The Italian Swimming Federation is sending a roster of 31 athletes to the 2014 World Short Course Championships in Doha, Qatar from December 3rd-7th.
Over a quarter of the roster is under the age of 20, a fact that the federation is lauding as a decision to “promote growth and race technique.”
The country’s biggest star, Federica Pellegrini, will make the trip; the four-time World Champion in long course is still seeking her first gold medal at the short course version of this meet – she owns a silver and two bronzes all-time. Two Italians will be defending World titles in Doha: Fabio Scozzoli in the men’s 100 breaststroke and Ilaria Bianchi in the women’s 100 fly.
The men’s program will also be looking to defend a silver medal in the 400 free relay, after placing behind the Americans but ahead of the Australians in 2012.
The men’s distance group of Gabriele Detti and Gregorio Paltrinieri, however, might take the cake. The world’s best 1-2 punch in the men’s distance freestyles, earlier this year in long course they broke the European Records in the 800 free (Detti – 7:42.74) and 1500 free (Paltrinieri – 14:39.93), respectively. Paltrinieri in 2012 earned silver in the men’s 1500 free, was then promoted to gold after a Mads Glaesenr suspension, and upon appeal was returned to the silver medal position.
This year, he’ll look to win his first world title the old-fashioned way: by being the first swimmer to touch the finishing pad.
The full Italian roster can be seen below.
Arianna Barbieri (Fiamme Gialle/Azzurra 91), Ilaria Bianchi (Fiamme Azzurre/Azzurra 91), Diletta Carli (Fiamme Oro/Tirrenica), Arianna Castiglioni (Team Insubrika), Elena Di Liddo (CC Aniene), Silvia Di Pietro (Forestale/CC Aniene), Ambra Esposito (CC Napoli), Erika Ferraioli (Esercito/CC Aniene), Giada Galizi (Aurelia), Chiara Masini Luccetti (Forestale), Alice Mizzau (Fiamme Gialle/Team Veneto), Federica Pellegrini (CC Aniene), Aglaia Pezzato (Team Veneto), Stefania Pirozzi (Fiamme Oro/CC Napoli) e Alessia Polieri (Fiamme Gialle/Imolanuoto).
Marco Belotti (Forestale/CC Aniene), Niccolò Bonacchi (Esercito N Pistoiesi), Andrea Mitchel D’Arrigo (Aurelia), Gabriele Detti (Esercito/Team Lombardia MGM), Nicolangelo Di Fabio (Sercito/Team Lombardia MGM), Luca Dotto (Forestale/Larus), Luca Leonardi (Fiamme Oro/Azzurra 91), Filippo Magnini (Team Lombardia MGM), Marco Orsi (Fiamme Oro/Uisp Bologna), Gregorio Paltrinieri (Fiamme Oro), Matteo Pelizzari (CC Aniene), Matteo Rivolta (Fiamme Oro/Team Insubrika), Simone Sabbioni (Esercito/Swim Pro SS9), Fabio Scozzoli (Esercito/Imolanuoto), Andrea Toniato (Fiamme Gialle/Team Veneto) e Federico Turrini (Esercito/N Livorno).
