ABSOLUTE ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (ITA)
- March 31 – April 3, 2021
- Prelims at 9am local/Finals at 4:30pm local
- Riccione – Swimming Stadium
- Long course meters (LCM)
- Qualification Standards
- Meet Site
- Start Lists
- Live Stream
- Live Results
Racing to a dominant win in the 200 back final in Riccione, Margherita Panziera took down her own Italian record with a 2:05.56.
Panziera’s old mark was a 2:05.72, done at the 2019 Italian Absolute Championships about two years ago. She was out a bit slower tonight, but had a lot more in the tank on the back-half, especially the critical third 50, where she stayed under 32 seconds before going even faster on the final 50.
SPLIT COMPARISON
| 2021 | 2019 |
| 30.11 | 29.99 |
| 31.77 | 31.59 |
| 31.94 | 32.32 |
| 31.74 | 31.82 |
Panziera’s time ranks her second in the world this year as she becomes just the second woman under 2:07 and sits behind only Australian teenage phenom Kaylee McKeown.
2020-2021 LCM Women 200 Back
McKeown
2:04.28
| 2 | Kylie Masse | CAN | 2:05.42 | 07/31 |
| 3 | Margherita Panziera | ITA | 2:05.56 | 03/31 |
| 4 | Rhyan White | USA | 2:05.73 | 06/19 |
| 5 | Emily Seebohm | AUS | 2:06.17 | 07/31 |
As the international women’s backstroke field continues to heat up with new young talent, Panziera’s swim further solidifies her as a Tokyo medal contender in this event. Her time tonight, in addition to being a best and a new Italian record, would’ve been fast enough to take the silver at the 2019 World Championships.
Panziera now ranks sixth all-time in this event with her new best. She was seventh previously, but she jumps Australia’s Emily Seebohm.
WOMEN’S 200 BACK, ALL-TIME TOP PERFORMERS
- Regan Smith (USA) – 2:03.35 *WR*
- Missy Franklin (USA) – 2:04.06
- Kaylee McKeown (Australia) – 2:04.49
- Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe) – 2:04.81
- Anastasia Fesikova (Russia) – 2:04.94
- Margherita Panziera (Italy) – 2:05.56
- Emily Seebohm (Australia) – 2:05.68
During the first day of the Italian National Championships in Riccione, Margherita Panziera set a new Italian record in women’s 200 backstroke. She shaved 0.16s off his own previous national record from 2019. Now she is the 6th fastest performer of all time. pic.twitter.com/ujNlCqf6vo
— Swimming Stats (@SwimmingStats) March 31, 2021
Great swim! Hope she can repeat that/go even faster at the Olympics!
A lot will be fighting for Silver and Bronze
You seem pretty confident that Mckeown won´t be able to battle Smith..
Never said she wouldn’t. I just think Regan has been training hard, she looked really good in the yards meet. We will see
A professional athlete training hard?? Surely not???
Yeah that’s my point lol
It should be McKeown vs. Smith for gold and then Panziera/Baker/Ruck/Masse/Atherton for bronze.
I am waiting to see if Rio Shirai shows if she can go a 2:06 also..
I don’t give her a chance to medal. Her best is 2:07.87 and even if she drops 2 seconds she would have to hope that Panziera won’t be at her best and that Ruck/Masse/Baker/Atherton don’t improve. I would rather look at Jiayin Wang, the 13 year old chinese girl who went 2:09.22 last year. She has a shot at making the final and maybe even a small chance to medal. The pandemic made it very difficult to predict where everyone is at and especially swimmers from countries with no properly working anti-doping system might surprise us this year.
The following chinese swimmers (times according to FINA) also look interesting:
Yonghui Ma (swam 2:09.98 in women’s 200 fly in 2019… Read more »
Agree 100%.
Going to be a great race in Tokyo!
Wow very fast.
And her name makes me feel hungry.
If she married Blake her name would become Margherita Pizza Pepperoni?
Impressive time. She would be #4 in history without those 2009 times
Coventry also went 2:05.2 in Beijing, so she’d be 5th (unless you don’t include the ’08 times either).