Two of the standout swims on the first day of the 40th International Nico Saptio Trophy included wins by Italian stars Ilaria Bianchi and Matteo Rivolta in the 100 butterfly events.
Bianchi who is the reigning short course world champion in the women’s 100 butterfly won the event easily posting a time of 58.02. She posted a season’s best of 57.47 this summer at the World Cup in Eindhoven and has a lifetime best of 56.13 that she recorded in Istanbul last December.
This win is a perfect tune up for the Italian who is looking to defend her European crown in Herning in just over a month.
Birgit Koschischek finished second in a time of 59.31 followed by Tarza Claudia who finished third touching in a time of 59.71.
Last weekend Rivolta set a new Italian mark in the 100 butterfly swimming a 50.87 breaking Joseph David Natullo‘s record of 50.99 and today rewrote history once again by posting a 50.84 to win the event. Rivolta dominated the race winning the event by almost a second and a half.
Piero Codia finished second in a time of 52.29 followed by Hungarian Laszlo Cseh who posted a time of 52.36.
American Natalie Coughlin set the meet record in the women’s 100 freestyle winning the event in a time of 52.54 breaking the previous meet record by a tenth of a second. Coughlin’s time currently ranks her seventh in the world. Arian Wanderpool Wallace finished second in a time of 54.54 followed by Birgit Koschischek who picked up her second medal of the evening finishing third in a time of 54.57.
Cseh took the men’s 200 IM in a time of 1:57.49. The win was not an easy one for the Hungarian, at the 150 meter wall Stefano Pizzamiglio trailed Cseh by only one one-hundredth of a second and even though Pizzamiglio fell off the pace Federico Turrini made a strong push in the freestyle out swimming Cseh by more than a second.
Turrini finished second recording a time of 1:57.54 followed by Pizzamiglio who finished third in a time of 1:58.09.
American Nick Thoman took the men’s 100 backstroke in a time of 50.86 which is currently ranked eighth in the world. He was followed by Stefano Pizzamiglio who finished in a time of 52.50 and Micro Di Tora, the captain of the Italian team, who touched in a time of 52.65.
American Katie Meili took home victories in both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke. Meili won the women’s 200 IM in a time of 2:11.53, a second and a half over Luisa Trombetti who finished second in a time of 2:13.06 just ahead of Giulia De Ascentis who finished third posting a time of 2:13.09.
Meili also took the women’s 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:06.80. She was followed by Giulia De Ascentis who finished second recording a time of 1:07.38 and Silvia Guerra who finished third finishing in a time of 1:08.68.
Arianna Barbieri took the women’s 100 backstroke in a time of 59.63. She was followed by Elena Gemo who finished second recording a time of 59.70 and Jenny Mensing who finished third in a time of 59.97.
In the men’s 100 breaststroke Francesco Di Lecce won the event in a time of 59.45 followed by Claudio Fossi who posted a time of 59.91. Daniele Cremonesi finished third touching in a time of 1:00.29.
Lorenzo Benatti won the men’s 100 freestyle in a time of 49.04. American-trained Roy Burch, who represents Bermuda, finished second in a time of 49.29 followed by fellow American Cullen Jones who tied for third with Italian Mattia Schirru in a time of 49.41.
Chiara Masini Luccetti won the women’s 400 freestyle in a time of 4:07.59 followed by Martina De Memme who finished second in a time of 4:09.00. Diletta Carli finished third in a time of 4:09.91.
In the men’s 400 freestyle Gabriele Detti took the event in a time of 3:45.98. Federico Turrini finished second in a time of 3:46.51 followed by Nicolangelo Di Fabio who finished third posting a time of 3:49.40.
Roy Burch was not representing America when he swam. He representing Bermuda.