Pilato Lowers Own World Junior Record, Ties King’s Season-Leading 50 Breast

2020 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – SEMIFINAL #1

• Saturday, November 14: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM CET (6 AM-8 AM U.S. Eastern, 8 PM-10PM J+1 Japan)
• Sunday, November 15: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM CET (6 AM-8 AM U.S. Eastern, 8 PM-10PM J+1 Japan)
• Duna Arena – Budapest, Hungary
• Short Course Meters (SCM) format
• ISL Technical Handbook
• 2020 ISL Scoring Format
• 2020 ISL Prize Money and Bonuses
• How To Watch
• Teams: Energy Standard / Tokyo Frog Kings / London Roar / New York Breakers
• Omega Results 
• Start Lists 

Benedetta has just lowered her own Italian and World Junior Records in the 50 meter breaststroke at semi-final 1 of ISL 2020. Pilato swam to a 28.86 victory, lowering her records from a 28.97 which she set earlier this year at Match 1.

The swim is just short of the current European record of 28.81 which is held by Rūta Meilutyté. Meilutyté broke the record back in 2014 at the Short Course World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Benedetta Pilato‘s record-breaking swim involved her beating the current world record holder in the event, Alia Atkinson, who races for London in the ISL and represents Jamaica internationally. Atkinson broke the world record in 2018 when she swam a 28.56 at the Budapest World Cup. Today, Atkinson raced to 29.30, allowing Pilato to take the top spot and jackpot the four slowest swimmers in the heat;

With the swim, Pilato is not only the fastest Italian and Junior to ever swim the event, but she also ties breaststroke rival Lilly King for the fastest 50 breast time in the ISL this season. King swam a 28.86 to win over Pilato at Match 1 and neither has been faster since then.

ISL 2020 Top 50 Breaststrokes This Season

King and Pilato have not had a rematch since the first meet of the season but will likely go head-to-head in the event at the 2020 ISL Finals which are set to take place next week. While King remains a dominant force thus far in the breaststroke, she proved to be beatable in the 50 breast when teammate Molly Hannis out-touched her by just 0.01 in the event at Match 10. As Pilato notches a new world junior record time and ties King’s season leading swim, we’ll certainly be in for a fast race when the 2 go up against each other next.