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
While competing on day 1 of the Italian Open Championships in Riccione, 19-year-old Thomas Ceccon crushed a new national record in the men’s 100m backstroke.
Racing in the timed finals today, the multi-2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games medalist cranked out a time of 52.84. That not only smashed his previous personal best ever of 53.47 but it checked the versatile teenager in as the first Italian man ever to get under the 53-second threshold.
Splitting 25.73/27.11, Ceccon’s 52.84 time this morning easily overtook the previous Italian national mark of 53.34 that Simone Sabbioni put on the books in 2016.
Last year at the World Junior Championships, Ceccon led off Italy’s medley relay with a 53.37 stunner for a new Italian Junior Record, falling must .03 outside of Sabbioni’s mark.
Already this year, Ceccon had clocked a 53.40 result at the Sette Colli Trophy in Naples, giving us a glimpse as to what was on the horizon.
Of special significance for Ceccon’s 52.84 result today is the fact that his time matches the stiff Italian Swimming Federation (Federnuoto) qualification mark of 52.8 needed for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. As such, the teen has added his name to the Italian roster.
I will never get the logic of setting your nations qualifying time faster than the national record in the event. I understand the want to push your athletes to be the best and field a competitive team, but nations expecting all time great performances just to make the cut baffles me *ahem Britain*
Agreed but it costs money to fund these swimmers. And in most countries that comes from government. And most NGB’s don’t have the money. Some athletes have to help fund their own way to the Olympics. The US has 330,000 age group swimmers and sponsors to help foot the bill.
I think the reason to make sure every swimmer they send can make the top 8 final. Why they do that I’m not sure.
52.8 is a very good time. Congrats. – but I don’t understand how that is the qualifying time? 52.77 was bronze in Gwangju and this was also half a second under the national record. Kinda spoils it when you “barely scrape” the qualifying time.
It is the first chance to qualify (considering covid the third lol) so the QT is really stiff (top5 time in the world). It became little easier in march (top12 in the world), plus there is a last chance in july for the relay.
Many countries use qualifying times/procedures that are much tougher then the FINA A cuts (think Australia, GB, France, Japan etc). Maybe Italy is one of those countries?
Ceccon, Martineghi, Codia and Miressi, not a bad 4x100medley
I think it will be Burdisso for fly now.
Very talented kid. Very versatile.
Mama Mia!
Woahhhhhhhh another sub 53 backstroker has entered the chat
How many does this make under 53 now?
Total of 25 swimmers (included retired) have been under 53. Ceccon has just kicked Michael Phelps (53.01) out of the top 25.
Of those 25, 15 are currently active.
moment of silence for phelps’ 53.01