2024 Italian Olympic Trials: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2024 ITALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Tuesday, March 5th – Saturday, March 9th
• Riccione, Italy
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• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
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The third finals session of the 2024 Italian Olympic Trials features the men’s 800 freestyle, 200 IM, 100 free, and women’s 1500 free.

After qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 50 free on Tuesday night, 24-year-old Leonardo Deplano added the 100 free to his summer schedule with a personal-best 48.09 in prelims this morning, shaving almost half a second off his previous-best 48.61 from 2022. He’ll be joined by Italian record holder Alessandro Miressi (48.93) and versatile star Thomas Ceccon (49.36) in tonight’s final.

The only other Olympic qualifier this week was 28-year-old Lisa Angiolini in the 100 breast (1:06.00) on Tuesday. Among the six Olympic events on tonight’s slate, only four Italians have punched their tickets to Paris so far:

• Men’s 800 free – Gregorio Paltrinieri (7:42.98)
• Men’s 200 IM – Alberto Razzetti (1:56.21)
• Men’s 100 free – Alessandro Miressi (47.61)
• Women’s 1500 free – Simona Quadarella (15:46.99)

Qualifying began at the Absolute Championships in November and was also on the line at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. Any remaining spots can also be filled at the Sette Colli Trophy in June.

Chiara Tarantino was the only woman under 55 seconds in the 100 free prelims this morning at 54.98, still about a second and half behind the Italian Olympic standard in the event.

Men’s 800 Freestyle – Timed Final

• Italian record: 7:39.27, Gregorio Paltrinieri – 2019
• Italian Olympic standard: 7:42.8
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 7:51.65
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 7:54.01

Top 8:

1. Luca De Tullio – 7:49.01
2. Ivan Giovannoni – 7:54.48
3. Davide Marchello – 7:54.57
4. Pasquale Sanzullo – 8:00.69
5. Tommaso Griffante – 8:01.68
6. Vincenzo Caso – 8:03.47
7. Lorenzo Biancalana – 8:03.91
8. Fabio Dalu – 8:05.04

Luca De Tullio won the 800 free by more than five seconds with a time of 7:49.01, within a few seconds of his personal-best 7:46.52 that earned him a spot in the 2024 World Championships final last month in Doha, Qatar. Although the 20-year-old distance specialist is well under the Olympic ‘A’ cut (7:51.65), he’s still a few seconds away from the Italian Olympic standard in this event (7:42.8).

Ivan Giovannoni placed 2nd in 7:54.48, eking past Davide Marchello (7:54.57) by less than a tenth of a second. Giovannoni narrowly missed his lifetime best of 7:54.29 from last June’s Sette Colli Trophy while Marchello dropped almost two seconds off his previous-best 7:56.35 from last April’s Italian National Championships.

De Tullio, Giovannoni, and Marchello were the only swimmers under eight minutes tonight as Pasquale Sanzullo placed 4th in 8:00.69. Sanzullo has been as fast as 7:58.20 last April.

Women’s 200 IM – Final

• Italian record: 2:09.3, Sara Franceschi – 2023
• Italian Olympic standard: 2:10.9
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 2:11.47
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 2:12.13

Top 8:

1. Sara Franceschi – 2:11.29
2. Anita Gastaldi – 2:11.87
3. Chiara Della Corte – 2:12.50
4. Francesca Fresia – 2:13.77
5. Claudia Di Passio – 2:15.01
6. Francesca Fangio – 2:15.77
7. Anna Pirovano – 2:15.91
8. Giada Alzetta – 2:16.40

Sara Franceschi made it an individual medley sweep at Italian Olympic Trials with a 200 IM win in 2:11.29, a couple seconds shy of her national record (2:09.30) from last year. Just like her 400 IM victory (3:48.87, within a second of the Italian Olympic standard) on Tuesday, Franceschi finished under the Olympic ‘A’ cut (2:11.47) but came up just short of the Italian Olympic standard in the event (2:10.9). She’s showing signs of progress as her time tonight was more than a second faster than her 9th-place finish from Worlds last month (2:12.34).

Anita Gastaldi tied for the fastest freestyle split in the field at 31.37, but it wasn’t quite enough to catch Franceschi as she touched the wall 2nd in 2:11.87. She was just a blink off her personal-best 2:11.81 from last April.

At 18 years old, Chiara Della Corte blasted a huge lifetime best to take 3rd place in 2:12.50. She knocked more than two seconds off her previous-best 2:14.67 from last year’s World Juniors Championships, where she placed 5th.

Men’s 200 IM – Final

• Italian record: 1:56.21, Alberto Razzetti – 2023
• Italian Olympic standard: 1:57.6
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 1:57.94
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 1:58.53

Top 8:

1. Alessandro Tredici – 1:59.94
2. Christian Mantegazza – 2:00.01
3. Lorenzo Glessi – 2:00.90
4. Max Matteazzi – 2:01.19
5. Samuele Martelli – 2:01.79
6. Pier Andrea Matteazzi – 2:02.57
7. Pietro Paolo Sarpe – 2:03.38
8. Lorenzo Altini – 2:03.78

Alessandro Tredici dipped under two minutes for the first time with a winning mark of 1:59.94, just barely scraping past Christian Mantegazza (2:00.01) for the victory. However, both swimmers were still two seconds behind both the Italian Olympic standard (1:57.6) and Olympic ‘A’ cut (1:57.94) in the event.

Tredici dropped more than a second off his previous-best 2:00.98 from November while Mantegazza shaved a couple tenths off his previous-best 2:00.23 from November.

Lorenzo Glessi placed 3rd in 2:00.90, a few tenths shy of his personal-best 2:00.54 from 2022. Max Matteazzi, a standout swimmer at the University of Pittsburgh, took 4th place (2:01.19) about half a second off his personal-best 2:00.61 from 2021.

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• Italian record: 53.18, Federica Pellegrini – 2016
• Italian Olympic standard: 53.5
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 53.61
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 53.88

Top 8:

1. Chiara Tarantino – 54.05
2. Sara Curtis – 54.31
3. Sofia Morini – 54.92
4. Costanza Cocconcelli – 54.95
5. Christiana Stevanato – 55.29
6. Federica Toma – 55.32
7. Emma Virginia Menicucci – 55.43
8. Paola Biagioli – 55.90

Chiara Tarantino claimed the 100 free crown with a lifetime best of 54.05, slicing .08 seconds off her previous best (54.13) from the 2022 European Championships. However, the 20-year-old still came up short of both the Italian Olympic standard (53.5) and Olympic ‘A’ cut (53.61) in the event.

Even though the Italy couldn’t secure any Olympic qualifiers in this event tonight, the future still appears bright as Sara Curtis broke a two-decade-old Italian junior record (54.40) belonging to Federica Pellegrini en route to her runner-up finish in 54.31. Curtis, 17, sliced almost a second off her previous-best 55.12 from last April.

Sofia Morini (54.92) and Costanza Cocconcelli (54.95) enjoyed a tight battle for 3rd place, with Morini getting the touch by just a few hundredths. Morini owns a lifetime best of 54.21 from last June while Cocconcelli has been as fast as 54.61 last June.

Men’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• Italian record: 47.45, Alessandro Miressi – 2021
• Italian Olympic standard: 48.2
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 48.34
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 48.58

Top 8:

1. Alessandro Miressi – 48.37
2. Paolo Conte Bonin – 48.67
3. Leonardo Deplano – 48.70
4. Lorenzo Zazzeri – 48.81
5. Thomas Ceccon – 48.91
6. Filippo Megli – 48.99
7. Manuel Frigo – 49.12
8. Matteo Oppioli – 50.01

Leonardo Deplano was well off his personal-best 48.09 from prelims, but he still locked up his Olympic qualification in this event since no one else finished under the Italian Olympic standard of 48.2. Tonight’s winner, Alessandro Miressi (48.37), already punched his ticket to Paris last November with a 47.61.

Paolo Conte Bonin placed 2nd ahead of Deplano with a 48.67, just off his personal-best 48.41 from prelims. His best time before today stood at 48.99 from 2022.

Lorenzo Zazzeri (48.81), Thomas Ceccon (48.91), and Filippo Megli (48.99) were separated by less than two tenths in the battle for 4th place.

Women’s 1500 Freestyle – Timed Final

• Italian record: 15:40.89, Simona Quadarella – 2019
• Italian Olympic standard: 15:55.0
• Olympic ‘A’ cut: 16:09.09
• Olympic ‘B’ cut: 16:13.94

Top 8:

1. Simona Quadarella – 15:58.48
2. Ginevra Taddeucci – 16:11.70
3. Giulia Gabbrielleschi – 16:29.83
4. Veronica Santoni – 16:34.81
5. Valerie Buffa – 16:35.98
6. Emma Vittoria Giannelli – 16:38.48
7. Alisia Tettamanzi – 16:38.93
8. Giulia Salin – 16:42.72

Reigning world champion Simona Quadarella was the lone swimmer under the Olympic ‘a’ cut (16:09.09) with a winning time of 15:58.48. She was more than 11 seconds slower than her 15:46.99 that won the world title in Doha last month. That performance qualified Quadarella for Paris well under the Italian Olympics standard of 15:55.0.

Ginevra Taddeucci (16:11.70) reached the wall more than 18 seconds ahead of 3rd-place finisher Giulia Gabbrielleschi (16:29.83).