2021 Italian Olympic Trials: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

ITALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

• March 31 – April 3, 2021
• Prelims at 9 am local/Finals at 4:30 pm local
• Riccione – Swimming Stadium
• Long course meters (LCM)
• Qualification Standards
• Meet Site
• Start Lists
• Live Stream
• Live Results

On the final day of racing at the 2021 Italian Olympic Trials, only two Olympic events each for the men and women remain. The 1500 freestyle will be the first event we get to see while the 200 IM will be the last event. In between those, the men will race the 50 back and 50 fly finals while the women will race the 50 breast and 50 fly.

Gregorio Paltrinieri will be the one to watch in the men’s 1500, having set a new European and Italian record at 14:33.10 in the summer of 2020. On the women’s side, Martina Rita Caramignoli and Italian record holder Simona Quadarella will go up against each other as they are entered with a 15:56.06 and 15:57.18, respectively.

We’ll also get to watch both the men’s and women’s Italian record-holders race the 200 IM as Alberto Razetti (NR of 1:58.09) and Ilaria Cusinato (NR of 2:10.25) race the event. Razetti will be the top seed in the final, having swum a 2:02.04 in the prelims while Cusinato is seed third with a 2:16.83 behind Sara Franceschi (2:15.14) and Anna Pirovano (2:15.70).

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• Euros cut – 14:58.09
• Olympics cut – 14:50.09

Top 3

1. Gregorio Paltrinieri – 14:40.38
2. Luca de Tullio – 15:05.31
3. Domenico Acerenza – 15:06.39

Gregorio Paltrinieri established an early lead in the men’s 1500 freestyle but was a little bit off his European record the whole way through. He ultimately touched in a 14:40.38, trailing his 2020 mark of 14:33.10. The swim for Paltrinieri is a season-best, improving upon his 14:45.02 from December 2020. Paltrinieri was already the fastest man in the event this season and is now a full 10 seconds ahead of second-ranked Damien Joly with a 14:55.94.

Luca de Tullio and Domenico Acerenza battled it out to come in around 25 seconds after Paltrinieri with a 15:05.31 and 15:06.39, respectively. Neither of them, however, got under the European Championships selection cut nor the Olympic cut of 14:58.09 and 14:45.09.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• Euros cut – 16:15.09
• Olympics cut – 16:05.09

Top 3

1. Simona Quadarella – 15:57.03
2. Martina Caramignoli – 15:59.13
3. Geneva Taddeucci – 16:21.93

Simona Quadarella and Martina Caramignoli were the top two finishers here and have both already qualified for a spot on the Italian Olympic team in the event. Quadarella is the defending world champion, having won gold in 2019 with a 15:40.89 Italian record. Quadarella’s 15:57.03 gives her the 4th fastest time this season worldwide while Caramignoli’s 15:59.13 ranks her 5th.

The winning duo was far ahead of the field as Geneva Taddeucci came in with a 16:21.93 for bronze while Alisia Tettamanzi was a 16:24.00 for fourth place.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• Euros cut – 24.99

Top 3

1. Lorenzo Mora – 25.30
2. Simone Sabbioni – 25.34
3. Simone Stefani – 25.35

Lorenzo Mora had a decent best time to win the men’s 50 backstroke final from lane 8, swimming a 25.30 to lower his time from a 25.45 which he swam back in December 2019. Mora just barely got his hand on the wall first as Simone Sabbioni and Simone Stefani notched second and third-placing swims of 25.34 and 25.35.

Current Italian record holder Niccolo Bonacchi went into the final as second seed but was left off the podium as he came in with a 25.39, just 0.04 seconds slower than bronze medalist Stefani. Bonacchi’s current national record in the event sits at a 24.65 which he set back in 2014.

None of the men in the field were quick enough to get under the Euros cut of 24.99.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• Euros cut – 30.99

Top 3

1. Benedetta Pilato – 29.91
2. Martina Carraro – 30.65
3. Arianna Castiglioni – 30.77

Benedetta Pilato was just over her own world junior, European junior, and Italian record in the 50 breast with a 29.91 which is actually slower than what she swam in the prelims when she hit a 20.62 to get within a hundredth of a second of her PB. Martina Carraro was also just shy of her own best time in the event, having swum a 30.23 at the 2019 World Championships. Arianna Castiglioni has nearly an identical PB in the event with a 30.30 from back in 2018 and trailed that swim here with a 30.77.

While the 50 breast is not an Olympic event, the event will be featured at the upcoming European Championships and all three women in tonight’s final were under the cut qualifying cut of 30.99.

MEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• Euros cut – 23.49

Top 3

1. Piero Codia – 23.47
2. Thomas Ceccon – 23.53
3. Lorenzo Gargani – 23.63

While the podium finishers in the men’s 50 fly final were separated by only 0.16 seconds, only Piero Codia managed to get under the 23.49 qualifying standard for European Championships which will be held next month in Budapest. Codia was a little bit slower than his 2013 Italian record in the event which he holds at a 23.21.

Thomas Ceccon and Lorenzo Gargani battled it out for the silver medal and Ceccon got to the wall first with a 23.53 and Gargani followed with a 23.63. Both were over their respective best times as Ceccon has been a 23.22 and Gargani a 23.64.

Another 3 swimmers got under the 24-second mark as Matteo Revolt hit a 23.85 for 4th, Luca Todesco a 23.91 for 5th, and Santo Condorelli a 23.96 for 6th.

WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• Euros cut – 26.29

1. Silvia de Pietro – 26.38
2. Costanza Cocconcelli – 26.59
3. Elena Di Liddo – 26.62

Italian record holder Silvia de Pietro swam the fastest time in the women’s 50 butterfly final with a 26.38 to get within a second of her 2014 national record of 25.78. De Pietro was just over the cut for European Championships, however, as were silver and bronze medalists Costanza Cocconcelli (26.59) and Elena Di Liddo (26.62).

Ilaria Bianchi and Giulia D’Innocenzo also managed to dip under 27 here, coming in 4th and 5th with 26.77 and 26.79, respectively.

MEN’S 200 IM – FINALS

• Euros cut – 1:59.49
• Olympics cut – 1:58.99

Top 3

1. Alberto Razzetti – 1:57.13
2. Lorenzo Glessi – 2:00.81
3. Matteo Pelizzari – 2:01.38

Alberto Razzetti soared to victory in the men’s 200 IM final, winning the event with a 1:57.13 and lowering his own Italian record from a 1:58.09. Razzetti’s former national record in the event was set this past summer when he took Alessio Boggiato’s NR which had been intact for over 10 years, having been set at Worlds in 2009 (1:58.33).

That best time for Razzetti was fast enough to qualify for the 2021 Olympic Games, getting under the necessary cut of 1:58.09. He also qualified to swim at the 2021 European Championships next month as he was under the cut of 1:59.49.

Razzetti was the only swimmer in the final to get under 2 minutes as Lorenzo Glessi swam a 2:00.81 for the silver medal and Matteo Pelizzari was a 2:01.38 for bronze.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINALS

• Euros cut – 2:12.09
• Olympics cut – 2:11.09

Top 3

1. Sara Franceschi – 2:11.57
2. Ilaria Cusinato – 2:11.75
3. Anna Pirovano – 2:13.79

Italian record holder Ilaria Cusinato couldn’t quite get to the wall fast enough to out-touch Sara Franceshchi who won the women’s 200 IM with a 2:11.57 to Cusinato’s 2:11.75. Cusinato’s NR currently sits at a 2:10.25 from back in 2018 while Franceschi’s 2:11.57 marks a new PB, improving upon her best time and 2017 Italian junior record in the event of 2:11.98.

Both of them were under the qualification standard for the European Championships but trailed the Olympic cut which sits as a 2:11.09.

Anna Pirovano came in a few seconds later with a 2:13.79 to claim bronze.