Martina Carraro is an Italian sprint breaststroke specialist. She trains at Azzurra91 in Bologna under head coach Fabrizio Bastelli.
Junior International Career
Carraro had a busy debut year of international swimming in 2009. She began at the European Junior Championships in Prague, reaching the final in 50 meter breaststroke, finishing 5th. On her return to Italy, she was a member of the World Championship team. Her final meet of year was in Doha for the World School games. She finished with a silver in 50 meter breaststroke.
The next year, Carraro was selected for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Her top finish came in 50 meter breaststroke, picking up a silver. She also made the final in the 100 meter breaststroke, finishing 6th.
International Career
Carraro appeared on her first senior team at aged 16, it was the same year she made her first junior team.
2009 FINA World Championships
Amidst a busy schedule, Carraro stepped up on the world stage in front of a home crowd at the World Championships. She finished tied 37th in 50 meter breaststroke in 31.98.
2015 European Short Course Championships
Carraro began the championships in Israel with her best event, 50 meter breaststroke. Her time 30.52 was enough for 7th place. In the 100 meter breaststroke, Carraro finished 8th in 1:06.35.
2016 Italian Olympic Trials
Looking to punch a ticket to her first Olympic Games, Carraro had tough competition in 100 meter breaststroke. But in the final, she blitzed the Italian Record by almost half a second and left the competition in her wake. She touched for gold in 1:06.41, almost 2 seconds ahead of the previous record holder of 7 years, Ilaria Scarcella. Her time moved her up to 7th in the world so far in the Olympic year and booked her place on the plane to Rio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=VzJQ1g2tSKQ
2016 Olympic Games
In Rio, Carraro swam a 1:07.56 to place 20th overall in prelims.
2018 Short Course World Championships
In Hangzhou, Carraro scored her first international individual medal, placing 3rd in the 50 breast with a new national record of 29.59. She also helped Italy to a 3rd place finish in the 4×100 medley relay.
2019 World Championships (Gwangju, Korea)
Carraro earned a bronze medal in the 100 breast at the World Championships with a time of 1:06.36. Carraro rounded out the podium behind American Lilly King (1:04.93) and Russia’s Yuliya Yefimova (1:05.49).
