Simona Quadarella Becomes 3rd Fastest 1500 Swimmer Since Rio

2019 SETTE COLLI TROPHY

Day 1 of the 2019 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome brought some big-time swims from the likes of British superstar Adam Peaty, Danish Olympian Pernille Blume and Brazilian World Championships medalist Bruno Fratus. But the host nation of Italy saw a monster swim from one of their own as well.

Competing in the final event of night 1, the women’s 1500m freestyle, 19-year-old Simona Quadarella powered her way to a new lifetime best to take gold in a time of 15:48.84. The outing checked-in as a new meet record and beat the stellar field tonight by about 20 seconds.

Quadarella’s time outperformed her own previous PB of 15:56.81 that earned her the gold at the 2018 European Championships. Her previous best this season was a 16:04.02 logged at Italian Nationals, so the teen’s performance tonight laid waste to that time from Riccione.

The Christian Minotti-trained athlete now moves up  from 7th to 3rd in the season’s world rankings.

2018-2019 LCM WOMEN 1500 FREE

SimonaITA
QUADARELLA
07/23
15.40.89
2Katie
Ledecky
USA 15.45.5901/12
3Jianjiahe
WANG
CHN15.46.6903/06
4Sarah
KOHLER
GER15.48.8308/23
5Delfina
PIGNATIELLO
ARG15.51.6806/15
View Top 26»

Post-race tonight Quadarella said, “The last meters seemed neverending. I am very happy of my result because I wanted swimming the 1500m in this way. I thank my companions for encouraging me from the gallery.

“It was a good test before the World Championships. I am thinking about it a lot and I would like to reconfirm my results obtained in Glasgow. I become more confident and I feel stronger after this race. We will see you tomorrow in 800m”.

Only America’s Katie Ledecky and China’s Wang Jianjiahe have been faster this season, with Quadarella’s time now making her the 9th fastest performer in history in the women’s 1500m.

For additional perspective, her 15:48.84 marks the 23rd fastest performance in history, with only Ledecky and Jianjiahe having been faster since the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

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Jimbo
5 years ago

Her 800 split would have gotten 8th at rio. My goodness

13 % Chinese person
Reply to  Jimbo
5 years ago

If you want a 15.45 -48 you haveto go out at 8. 24 . Otherwise the maths don’t work .. if you want low 15.40s an 8.21

The Ready Room
5 years ago

Fantastic swim!! Crazy enough, still not an Italian NR… darn super suits

Boknows34
Reply to  The Ready Room
5 years ago

Yes, Alessia Filippi won gold in Rome 2009 in a NR 15.44.93. Hopefully that record finally goes in Korea. The ER is 15.38.88 by all-time #2 Lotte Friis.

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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