteazzi took over the lead of the men’s 400 IM final on the backstroke leg and never relinquished it, holding a slight advantage over Emanuele Potenza and Samuele Martelli throughout the race to touch first in a time of 4:16.12.

The swim for Matteazzi is a new season-best time, but falls well shy of his PB of 4:12.79 from 2021. Last year, he was faster on one occasion, clocking 4:14.90 at the Italian Championships in March 2024.

Potenza, 18, set a new personal best time to snag 2nd, registering a time of 4:17.34 to improve on his 4:19.10 from last year’s Sette Colli Trophy.

Martelli also set a new best time, dropping just under a second in 4:17.73 to take 3rd, having previously been 4:18.66 last March.

Italy’s primary contender for a World Championship berth in this event, Alberto Razzetti, was a no-show in the prelims.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• World Record: 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2023
• European Record: 2:04.94, Anastasia Fesikova (RUS) – 2009
• Italian Record: 2:05.56, Margherita Panziera – 2021
• World Championship Qualifying Time: 2:08.99

Podium:

1. Francesca Romana Furfaro, 2:11.64
2. Francesca Pasquino, 2:12.74
3. Martina Cenci, 2:13.26

Francesca Romana Furfaro rolled to a new best time in winning the women’s 200 back, making a move on Francesca Pasquino on the middle 100 to claim the victory in a time of 2:11.64.

Furfaro dipped under 2:12 for the first time, erasing her previous best time of 2:12.04 set last August. She had been as fast as 2:12.63 earlier this season.

Pasquino, 22, impressively set her first best time in the event in more than five years, clocking 2:12.74 to improve on the 2:13.30 marker she established in December 2019.

She had the fastest opening (30.56) and closing (33.29) 50s in the field, but gave up more than two seconds on the middle 100 to Furfaro.

Martina Cenci sat in 2nd at the final turn, but was overtaken by Pasquino coming home to finish 3rd in 2:13.26, just over a second off her best time set in March 2021 (2:12.20).

MEN’S 1500 FREE – TIMED FINAL

• World Record: 14:30.67, Bobby Finke (USA) – 2024
• European Record: 14:32.80, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 2022
• Italian Record: 14:32.80, Gregorio Paltrinieri – 2022
• World Championship Qualifying Time: 14:47.09

Podium:

1. Matteo Diodato, 14:58.88
2. Marcello Guidi, 15:06.91
3. Davide Marchello, 15:08.99

Matteo Diodato was the surprise winner in the men’s 1500 freestyle, dominating the fastest seeded heat in a new personal best of 14:58.88.

Diodato nearly even-split the race, turning in 7:28.97 at the 750 (7:58.92 at the 800) and then closing the second half in 7:29.91

The 22-year-old broke 15:00 for the first time, having previously been 15:06.97 in at the 2023 Sette Colli Trophy.

Ivan Giovannoni sat in the runner-up position with 250 meters to go , but Marcello Guidi and Davide Marchello closed strong to finish 2-3, with Guidi clocking 15:06.91 for 2nd and Marchello taking 3rd in 15:08.99.

Guidi owns a best time of 15:03.72, set last year, while Marchello dipped under his PB of 15:11.79 set in 2024.

Giovannoni ended up 4th in 15:09.26, four and a half seconds shy of his best time (15:04.70) set in 2023.

The pre-race favorite and top seed coming in, Luca De Tullio, was well off form and placed 9th in 15:30.24, more than 40 seconds off his PB from last year.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

• World Record: 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 2014
• European Record: 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 2014
• Italian Record: 25.78, Silvia Di Pietro – 2014
• World Championship Qualifying Time: 25.69

Podium:

1. Viola Scotto Di Carlo, 26.35
2. Silvia Di Pietro, 26.43
3. Costanza Cocconcelli, 26.52

Viola Scotto Di Carlo edged out a competitive field in the women’s 50 fly to claim victory, posting a time of 26.35 to close out the individual schedule at the meet.

Scotto di Carlo has broken 26 seconds three times in her career, all coming last summer, with her fastest coming in at 25.85.

National Record holder Silvia Di Pietro, who was the fastest out of the prelims in 26.18, took 2nd in 26.43, while Costanza Cocconcelli snared 3rd in 26.52, just off her PB of 26.46 set in 2021.

The entire ‘A’ final was under 26.9, including Caterina Santambrogio, who is just 15 but clocked 26.80 to tie for 5th. That improves on her previous best of 26.99 set at the 2024 European Junior Championships where she placed 10th.

MEN’S 4×100 FREE RELAY

1. GS Fiamme Oro, 3:14.51
2. Fiamme Gaille – Nuoto, 3:15.63
3. Centro Sp.vo Carabinieri, 3:16.73

There were a number of 48-point splits dropped in the men’s 4×100 free relay, with GS Fiamme Oro leading the way with some heavy-hitters in their lineup leading them to victory in a time of 3:14.51.

Their squad included Manuel Frigo (48.50), Alessandro Miressi (48.28), Paolo Conte Bonin (48.24) and Giovanni Carraro (49.49).

Carlos D’Ambrosio (48.58) and Lorenzo Zazzeri (48.66) also went sub-49 on lead-off legs, while other notable splits included Alberto Razzetti (48.62) and Leonardo Deplano (48.41) on anchor legs.

Official World Championships Qualifiers

1. Simona Quadarella – women’s 800m free
2. Anita Bottazzo – women’s 100m breast
3. Lisa Angiolini – women’s 100m breast
4. Leonardo Deplano – men’s 50m free
5. Nicolo Martinenghi – men’s 100m breaststroke, 50m breast
6. Sara Franceschi – women’s 200m IM
7. Anita Gastaldi – women’s 200m IM
8. Sara Curtis – women’s 100m free, women’s 50m free
9. Simone Cerasuolo – men’s 50m breast