Benedetta Pilato Snaps World Junior and Italian Records in 50 LCM Breast: 29.61

2020 ITALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, December 17th – Saturday, December 19th
• Riccione
• LCM (50m)
• Olympic Qualifying Event
• Timed Finals
• Italy’s Olympic Qualifying Procedures
• SwimSwam Italia Preview
• SwimSwam Preview
• Live Results

15-year-old Italian star Benedetta Pilato is not slowing down. This evening in Italy, at the 2020 Italian Open Championships, she rocketed to the win in the 50 breast, clocking a 29.61.

That time shatters her own World Junior record*, Italian record and previous personal best time of 29.85, done in August of this year. She also moves from #6 to #4 in the all-time rankings in this event, hopping past Americans Jessica Hardy (29.80) and Molly Hannis (29.71).

*Ruta Meilutyte went 29.48 as a junior in 2013, though FINA has not ratified WJRs before 2014

Pilato first set the Italian record at the Sette Colli Trophy in June of 2019, posting a 30.13 to break Arianna Castiglioni’s 2018 mark. She then became the first Italian woman and ninth woman ever to break 30 seconds in this race at the 2019 World Championships, in prelims, with a 29.98. In finals, she hit a 30.00 and took home the silver medal behind World Record-holder Lilly King. King’s WR stands at 29.40 from the 2017 World Championships.

This swim is Pilato’s third sub-30 performance. She now holds the top nine performances ever in Italian history, and is over a half-second better than any other Italian has ever been; the second-best Italian performer in history is Martina Carraro at 30.23 from Worlds last summer.

Tonight in Italy, Carraro finished second behind Pilato with a 30.44.

Carraro held the 100 breast record at 1:06.36 until last night, when Pilato went by it with a 1:06.02 to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.