2024 Italian Olympic Trials: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2024 ITALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Tuesday, March 5th – Saturday, March 9th
• Riccione, Italy
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Wednesday’s finals session from the Italian Olympic Trials will feature five events with Paris qualification on the line along with a pair of 50s to kick things off and the 800 free relay to close things out.

Among the five individual Olympic events on today’s schedule, only two swimmers have solidified a spot in one of those in Paris thus far, neither of which will be racing tonight:

• Men’s 100 back – Thomas Ceccon
• Men’s 100 breast – Nicolo Martinenghi

Qualifying began at the Absolute Championships in November and was also on the line at the 2024 Worlds in Doha.

On Day 1, Lisa Angiolini, the top seed in tonight’s 200 breast, won the women’s 100 breast and qualified for the Paris Games.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• Italian Record: 27.39, Silvia Scalia – 2022 European Championships

1. Silvia Scalia, 28.06
2. Sara Curtis, 28.10
3. Anita Gastaldi, 28.54
4. Erika Francesca Gaetani / Federica Toma, 28.65
5. –
6. Francesca Pasquino, 28.72
7. Chiara Gattafoni, 28.88
8. Giada Gorlier, 29.02

Italian Record holder Silvia Scalia picked up a narrow victory over up-and-comer Sara Curtis in the opening event of the night, as Scalia clocked 28.06 in the women’s 50 back to edge out the runner-up by four one-hundredths.

Scalia set the national mark of 27.39 at the 2022 European Championships, but tonight’s swim still represents her second-fastest showing (tied) since the start of 2023. Her only outing that was faster was the 28.04 she produced last April.

Curtis, 17, re-lowered the Cadet level record she set in the prelims of 28.21, clocking 28.10. In the heats, Curtis’ swim took down Costanza Cocconcelli‘s former record of 28.36 that had been on the books since 2019.

Anita Gastaldi moved up three spots from the prelims to take 3rd, clocking 28.54, with her lifetime best sitting at 28.38.

MEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• Italian Record: 22.68, Thomas Ceccon – 2023 World Championships

1. Lorenzo Gargani, 23.41
2. Luca Todesco, 23.78
3. Piero Codia, 23.82
4. Daniele Momoni, 23.86
5. Alberto Razzetti, 23.88
6. Giulio Meniconi, 23.90
7. Elia Codardini, 23.95
8. Edoardo Valsecchi, 23.98

Lorenzo Gargani topped the men’s 50 fly field by a relatively wide margin in a time of 23.41, narrowly missing his lifetime best of 23.38 set in 2022.

Including his prelim swim of 23.46, Gargani hs now been sub-23.5 eight times, including winning silver at last year’s World University Games (23.39).

Luca Todesco scored a runner-up finish in 23.78 as swimmers 2nd through 8th were separated by just two tenths. That performance fell just short of his PB of 23.73 set in 2020.

Veteran Piero Codia, who turned 34 in October, solidified the 3rd position in a time of 23.82, with his lifetime best of 23.21 having been more than a decade ago at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona. In 2023, his fastest swim came in at 23.53.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• Italian Record: 57.04, Elena Di Liddo – 2019 World Championships
• Italian Olympic Standard: 57.4 (57.49)
• Olympic ‘A’ Cut: 57.92
• Olympic ‘B’ Cut: 58.21

1. Costanza Cocconcelli, 57.77
2. Ilaria Bianchi, 58.05
3. Sonia Laquintana, 59.39
4. Paola Borrelli, 59.61
5. Elenda Di Liddo, 59.71
6. Elena Capretta, 1:00.05
7. Anita Bottazzo, 1:00.32
8. Giulia Caprai, 1:00.38

After setting a personal best of 58.65 in the prelims, Costanza Cocconcelli obliterated that mark in the final of the women’s 100 fly, closing in 30.39 to solidify the victory in a time of 57.77.

The swim for the 22-year-old moves her up to #3 all-time among Italians, having entered the day ranked 8th with her previous PB of 58.83. She came within three-tenths of the Italian Olympic standard (57.49), but did get under the Olympic ‘A’ cut of 57.92.

Ilaria Bianchi, 34, took the runner-up position in 58.05, her fastest swim since the Tokyo Olympics. Bianchi set her lifetime best of 57.22 at the 2018 European Championships, and has represented Italy at the last four Olympics, having made her debut at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Sonia Laquintana led the field through the first 50 in 27.18, and despite fading with a closing 50 of 32.21, still held off Paola Borrelli for 3rd in 59.61, with Borrelli coming home in 31.52 for a final time of 59.61.

Laquintana owns a best of 58.85, while Borrelli’s sits at 59.45 from the 2022 European Juniors.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• Italian Record: 51.60, Thomas Ceccon – 2022 World Championships
• Italian Olympic Standard: 53.2 (53.29)
• Olympic ‘A’ Cut: 53.74
• Olympic ‘B’ Cut: 54.01

1. Michele Lamberti, 53.56
2. Christian Bacico, 53.97
3. Matteo Brunella, 54.04
4. Matteo Restivo, 54.21
5. Lorenzo Mora, 54.75
6. Daniele Del Signore, 55.13
7. Mattia Morello, 55.39
8. Jacopo Nuca, 55.73

Michele Lamberti used a sizzling opening 50 to soar to a new lifetime best and the victory in the men’s 100 back, touching in 53.56.

The 23-year-old established his previous best of 53.73 last month at the World Championships in Doha, where he placed 11th. Prior to that, Lamberti went 53.76 in November 2023, which was his first time sub-54 after winning silver at the World University Games in August in a time of 54.02.

Despite getting under the Olympic ‘A’ cut of 53.74, Lamberti fell short of the Italian standard of 53.29.

Reigning World Juniors bronze medalist Christian Bacico had the fastest second 50 in the field (27.57) to run down Matteo Brunella and place 2nd, clocking 53.97 to mark his first time officially under the 54-second threshold.

Bacico, 18, led off Italy’s mixed medley relay at World Juniors in 53.90, though his best time officially stood at 54.08 prior to today.

Brunella repeated his finish in the 50 back by taking 3rd in 54.04, crushing his previous best time of 54.66 set in the prelims. Prior to the heats, his PB stood at 54.83.

Matteo Restivo, 29, took just over a tenth off his personal best to take 4th, while short course standout Lorenzo Mora was 5th in 54.75.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• Italian Record: 2:23.06, Francesca Fangio – 2021 Sette Colli Trophy
• Italian Olympic Standard: 2:23.1 (2:23.19)
• Olympic ‘A’ Cut: 2:23.91
• Olympic ‘B’ Cut: 2:24.63

1. Francesca Fangio, 2:23.90
2. Lisa Angiolini, 2:24.71
3. Martina Carraro, 2:25.60
4. Giulia Verona, 2:28.06
5. Alessia Ferraguti, 2:29.10
6. Giorgia Crepaldi, 2:29.75
7. Anna Pirovano, 2:31.07
8. Francesca Zucca, 2:31.36

Tokyo Olympian Francesca Fangio pulled away from Lisa Angiolini down the stretch to claim the win in the final of the women’s 200 breast, clocking 2:23.90 to dip under the Olympic ‘A’ cut by .01.

Fangio, 28, owns the Italian National Record of 2:23.06 set in 2021, and her swim tonight marks her fifth time eclipsing the 2:24 barrier. It also moves her into 9th in the 2023-24 world rankings.

Angiolini, who qualified for Paris in the 100 breast on Tuesday, broke 2:25 for the first time in 2:24.71, touching 2nd over Martina Carraro (2:25.60) thanks to the third 50 where Angiolini out-split her by nearly eight-tenths.

Swimming out in Lane 1, Giulia Verona produced her fastest swim since in nearly seven years to place 4th in 2:28.06. Verona’s best time of 2:25.81 was set in April 2017, and she hadn’t broken 2:30 since 2017 until tonight.

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• Italian Record: 58.26, Nicolo Martinenghi – 2022 World Championships/2022 European Championships
• Italian Olympic Standard: 59.1 (59.19)
• Olympic ‘A’ Cut: 59.49
• Olympic ‘B’ Cut: 59.79

1. Federico Poggio, 59.46
2. Ludovico Blu Art Viberti, 59.75
3. Simone Cerasuolo, 59.80
4. Alessandro Pinzuti, 1:00.20
5. Gabriele Mancini, 1:00.56
6. Luca Moni, 1:01.23
7. Cosimo Bugli, 1:01.59
8. Christian Mantegazza, 1:01.60

Three men battled to the wall in the final of the 100 breast, with Federico Poggio coming out on top in 59.46 as all three went under a minute.

Poggio, who represented Italy in the event at the Tokyo Olympics, finished well short of his personal best of 58.73 set last year, though he does get under the Olympic ‘A’ cut—albeit not the Italian standard—to open the door for a discretionary pick for Paris alongside Nicolo Martinenghi.

Ludovico Blu Art Viberti out-split everyone (Poggio by just three one-hundredths) on the back half in 31.86 to snag the runner-up spot from Simone Cerasuolo, who led the field at the 50 in 27.54.

Viberti touched in 59.75, with Cerasuolo just behind in 59.80. Viberti and Cerasuolo both set new personal best times in November, with Viberti clocking 59.38 and Cerasuolo 59.54.

Alessandro Pinzuti was exactly one second over his PB in 1:00.20 for 4th.

Slovenian veteran Peter John Stevens was notably racing in the ‘B’ final, leading the heat through the first 50 in 28.56 before touching 8th and 16th overall in 1:03.40.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• Italian Record: 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini – 2009 World Championships
• Italian Olympic Standard: 1:57.0 (1:57.09)
• Olympic ‘A’ Cut: 1:57.26
• Olympic ‘B’ Cut: 1:57.85

1. Sofia Morini, 1:58.64
2. Simona Quadarella, 1:58.82
3. Sara Gailli, 1:59.48
4. Giulia D’Innocenzo, 1:59.51
5. Matilde Biagiotti, 2:00.09
6. Anna Chiara Mascolo, 2:00.21
7. Linda Caroni, 2:00.62
8. Antonietta Cesarno, 2:00.98

There was a bit of outside smoke in the final of the women’s 200 free, as Sofia Morini scored the victory out of Lane 6 and Simona Quadarella pulled out a new best time from Lane 1 to snag 2nd.

Morini led from the jump, and despite being one of the three swimmers in the final to come home over 31 seconds, still held off Quadarella to touch 1st in 1:58.64, dipping under her previous best of 1:58.80 set in November.

Quadarella sat in 7th at the halfway mark but moved up on the third lap (30.30) and then was the only swimmer to close sub-30 in 29.60, coming just shy of running down in Morini in 1:58.82. That swim knocks .01 off her previous best time set in 2019.

Sara Gailli (1:59.48) ran down top seed Giulia D’Innocenzo (1:59.51) to set a new best time and crack 2:00 for the first time, potentially putting her in the mix for the women’s 800 free relay in Paris.

D’Innocenzo was Italy’s fastest swimmer in the event in 2023, having gone 1:58.23 at the Sette Colli Trophy.

MEN’S 4×200 FREESTYLE RELAY – TIMED FINAL

• Italian Record: 7:02.01 – 2019 World Championships

1. Centro Sportivo Esercito, 7:11.11
2. Centro Sportivo Carabinieri, 7:11.30
3. Circolo Canottieri Aniene, 7:15.04

Filippo Megli made some noise in the men’s 800 free relay, opening up the Centro Sportivo Carabinieri squad with a lead-off leg of 1:45.91, narrowly missing his 200 free National Record of 1:45.67 set in 2019.

The time for Megli falls two one-hundredths shy of the Italian Olympic qualifying time in the 200 free (1:45.89).

Megli was followed by Alessandro Ragaini, who dropped a 1:46.19 split to put the Carabinieri squad nearly four seconds clear of the next-fastest team, Centro Sportivo Esercito.

The Esercito squad had a consistent team, all splitting within 1.13 seconds of each other. After they were led off by Giovanni Caserta in a PB of 1:47.39, Gabriele Detti split 1:48.52 and then Matteo Ciampi clocked 1:47.15, pulling them ahead of Carbinieri, which had a 1:51.10 third leg from Pasquale Sanzullo.

On the anchor, Esercito’s Davide Marchello split 1:48.05 to hold off Carbinieri’s Matteo Lamberti (1:48.10) and win the relay in a time of 7:11.11, with Carabinieri less than two-tenths back in 7:11.11.

In 3rd, Circolo Canotteri Aniene had three men split 1:48.2 to finish in 7:15.04. That included a 1:48.22 lead-off from Marco de Tullio.