Italian Men Break 4 x 100 Medley Relay National Record in Naples

2021 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – SEASON 3, MATCH 4

TEAM SCORES – DAY 1

  1. Cali Condors – 266 points
  2. LA Current – 242 points
  3. Aqua Centurions – 210 points
  4. DC Trident – 191 points

Italians Thomas Ceccon, Nicolo Martinenghi, Matteo Rivolta, and Alessandro Miressi swam the men’s 4 x 100 medley relay for the Aqua Centurions on Saturday, placing 3rd overall for 12 points and breaking the Italian National Record in the event in the process. While the Italian men were bested by their own teammates on the Aqua Centurions, the other Centurion relay was comprised of two Brazilian, one Dutch, and one Hungarian swimmers.

Though the Italian men improved upon the official National Record, a relay team including 3 of the 4 who swam Saturday actually swam the race faster, and on Italian soil, in 2019. However, when they did so in the fall of 2019 in the ISL’s inaugural season, the ISL and FINA were caught in a bit of a feud as FINA had originally said it would not recognize records posted during ISL competition. FINA’s resolve was tested immediately when Katie Ledecky came just 0.14 shy of breaking the World Record in the women’s 400 freestyle in the first-ever ISL swim meet in Indianapolis. FINA later reversed that decision, but it still created a gap of time encompassing two ISL meets in which FINA would not recognize National, Continental, and World Records should any be broken.

Splits Comparison

AQC Men 2021 vs Italian Men 2018

AQC 2021 – Naples Italy 2018 – Hangzhou
Back Thomas Ceccon – 51.46 Simone Sabbioni – 51.61
Breast Nicolo Martinenghi – 56.06 Nicolo Martinenghi – 57.23
Fly Matteo Rivolta – 50.61 Matteo Rivolta – 49.89
Free Alessandro Miressi – 46.41 Alessandro Miressi – 47.38
Total 3:24.54 3:26.11

AQC Men 2021 vs Unratified AQC Men 2019

AQC 2021 – Naples AQC 2019 – Naples
Back Thomas Ceccon – 51.46 Simone Sabbioni – 50.57
Breast Nicolo Martinenghi – 56.06 Nicolo Martinenghi – 56.44
Fly Matteo Rivolta – 50.61 Matteo Rivolta – 50.28
Free Alessandro Miressi – 46.41 Alessandro Miressi – 46.84
Total 3:24.54 3:24.13

The Italian men weren’t the only delegation swimming fast though. The men from the Cali Condors ‘A’ team, all of whom are American, were also close the the American Record in the 4 x 100 medley relay, which is notable given that Coleman Stewart and Caeleb Dressel were well off their best times in their respective strokes. Stewart’s best time in the 100 backstroke is 48.33, yet Saturday he swam just 49.82. Dressel was also well off from his best time in the butterfly (48.81 Saturday versus 47.78 lifetime best), and he had the benefit of a flying start for the relay.

Even so, Stewart, Nic Fink, Dressel, and Justin Ress combined for a 3:20.68 in the men’s 4 x 100 medley relay on Saturday, missing the American Record by just 7/10ths. If the lineup stays the same and Stewart and Dressel sharpen up a bit, the American Record in the men’s 4 x 100 medley relay will be vulnerable.

CAC 2021 USA 2018
Back Coleman Stewart – 49.82 Ryan Murphy – 49.63
Breast Nic Fink – 55.98 Andrew Wilson – 56.84
Fly Caeleb Dressel – 48.81 Caeleb Dressel – 48.28
Free Justin Ress – 46.07 Ryan Held – 45.23
Total 3:20.68 3:19.98

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About Reid Carlson

Reid Carlson

Reid Carlson originally hails from Clay Center, Kansas, where he began swimming at age six with the Clay Center Tiger Sharks, a summer league team. At age 14 he began swimming club year-round with the Manhattan Marlins (Manhattan, KS), which took some convincing from his mother as he was very …

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