Benedetta Pilato Snaps World Junior and Italian Records in 50 LCM Breast: 29.61

2020 ITALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

15-year-old Italian star Benedetta Pilato is not slowing down. This evening in Italy, at the 2020 Italian Open Championships, she rocketed to the win in the 50 breast, clocking a 29.61.

That time shatters her own World Junior record*, Italian record and previous personal best time of 29.85, done in August of this year. She also moves from #6 to #4 in the all-time rankings in this event, hopping past Americans Jessica Hardy (29.80) and Molly Hannis (29.71).

*Ruta Meilutyte went 29.48 as a junior in 2013, though FINA has not ratified WJRs before 2014

Pilato first set the Italian record at the Sette Colli Trophy in June of 2019, posting a 30.13 to break Arianna Castiglioni’s 2018 mark. She then became the first Italian woman and ninth woman ever to break 30 seconds in this race at the 2019 World Championships, in prelims, with a 29.98. In finals, she hit a 30.00 and took home the silver medal behind World Record-holder Lilly King. King’s WR stands at 29.40 from the 2017 World Championships.

This swim is Pilato’s third sub-30 performance. She now holds the top nine performances ever in Italian history, and is over a half-second better than any other Italian has ever been; the second-best Italian performer in history is Martina Carraro at 30.23 from Worlds last summer.

Tonight in Italy, Carraro finished second behind Pilato with a 30.44.

Carraro held the 100 breast record at 1:06.36 until last night, when Pilato went by it with a 1:06.02 to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

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Swim
3 years ago

Non è una ragazzina, è un missile. Brava, Benny!

IM FAN
3 years ago

Only thing I can say is simply wow.

Hswimmer
3 years ago

Watch out Lilly

Swimmer1234
Reply to  Hswimmer
3 years ago

Lilly is lucky 50m breast isnt an olympic event

PhillyMark
Reply to  Swimmer1234
3 years ago

Lilly, the World Record holder in the event? I’m sure she’d be thrilled to compete in another event

Roch
Reply to  Swimmer1234
3 years ago

Pretty sure she’d relish the challenge.

Ab88
3 years ago

She is going to get a WR soon.. best 50m sprinter in the world.

Sly
3 years ago

Faaaast

Dee
3 years ago

The amount of power in one so young is remarkable. Brava, Benedetta!

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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