2023 Sette Colli Trophy: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

INTERNAZIONALI DI NUOTO 59° TROFEO 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
• Entry List
• Day 1 Prelims Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL

• World Record – 51.60, Thomas Ceccon (ITA) 2022
• European Record – 51.60, Thomas Ceccon (ITA) 2022
• Sette Colli Record – 53.29, Mewen Tomac (FRA) 2020
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 54.03

GOLD – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 52.86 *Meet Record
SILVER – Apostolos Christou (GRE), 52.99
BRONZE – Simone Stefani (ITA) 54.16

It was a 2-man race in this 100m backstroke, between reigning World Record holder Thomas Ceccon and Greek national record holder Apostolos Christou.

Ceccon wound up at the wall first, punching a new season-best of 52.86. That also checked in as a new Sette Colli Trophy Record, overtaking the previous mark of 53.29 Frenchman Mewen Tomac put on the books in 2020.

Tonight Ceccon opened in 25.67 and closed in 27.19 to get the job done, erasing his previous season-best of 53.36 from April’s Italian Championships. The 22-year-old now bumps himself to rank 6th in the world.

As for 26-year-old Christou, he was right behind the Italian to touch in 52.99 as a new season-best. That now renders him the world’s 10th-quickest performer on the season and just under a second off his career-fastest 52.09 national record from last year’s World Championships.

Both Ceccon and Christou have already qualified for next month’s World Championships.

WOMEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• World Record – 26.98, Liu Xiang (CHN) 2018
• European Record – 27.10, Kira Toussaint (NED) 2021
• Sette Colli Record – 27.57, Holly Barratt (AUS) 2017
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 1:00.59

GOLD – Kylie Masse (CAN), 27.76
SILVER – Lauren Cox (GBR), 28.01
BRONZE – Maaike De Waard (NED), 28.07

Canada’s Kylie Masse held on to her pole position from taking the top seed out of the heats. The former World Record holder notched a time of 27.76 as the sole competitor to get to the wall under the 28-second barrier for gold.

Behind her was British ace and 2018 European Junior champion in this event Lauren Cox. The now-21-year-old upgraded her 6th seed to claim silver this evening in 28.01.

Dutch racer Maaike De Waard rounded out the top 3 in 28.07. De Waard took bronze in this event at the 2022 European Championships in a time of 27.54, her lifetime best.

Masse already ranks as the 3rd swiftest performer in the world this season, courtesy of the 27.38 she produced at the January Pro Swim Series.

As for Cox, she took the British title at April’s Trials, notching a winning time there in Sheffield of 27.81 to rank 16th in the world.

MEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 3:40.07, Paul Biedermann (GER) 2009
• European Record – 3:40.07, Paul Biedermann (GER) 2099
• Sette Colli Record – 3:43.70, Gabriele Detti (ITA) 2020
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 3:48.15

GOLD – Marco De Tullio (ITA), 3:46.08
SILVER – Matteo Ciampi (ITA), 3:46.87
BRONZE – Matteo Lamberti (ITA), 3:48.17

It was an Italian sweep of the podium in this men’s 400m free, led by Marco De Tullio but by only just.

Matteo Ciampi fired off a big-time 200m front half of 1:49.87 and led through the final 350m until he wound up holding on for dear life as De Tullio gained ground and got to the wall first. For perspective, the next-quickest opening 200m was Gabriele Detti‘s 1:52.55.

De Tullio ultimately touched in 3:46.08 to Ciampi’s 3:46.87 while Matteo Lamberti also landed on the podium in 3:48.17 for bronze. Of note, Olympic medalist Detti and Irishman Daniel Wiffen tied for 4th in 3:48.81.

De Tullio had already qualified for Fukuoka in this event, courtesy of the 3:44.69 he registered at April’s Italian Championships.

26-year-old Ciampi, the 2019 World University Games champion in this event, now also dipped under the World Aquatics ‘A’ time of 3:48.15 with his silver medal. His outing here represents just the 3rd outing under 3:47, with his resume boasting a lifetime best of 3:46.25 from the 2022 Italian Championships.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini (ITA) 2009
• European Record – 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini (ITA) 2009
• Sette Colli Record – 1:54.55, Federica Pellegrini (ITA) 2016
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 1:58.66

GOLD – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 1:54.77
SILVER – Freya Colbert (GBR), 1:56.59
BRONZE – Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 1:56.68

25-year-old Siobhan Haughey 0f Hong Kong blasted the field in this women’s 200m free, logging a gold medal-worthy result of 1:54.77.

Opening in 56.14 and closing in 58.63, the two-time Olympic silver medalist blasted her fastest time of the season. Entering this meet, Haughey had been as swift as 1:55.04, a time she scored at the Monaco stop of this Mare Nostrum Tour. That already ranked her 5th in the world.

However, touching nearly one second ahead of the pack, Haughey now bumps up to rank 4th in the world, overtaking American Katie Ledecky. The 1:54.77 also represents the 2nd most rapid of her career, sitting only behind her Tokyo time of 1:53.92.

Behind Haughey was British 400m IM national champion Freya Colbert, with the 19-year-old ripping the best 200m free of her career. Before Sette Colli, Colbert’s PB rested at the 1:57.85 logged as lead-off on England’s bronze medal-earning women’s 4x200m free relay at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Tonight, Colbert split 57.03/59.56 to now become Great Britain’s 4th-best performer in history. This caliber of performance bodes very well for the British women’s 800m free relay.

Dutch speedster Marrit Steenbergen claimed bronze in 1:56.68, although the 23-year-old produced a lifetime best already this season of 1:55.58.

Of note, 4th place finisher Valentine Dumont clocked 1:57.18 to notch a new Belgian national record. That beat out her own standard of 1:57.91 on the books previously.

Also of note, Giulia D’Innocenzo of Italy took the B-Final in a result of 1:58.23 to get under the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut for Fukuoka. That should give her the nod for the Italian roster.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record – 56.88, Adam Peaty (GBR) 2019
• European Record – 56.88, Adam Peaty (GBR) 2019
• Sette Colli Record – 58.29, Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) 2021
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 59.75

GOLD – Arno Kamminga (NED), 59.05
SILVER – Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 59.24
BRONZE – Lucas Matzerath (GER), 1:00.22

Although Italian Simone Cerasuolo led at the halfway mark with a split of 27.57, it was Dutchman Arno Kamminga who came up with this men’s 100m breaststroke victory.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Kamminga stopped the clock in a time of 59.05 for gold, although he was quicker in the morning in 58.07.

Nicolo Martinenghi shaved over half a second from his morning outing to snag the silver behind Kamminga, scoring 59.24 as the only other competitor under the minute barrier.

Germany’s Lucas Matzerath wrapped up bronze in 1:00.22. He’s been as fast as 59.09, a time he produced at the AP Race International Meet last month.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• World Record – 1:04.13, Lilly King (USA) 2017
• European Record – 1:04.35, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) 2013
• Sette Colli Record – 1:04.98, Yuliya Efimova (RUS) 2018
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 1:07.35

GOLD – Tes Schouten (NED), 1:06.06
SILVER – Reona Aoki (JPN), 1:06.09
BRONZE – Mona McSharry (IRL), 1:06.56

It came down to the touch between Dutch national record holder Tes Schouten and Japanese national record holder Reona Aoki.

Schouten sneaked in for the win, clocking 1:06.06 to Aoki’s 1:06.09 while Ireland’s own national record holder Mona McSharry got it done for bronze in 1:06.56.

Aoki’s lifetime best rests at her 1:05.19 national standard logged in March of 2022 while she produced a season-best of 1:05.89 at April’s Japan Trials to punch her ticket to Fukuoka.

As for Schouten, the 22-year-old fired off a new national record of 1:05.71 in 2023 and has been under 1:06 already 4 times this season.

McSharry was also coming in hot after establishing a new personal best and national record of 1:06.04 in May.

Entering this meet, Lisa Angiolini was the only Italian swimmer to have nailed a Fukuoka-worthy time at nationals with her mark of 1:06.18. However, 4th place Arianna Castiglioni‘s time here of 1:06.76 dipped under the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 1:07.35 to most likely qualify her for Fukuoka.

In the B-final, Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte beat the field in 1:06.90 while Benedetta Pilato of Italy was rendered 3rd in 1:07.83,

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• World Record – 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (USA) 2021
• European Record – 49.68, Kristof Milak (HUN) 2021
• Sette Colli Record – 50.98, Kristof Milak (HUN) 2021
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 51.96

GOLD – Noe Ponti (SUI), 51.28
SILVER – Nyls Korstanje (NED), 51.82
BRONZE – Piero Codia (ITA), 51.94

The men were not messing around in this A-Final of the 100m fly as the top 4 finishers all touched under the 52-second threshold.

Olympic bronze medalist Noe Ponti led the way, surging ahead of Dutchman Nyls Korstanje who led at the halfway mark. Ponti ultimately touched in 51.28 for an over-half second lead on the former NC State Wolfpack team member who settled for silver in 51.82.

Italy’s Piero Codia bagged bronze in 51.94 while his teammate and Olympic medalist Federico Burdisso was just .01 shy of bronze in 51.95.

As for 22-year-old Ponti, his time matches his season-best exactly to keep him ranked 11th in the world on the season.

Korstanje’s outing represents the 10th quickest performer of his career, one which includes the Dutch national record of 51.41 from last year’s World Championships.

Both Codia and Burdisso mark the only two Italian men of the season to have dipped under the World cut of 51.96, most likely giving them slots on the World Championships roster.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

• World Record – 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 2014
• European Record – 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 2014
• Sette Colli Record – 25.19, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 2018
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 26.32

GOLD – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 25.25
SILVER – Angelina Kohler (GER), 26.04
BRONZE – Louise Hansson (SWE), 26.05

It was a Swedish show in the women’s 50m fly, led by World Record holder Sarah Sjostrom. The 29-year-old superstar hit a mark of 25.25 to top the podium.

On the Mare Nostrum Tour, Sjostrom ripped a time of 24.89 to rank #1 in the world. Sjostrom has held the 50m fly World Record since clocking a time of 24.43 in 2014. She remains the only woman in history to have ever dipped under the 25-second barrier in this event and has recorded the top 25 times in history.

Sjostrom’s teammate Louise Hansson captured the bronze in 26.05 while it was Germany’s Angelina Kohler snagged silver in 26.04.

MEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 20.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA) 2009
• European Record – 20.94, Fred Bousquet (FRA) 2009
• Sette Colli Record – 21.16, Ben Proud (GBR) 2018
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 22.12

GOLD – Ben Proud (GBR), 21.68
SILVER – Szebasztian Szabo (HUN), 22.01
BRONZE – Lorenzo Zazzeri (ITA), 22.07

Ben Proud of Great Britain scorched the pool with a winning time of 21.68, despite a long glide to the wall. His result shaved .03 off of the 21.71 put up at the British Championships to keep the world champion ranked 3rd in the world at the moment.

Hungary’s Szabasztian Szabo was next at the wall in 22.01 while Italy’s Lorenzo Zazzeri notched 22.07 as the bronze medalist.

Szabo’s season-best rests at 21.72 while Zazzeri’s result tonight beat the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 22.12 to potentially add his name to the Fukuoka lineup for Italy.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE – FINAL

• World Record – 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky (USA) 2018
• European Record – 15:38.88, Lotte Friis (DEN) 2013
• Sette Colli Record – 15:48.81, Simona Quadarella (ITA) 2021
• World Aquatics ‘A’ – 16:29.57

GOLD – Simona Quadarella (ITA), 15:53.24
SILVER – Angela Guillen (ESP), 16:14.95
BRONZE – Tamila Holub (POR), 16:16.29

Olympic bronze medalist Simona Quadarella was the big winner in this women’s 1500m free, clocking a time of 15:53.24. That was nearly identical to the 15:53.29 logged for gold at April’s Italian Championships to qualify her for Fukuoka.

Spain’s Angela Guillen nabbed silver in 16:14.95 while Portuguese athlete Tamila Holub round out the top 3 in 16:16.29.

Guillen’s time overtakes her previous lifetime best of 16:18.78 which was put up for bronze at the Barcelona stop of the Mare Nostrum Tour this year.

Another Italian in Giulia Salin snagged 5th place in 16:25.21, under the Fukuoka A cut. That may be enough to earn her a spot on the roster for the World Championships.