Italian national record holder and two-time Olympian Benedetta Pilato has made another coaching change, moving from Turin to Rome to train with Mirko Nozzolillo at Circolo Canottieri Aniene.
The decision came shortly after the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, marking Pilato’s third coaching shift in as many seasons.
Nozzolillo is a respected and long-standing figure in Italian swimming. Over the years, he has guided some of the nation’s best sprinters, including Silvia Di Pietro—who reclaimed the Italian record in the 50 butterfly at the 2025 World Championships after holding it for 11 years—and Erika Ferraioli (two time Olympian). He has also coached backstroke specialists such as Matteo Milli, Christopher Ciccarese, Luca Mencarini, and Mattia Aversa, along with breaststrokers Mattia Pesce and Flavio Bizzarri.
Today, Nozzolillo works with 19 years old rising backstroke star Daniele Del Signore, a multiple European and World Junior champion, regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in the sport.
Before this latest move, Pilato spent the 2023–2024 season in Torino, training with Antonio Satta in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. That partnership followed her formative years with longtime coach Vito D’Onghia at Fimco Sport, who discovered her talent as a child in Taranto and led her to her first international medals.
At just 14 years old, Benedetta Pilato reached the final of the 50 breaststroke at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, becoming the youngest Italian swimmer ever to race in a senior Worlds final. From that moment, she was catapulted into the spotlight. Italian media often headlined her races with nicknames like “Baby Pilato Boom” or “Pilato Bum Bum,” a reflection of the constant—and sometimes overwhelming—attention that has accompanied her rise.
Now 20 years old, Pilato already owns a world title, multiple European golds, and the Italian national records in both the 50m and 100m breast. With her move to Rome and a new chapter under Nozzolillo, she is once again reshaping her career path as she looks toward Los Angeles 2028.
Her résumé already carries historic milestones. At the 2021 European Championships in Budapest, she stunned the sport by setting a new world record in the 50 breaststroke with a time of 29.30 in the semifinals. Today, she still holds the Italian records in both the 50 (29.30) and 100 breast (1:05.44). Her medal collection includes one World Championship gold and four European titles—two in LCM and two SCM. And at just 14, she became the youngest Italian swimmer ever to debut at a World Championships, surpassing the record of Federica Pellegrini.
Most recently, at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, she secured another bronze medal in women’s 50m breast, extending her streak to five consecutive Worlds with at least one podium finish. Her time in Singapore, however, was also marked by an unexpected incident off the pool deck, when she was briefly detained by local authorities for her involvement in a theft case. She was later released and returned to Italy with the assistance of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Huh.
She might be the problem chat.
Confirmed.
Certainly seems to be the case.
It’s a shame, she’s a tremendous talent. Don’t think the inclusion of 50s will do her career any favours either tbh, great excuse to not bother trying to find consistency in her 100.
Team-hoppers can pull off some pretty incredible mental gymnastics to convince themselves that they aren’t the problem. It’s always the same cycle too — the new coach is amazing and the last coach was the problem until the moment they hit some adversity, and then suddenly the new coach is just as bad as the old coach.
The best part is when they try to come full circle back to you, and you tell them no.
Shane Tusup next?