2023 Sette Colli Trophy: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

59TH ANNUAL SWIMMING TROPHY SETTECOLLI

• Friday, June 23rd – Sunday, June 25th
• Prelims at 10am local (4am EDT)/Finals at 6pm local (Noon EDT)
• Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
• LCM (50m)
• World Championships Qualifier
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview/Men’s Top Races to Watch/Women’s Top Races to Watch
• World Championships Pre-Qualified Italian Swimmers
• Entry List
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap | Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap | Day 3 Prelims Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

It’s here – the final day of action at the 2023 Sette Colli Trophy. That means it’s the last day of this ‘last chance’ meet for Italian swimmers to vie for spots on their nation’s World Championships roster.

Among the host nation contingent, we’ll see Filippo Megli and Stefano Di Cola take on the Romanian Rocket David Popovici in the men’s 200m free, with reigning Olympic champion Tom Dean of Great Britain lurking among the pack.

Thomas Ceccon topped the men’s 50m fly heats, although reigning World Record holder Andrii Govorov of Ukraine, German record holder Luca Armbruster and Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo will try to rain on the Italian’s parade.

With Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden among the women’s 50m free field, we’ll most likely be treated to yet another display of her awesome sprinting prowess.

Stay tuned and refresh often for updates as the day’s activities unfold.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 23.67, Sarah Sjotrom (SWE) 2017
• European Record – 23.67, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 2017
• Sette Colli Record – 23.92, Pernille Blume (DEN) 2018
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 25.04

GOLD – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 23.93
SILVER – Michelle Coleman (SWE) 24.43
BRONZE – Anna Hopkin (GBR) 24.62

It was a 1-2 Swedish punch to kick off our final day of action at the 2023 Sette Colli Trophy.

29-year-old Sarah Sjostrom fired off a time of 23.93 to win this women’s 50m free decisively, with teammate Michelle Coleman snagging silver in 24.43. British ace Anna Hopkin wrangled up bronze in 24.62.

Sjostrom’s time tonight was just off the 23.82 she produced in Monaco on the Mare Nostrum Tour while Coleman’s 24.43 represents a new season-best to rank 10th in the world. Remarkably, this marks Sjostrom’s 23rd time overall and 4th time already this season under the 24-second barrier.

As for Loughborough’s Hopkin, the 27-year-old Olympian’s outing was only .11 off the 24.51 she nailed for the national title at this year’s British Championships.

Of note, 4th place finisher Siobhan Haughey already took the 100m and 200m freestyle victories here and her 24.65 50m free time was only .09 off the 24.56 Hong Kong national record she put up in Canet last month.

MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• World Record – 1:51.92, Aaron Peirsol (USA) 2009
• European Record – 1:53.23, Evgeny Rylov (RUS) 2021
• Sette Colli Record – 1:55.05, Ryosuke Irie (JPN) 2012
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 1:58.07

GOLD – Roman Mityukov (SUI) 1:56.56
SILVER – Hidekazu Takehara (JPN) 1:57.57
BRONZE – Brodie Williams (GBR) 1:59.67

Swiss national record holder Roman Mityukov powered his way to the 200m back gold in a time of 1:56.56. Opening in 57.79 and closing in 58.77, the 22-year-old put up the 5th swiftest time of his career.

Mityukov owns the Swiss standard at the 1:56.22 he logged in the semi-finals of the 2022 European Championships. There in Rome, he wound up ultimately finishing in 4th in a time of 1:56.45. His time tonight now ranks him 11th in the world on the season.

Japan’s Hidekazu Takehara got his nation on the board tonight with silver, clocking 1:57.57 as the runner-up. That was just over half a second off the 1:56.93 he registered at this year’s Japanese World Trials.

Rounding out the top 3 was Commonwealth Games champion Brodie Williams, with the British 24-year-old touching in 1:59.67.

While an Italian was absent from the podium, Matteo Restivo has already qualified for the World Championships in this event, courtesy of the 1:56.96 he earned at April’s Italian Championships.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• World Record – 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) 2023
• European Record – 2:04.94, Anastasia Zuyeva (RUS) 2009
• Sette Colli Record – 2:06.87, Margherita Panziera (ITA) 2019
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 2:11.08

GOLD – Kylie Masse (CAN) 2:08.91
SILVER – Katie Shanahan (GBR) 2:09.69
BRONZE – Rio Shirai (JPN) 2:10.23

Just two women dipped under the 2:10 barrier in tonight’s 200m back, led by Canadian Olympian Kylie Masse.

27-year-old Masse logged a solid swim of 2:08.91 to lead British national champion Katie Shanahan, with the latter touching in 2:09.69.

Japan got on the board once again, with Rio Shirai punching a result of 2:10.23 for bronze.

Masse currently ranks 5th in the world with the 2:07.13 she hit at Canadian Trials while Shanahan is right behind, ranked 9th with her personal best of 2:07.81.

Shanahan’s performance in Sheffield rendered the University of Stirling star the 4th fastest British performer in history. Masse’s personal best of 2:05.42 from the Olympic Games ranks her as the #1 Canadian woman ever.

As for Shirai, the 23-year-old claimed the Japanese national title in April with a mark there in Tokyo of 2:10.01 so she was only .21 off of that outing this evening.

MEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

• World Record – 22.27, Andrii Govorov (UKR) 2018
• European Record – 22.27, Andrii Govorov (UKR) 2018
• Sette Colli Record – 22.27, Andrii Govorov (UKR) 2018
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 23.53

GOLD – Thomas Ceccon (ITA) 22.84
SILVER – Szebasztian Szabo (HUN) 23.13
BRONZE – Noe Ponti (SUI) 23.27

Thomas Ceccon nearly broke his own Italian national record en route to taking this men’s 50m fly. He got to the wall in a super quick 22.84, just .05 outside his standard of 22.79 he registered in the semi-finals of the event at last year’s World Championships.

There in Budapest, Ceccon ultimately placed 5th in a slower 22.86.

Ceccon’s outing tonight represents a new season-best, beating out the 22.84 scored at the Italian Championships. The 22-year-old remains ranked #2 in the world, only behind Russian Oleg Kostin’s 22.62.

Hungarian record holder Szebasztian Szabo snagged silver in 23.13 while Olympic medalist Noe Ponti touched in 23.27. Ponti already snared the 100m and 200m fly victories at this competition.

World Record holder Andrii Govorov of Ukraine topped the B-Final in a time of 23.42. Additional A-Final finishers included Dutchman Nyls Korstanje claiming 4th in 23.36 while British star Ben Proud clocked 23.45 for 5th place.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – FINAL

• World Record – 2:01.81, Liu Zige (CHN) 2009
• European Record – 2:04.27, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2009
• Sette Colli Record – 2:07.05, Sara Isakovic (SLO) 2008
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 2:09.21

GOLD – Boglarka Kapas (HUN) 2:08.52
SILVER – Laura Stephens (GBR) 2:09.32
BRONZE – Dalma Sebestyen (HUN) 2:09.42

Hungarian Olympian Boglarka Kapas captured the women’s 200m butterfly victory in a time of 2:08.52, the sole outing of the field under 2:09. However, the race for minor medals was extremely heated with the next 5 finishers all touching within half a second of one another.

British national champion Laura Stephens secured silver in 2:09.32 while Kapas’ teammate Dalma Sebestyen was only .10 behind in 2:09.42 for bronze.

Kapas time tonight represents a new season-best, ranking the 30-year-old 17th in the world this season.

24-year-old Stephens claimed the British Championships gold in April with a World Championships-worthy result of 2:06.62, her lifetime best. That rendered her the 4th fastest woman in the world thus far.

The top Italian finisher this evening was Antonella Crispino who topped the B-Final in a time of 2:09.61. That falls .4 shy of the 2:09.21 World Aquatics ‘A’ cut needed for Fukuoka and is the 2nd swiftest result of her career.

As it stands right now, no Italian woman has cleared a time worthy of automatic World Championships qualification.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record – 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS) 2022
• European Record – 2:06.12, Anton Chupkov (RUS) 2019
• Sette Colli Record – 2:07.62, Arno Kamminga (NED) 2021
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 2:10.31

GOLD – Arno Kamminga (NED) 2:10.57
SILVER – Erik Persson (SWE) 2:11.27
BRONZE – Luca Pizzini (ITA) 2:11.42

It was a subdued men’s 200m breaststroke this evening where no contestant beat the 2:10 barrier.

Leading the way was two-time Olympic silver medalist Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands, who reached the wall first in 2:10.57.

Swedens’ Erik Persson nabbed 2:11.27 as the silver medalist while Italy’s Luca Pizzini rounded out the top 3 in 2:11.42.

Kamminga’s season-best remains at the 2:09.34 he put up last month at the AP Race International Meet in London, whose namesake athlete Adam Peaty was on-deck here in Rome yesterday.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record – 2:17.55, Evgenia Chikunova (RUS) 2023
• European Record – 2:17.55, Evgenia Chikunova (RUS) 2023
• Sette Colli Record – 2:20.72, Yuliya Efimova (RUS) 2018
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 2:25.91

GOLD – Tes Schouten (NED) 2:21.84
SILVER – Reona Aoki (JPN) 2:23.84
BRONZE – Francesca Fangio (ITA) 2:25.34

Dutch swimmer Tes Schouten wowed the crowd with another impressive 200m breaststroke performance.

The 22-year-old nearly broke her own national record en route to winning the event tonight, stopping the clock in 2:21.84, That represents the 2nd quickest time of her career, with only her Dutch standard of 2:21.71 ranked ahead of it from the Dutch Championships earlier this month.

Schouten dominated the field, with the next-closest racer Reona Aoki of Japan touching 2 seconds later in 2:23.84. Her silver medal-worthy performance is within a second of the 2:23.12 season-best Aoki logged at January’s Kosuke Kitajima Cup.

Italy’s Francesca Fangio rounded out the top 3 in a time of 2:25.34, while her teammate Martina Carraro claimed 4th place in 2:25.57. Both times clear the 2:25.91 World Aquatics ‘A’ standard, most likely rendering them the first women from the nation to qualify for the 2breast for Fukuoka.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (GER) 2009
• European Record – 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (GER) 2009
• Sette Colli Record – 1:46.39, Kristof Milak (HUN) 2021
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 1:47.06

GOLD – David Popovici (ROU) 1:45.49 *Meet Record
SILVER – Tom Dean (GBR) 1:46.86
BRONZE – Stefano Di Cola (ITA) 1:46.90

18-year-old Romanian World Record holder David Popovici fired off a new competition record en route to claiming gold in this men’s 200m free.

Popovici touched in a rapid mark of 1:45.49 to beat the reigning Olympic champion Tom Dean of Great Britain by well over a second. Dean settled for silver in 1:46.86 while Italy’s Stefano Di Cola bagged bronze in 1:46.90.

Popovici’s time overtook the meet record of 1:46.39 Hungarian World Record holder Kristof Milak posted at the 2021 edition of this trophy.

Popovici opened in 51.20 and closed in 55.29 to get the job done, registering the 10th fastest time of his young career. He now ranks 6th in the world this season. His lifetime best remains at the other-worldly 1:42.97 he clocked at the 2022 European Championships to come within a second of German Paul Biedermann’s longstanding WR of 1:42.00 from the 2009 supersuit era.

Dean has already produced a 1:44.93 season-best 200m free at the British Championships where he earned runner-up status behind title winner Matt Richards who hit a time there in Sheffield of 1:44.83. Tonight Richards won the B-Final in 1:47.39.

With his bronze medal-worthy performance this evening, Di Cola most likely qualifies individually for this 200m free for Fukuoka, getting under the 1:47.06 A time.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 3:56.08, Summer McIntosh (CAN) 2023
• European Record – 3:59.15, Federica Pellegrini (ITA) 2009
• Sette Colli Record – 4:02.64, Camille Muffat (FRA) 2013
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 4:10.57

GOLD – Simona Quadarella (ITA) 4:05.85
SILVER – Valentine Dumont (BEL) 4:06.27
BRONZE – Ajna Kesely (HUN) 4:06.41

Italy’s Olympian Simona Quadarella topped the podium in this women’s 400m free event, logging a time of 4:05.85. That’s just .20 away from the season-best 4:05.65 she posted to claim gold and World Championships qualification this past April.

Behind Quadarella was Valentine Dumont who blasted a big-time personal best en route to silver. 22-year-old Dumont claimed silver in 4:06.27, obliterating her previous PB and Belgian national record of 4:08.81 put up on this year’s Mare Nostrum Tour. That means Dumont dropped over 2 and a half seconds with tonight’s swim, ranking her 17th in the world this season.

Hungarian Ajna Kesely also landed on the podium this evening, rocking a time of 4:06.41 to come within .06 of the 4:06.35 notched at April’s national championships.

Taking 4th here was Antonietta Cesarano who touched in 4:09.26 to clear the World Aquatics ‘A’ QT and most likely join Quadarella on the Italian roster for Fukuoka.

MEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record – 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (USA) 2011
• European Record – 1:55.18, Laszlo Cseh (HUN) 2009
• Sette Colli Record – 1:57.11, Daiya Seto (JPN) 2019
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 1:59.53

GOLD – Alberto Razzetti (ITA) 1:58.74
SILVER – Duncan Scott (GBR) 1:58.83
BRONZE – Ron Polonsky (ISR) 2:00.04

Just 2 men in this 200m IM final made it under the 2:00 threshold, led by Italy’s Alberto Razzetti.

Razzettii touched in 1:58.74 to just out-touch the British Olympic silver medalist in this event Duncan Scott. Scott hit 1:58.83 for silver in this event in which he’s all-in for the World Championships.

Israel’s Ron Polonsky logged 2:00.04 for 3rd place.

Razzetti’s time makes the grade for Fukuoka, potentially adding this event to the 200m fly in which he already qualified from April’s Italian Championships.

As for Scott, this time is a strong swim considering the 26-year-old University of Stirling star is under heavy training.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record – 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2015
• European Record – 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2015
• Sette Colli Record – 2:08.28, Katinka Hosszu (HUN0 2019
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 2:12.98

GOLD – Sara Franceschi (ITA) 2:09.30
SILVER – Marrit Steenbergen (NED) 2:09.51
BRONZE – Katie Shanahan (GBR) 2:10.93

We saw our first Italian national record of the night bite the dust, courtesy of Sara Franceschi in this women’s 200m IM.

The 24-year-old pounded out an effort of 2:09.30 to get to the wall first, registering the first sub-2:10 result of her career.

Entering this event, Franceschi held the national record with the 2:10.05 she posted at April’s Italian Championships. Tonight, however, she entered entirely new territory slashing well over half a second off of that mark to grab the gold.

Runner-up Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands was within grasp of her own national record as well. The versatile 23-year-old snagged silver in 2:09.51, near her lifetime best and Dutch standard of 2:09.16 put on the books this past April.

Shanahan of Great Britain claimed her 2nd medal on the night, rounding out the top 3 in 2:10.93. That’s the 2nd best time of her young career, sitting only behind the 2:09.40 produced at this year’s British Championships to take the national title. She’s GBR’s 3rd quickest performer in history in this 2IM event.

MEN’S 1500 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 14:31.02, Sun Yang (CHN) 2012
• European Record – 14:32.80, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) 2022
• Sette Colli Record – 14:33.10, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) 202
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 15:04.64

GOLD – Luca Di Tullio (ITA) 14:59.68
SILVER – Daniel Wiffen (IRL) 15:02.51
BRONZE – Damien Joly (FRA) 15:03.61

Luca Di Tullio ended this competition with another gold for Italy, topping the men’s 1500m free in a time of 14:59.68.

That’s a new season-best for the freestyle ace and also clears the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 15:04.64 needed for Fukouka.

Ireland’s national record holder Daniel Wiffen snagged silver in a solid result of 15:02.51, although he’s been much quicker this season. His lifetime best and national standard of 14:34.91 from April’s Stockholm Open rendered him the #2 swimmer in the world.

Frenchman Damien Joly claimed bronze this evening in 15:03.61, keeping his season best at 14:56.46 which ranks him 12th in the world.