Despite saying over-and-over again that she was a backstroker for 2013, Italian World Record holder and swimming superstar Federica Pellegrini is entered in the 200 freestyle for the World Championships.
In combination with that, she’s scratched out of the 100 backstroke, and will swim the 200 back and the 200 free in Barcelona, along with a likely three relays.
Pellegrini decided to give herself a bit of a mental respite from the freestyle events in which she’d so long made her name after a poor Olympic performance last year, but she did, in fact, lead off an Italian relay at their National Championships with a 1:56.51 – good enough for 4th in the world this year.
That was perhaps enough to convince her to consider a more moderate approach to her World Championship schedule.
So will Pellegrini swim 200 fre or not?
And will Muffat swim 800 free?
Grrr…. these swimmers are really inconsiderate of hardships swimfans all over the world in doing the prediction list!!
For me, no Pellegrini in the 200 free and no Muffat in the 800 free.
Correction: she only mentioned the 200 back. She did not mention the 100 back.
Okay,
Thanks for your comment.
Well I do speak Italian and can confirm that no Italian newspaper reports this news. She released an interview on Thursday on her memories from Barcelona 2003 and once again said she will swim the backstroke individual races plus the freestyle in the 4×100 and 4×200 freestyle relays
Are you sure we must believe in everything we see in these start-lists?
I don’t speak Italian but in each article from Italian websites I have read yesterday, Pellegrini swims the 200 back and the relays. There’s never mention of a possible 200 free. Perhaps she wants to frighten some rivals just for fun.
Same thing for Camille Muffat in the 800 free. There’s nothing about that elsewhere. She swims the 100 free. Again, it’s perhaps just to frighten a little Miss Ledecky before the 400 free. 🙂
Exactly Bobo, Italian press didn’t say anything about it, maybe she’s just enlisted and will scratch this event the same morning
That’s also why we need more depth in other countries than just in the USA and Australia. That kind of behaviour is disparaging the system. It wouldn’t be possible if you had to earn your spot for every event at the Trials.
I want to see Muffat in 800m just as much as I’d love to see Pellegrini in 200m free. There is no need for Muffat to scratch 800m free. It’s on the day six and seven and after her prime events.
Why would Pellegrini scratch 100m back and enter in 200m free, which overlap each other slightly, if she weren’t intended to participate in the latter?
Miss Muffat has focused on the 200 free and more on a speed work in training. She wants to win the 200 free and the 400 free. The 100 free is just for fun. But I agree with you. I would have liked to see her swimming rather the 800 free, especially after what she has shown in SCM last November.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2C9csCKCq0
five relays?
you mean three relays right?
the mixed relays have not started at this worlds?
A very very good decision.