ITALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS
- 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
The breaststroke events were hot this morning, as Nicolo Martinenghi set a new Italian record in the 50 breast and three women went under 1:07 in the 100 breast. With teenager and Italian record-holder Benedetta Pilato already qualified for Tokyo, Arianna Castiglioni and Martina Carraro are vying for the spot behind her for the Olympic team.
Castiglioni led prelims at 1:06.37, a lifetime best, and just a hundredth ahead of Pilato’s 1:06.38. Carraro has been 1:06.4 this season, and her lifetime best is a 1:06.36. Pilato, meanwhile, holds the Italian record (1:06.02) and will try to jump ahead of both of them.
Federica Pellegrini is aiming for the 1:56.99 Olympic qualifying cut in the 200 free tonight, while five men broke 53 in the 100 fly and new names are hoping to be added to the Olympic roster with a sub-52 performance.
MEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS
- Euros cut – 53.89
- Olympics cut – 53.59 (relay consideration – 53.85)
Top 3
- Simone Sabbioni – 53.91
- Matteo Restivo – 54.41
- Christopher Ciccarese – 54.68
Simone Sabbioni took the 100 back title with a 53.91, .02 off of the Euros cut and just .06 off of consideration for the medley relay at the Olympics. He’s already been much faster, though, at 53.44 in December at the Open Championships, so he’ll look to swim a faster time at Sette Colli in June.
WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINALS
- Euros cut – 1:07.59
- Olympics cut – 1:06.99 (relay consideration – 1:07.07)
Top 3
- Martina Carraro – 1:05.86 *ITALIAN RECORD*
- Benedetta Pilato/Arianna Castiglioni – 1:06.00 *TIE*
This race, as expected, was electric. 16-year-old Benedetta Pilato already qualified for Tokyo in this race based on her 1:06.02 in December, which set the Italian record, but she went under that mark tonight at 1:06.00. Pilato ties Arianna Castiglioni for second, but it’s Martina Carraro who gets the new Italian record at 1:05.86, the first sub-1:06 from an Italian woman, ever.
Carraro also gets the second Olympic roster spot, with Castiglioni just behind. The trio now hold the top three performances in Italian history, all in the same race.
Castiglioni, meanwhile, easily qualifies for Euros; the three of them are all medal contenders at that meet in May. All three of them went lifetime bests here, with Pilato setting a new Italian junior record.
Carraro is now tied for the #15 performer in history with that swim. She also now ranks #2 in the world behind only World Record-holder Lilly King, as Castiglioni and Pilato now sit tied for the #4 spot worldwide this season.
2020-2021 LCM Women 100 Breast
King
1:04.72
| 2 | Tatjana Schoenmaker | RSA | 1:04.82 | 07/25 |
| 3 | Lydia Jacoby | USA | 1:04.95 | 07/27 |
| 4 | Annie Lazor | USA | 1:05.37 | 06/14 |
| 5 | Sophie Hansson | SWE | 1:05.66 | 07/25 |
MEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS
- Euros cut – 51.89
- Olympics cut – 51.59 (relay consideration – 51.96)
Top 3
- Piero Codia – 52.06
- Federico Burdisso – 52.14
- Matteo Rivolta – 52.20
Five men broke 53 this morning, but nobody was able to get under the 52-second barrier tonight, with Italian record-holder Piero Codia taking the 100 fly at 52.06, over a second off of his lifetime best and Italian record.
Federico Burdisso adds a silver to his 200 fly win from last night, going 52.14, with Matteo Rivolta third in 52.20. Hoping to qualify for Tokyo here, Santo Condorelli was fifth in 52.38.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS
- Euros cut – 1:58.39
- Olympics cut -1:56.99 (relay consideration – 1:57.28)
Top 3
- Federica Pellegrini – 1:56.69
- Margherita Panziera – 1:59.52
- Stefania Pirozzi – 2:00.38
It was a successful outing for Federica Pellegrini, who can so consistently churn out a 1:56 in this race. She posted a 1:56.69, going out in 56.2 and holding 30-lows to follow, hitting the Olympic standard after two 1:57s this season.
Margherita Panziera dipped under 2:00 for second, going 1:59.52.
Pellegrini moves up from #12 to #7 in the world rankings this season.
2020-2021 LCM Women 200 Free
Titmus
1:53.09
| 2 | Siobhan Haughey | HKG | 1:53.92 | 07/28 |
| 3 | Yang Junxuan | CHN | 1:54.37 | 07/29 |
| 4 | Katie Ledecky | USA | 1:54.40 | 04/09 |
| 5 | Penny Oleksiak | CAN | 1:54.70 | 07/28 |
| 6 | Emma McKeon | AUS | 1:54.74 | 06/14 |
| 7 | Mollie O'Callaghan | AUS | 1:55.11 | 07/28 |
MEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS
- Euros cut – 1:47.39
- Olympics cut – 1:46.49 (relay consideration – 1:47.02)
Top 3
- Stefano Ballo – 1:46.76
- Stefano Di Cola/Filippo Megli – 1:47.45
Stefano Ballo swam under the relay consideration standard and the Euros cut here to lead the event at 1:46.76, the only finisher under 1:46.
Four men followed in 1:47s, with two different sets of ties. Stefano Di Cola and Filippo Megli tied for second at 1:47.45, while Matteo Ciampi and Marco De Tullio tied for fourth at 1:47.83 in an incredible finish.
Megli was well off of his Italian record and lifetime best 1:45.67, done in the final at the 2019 World Championships.
Ballo just misses the world top 10, pulling in at #11 this season.
WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS
- Euros cut – 58.29
- Olympics cut – 57.59 (relay consideration – 57.92)
Top 3
- Elena Di Liddo – 57.85
- Ilaria Bianchi – 58.37
- Claudia Tarzia – 58.85
Italian record-holder Elena Di Liddo took charge here, posting a 57.85 to easily take the win. She’s been as fast as 57.04, which is the Italian record, and she gets under the Euro standard as well as the relay consideration cut for Tokyo.
MEN’S 50 BREAST – FINALS
- Euros cut – 27.29
Top 3
- Nicolo Martinenghi – 26.39
- Alessandro Pinzuti – 27.22
- Simone Cerasuolo – 27.50
Nicolo Martinenghi again shaved time off of his own Italian record after doing the same in prelims. He came into this meet with a 26.56, which was the Italian record, before downing it with a 26.47 this morning.
Martinenghi inches ever-closer to the world record, while he moves to #3 all-time by jumping Brazil’s Joao Gomes.
MEN’S 50 BREAST, TOP PERFORMERS ALL-TIME
- Adam Peaty (GBR) – 25.95
- Felipe Lime (BRA) – 26.33
- Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 26.39
- Joao Gomes (BRA) – 26.42
- Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) – 26.54
WOMEN’S 50 BACK – FINALS
- Euros cut – 28.19
Top 3
- Silvia Scalia – 28.17
- Costanza Cocconcelli – 28.26
- Margherita Panziera – 28.38
Silvia Scalia secured a spot at Euros here in the 50 back final, going 28.17 to slip under the cut by two-hundredths. Coming off of the 200 free earlier this evening, Margherita Panziera nabbed third at 28.38, while 50 free champion Costanza Cocconcelli picked up a runner-up finish at 28.26.
So is Santo out of luck now? I don’t think he made either the Euro or Olympic cut. Or does he have another shot at qualifying before going to knock on Canada’s door again?
He probably can make the relay by swimming a certain time at the Settecolli
Why was pilato even auto qualified already when there was more time for others to qualify
They like to make up their team last minute considering multiple races across different seasons instead of having a single “trials”.
If that were entirely true then Pilato wouldn’t be auto qualified so you haven’t really answered the question.
They like to over complicate things with multiple trials and qualification standards that change depending on the season. That helps?
What if Castiglioni goes much faster at the European Championship??? Still out??
Crazy 100breast. Wow!
What a close 100 breast race
Fantastic from Carraro, but utterly heartbreaking for Castiglioni. Swims faster than the pre-race Italian record and still misses the opportunity to swim at the Olympic Games. Italy have two genuine medal contenders here.
With Pilato already qualified, it is heartbreak for Castiglioni to be left out of the team, while being tied second fastest. It was a crazy fast race though, with all three under previous italian record.