Italy Releases its 2015 FINA Worlds Roster

Italy has released its 37-swimmer roster for the 2015 FINA World Championships, which start next month.  18 females and 19 males comprise the lineup, which includes the biggest names in the Italian Swimming Federation.

The women’s list is highlighted by Federica Pellegrini, a mainstay on the international swimming scene, who made headlines recently with her eye-popping 200m freestyle swim at this year’s French Open earlier this month. Her time of 1:55.00 now ranks third in the world and definitely puts Pellegrini in the conversation for medal contenders in the event in Kazan.

Marina Rita Caramignoli nabbed the bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle event at last year’s European Championships and recently made waves at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.  The 24-year old won a gold medal in the women’s 1500m freestyle event and also claimed a silver in the 800m freestyle.  Caramignoli currently ranks 13th and 7th in the world those respective events.

Nathan Adrian, Florent Manaudou and the other sprinters of the world will see Italy’s Marco Orsi on the blocks in both sprint freestyle events in Kazan.  Orsi is a member of 2015’s sub-22 club in the 50 (21.96) and the sub-49 club in the 100 (48.50), which positions the 24-year old to potentially breakout with an individual race medal at Worlds.

Italian distance ace, Gregorio Paltrinieri, leads the world in the 1500m freestyle with the 14:43.87 he clocked in Riccione and is primed to translate his ranking into a gold medal win.  A battle is brewing between Paltrinieri and rising Aussie star Mack Horton in the event, with America’s Connor Jaeger looking to bust out his own monster swim in Kazan as well.

Full Italian Worlds Rosters Below

Women: Ilaria Bianchi, Marina Rita Caramignoli, Diletta Carli, Martina Carraro, Arianna Castiglioni, Elena Di Liddo, Silvia Di Pietro, Erika Ferraioli, Elena Gemo, Laura Letrari, Chiara Masini Luccetti, Alice Mizzau, Erika Musso, Margherita Panziera, Federica Pellegrini, Alessia Polieri, Aurorà Ponselè and Ilaria Scarcella.

Men: Lorenzo Antonelli, Marco Belotti, Christopher Ciccarese, Piero Codia, Andrea Mitchell D’Arrigo, Luca Dotto, Damiano Lestingi, Gianluca Maglia, Filippo Magnini, Luca Mencarini, Marco Orsi, Gregorio Paltrinieri, Franceco Pavone, Luca Pizzini, Matteo Rivolta, Simone Sabbioni, Michele Santucci, Andrea Toniato and Federico Turrini.