Simone Cerasuolo Posts New World Junior Record In 50 Breast

ITALIAN SHORT COURSE WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS

• November 30 – December 1, 2021
• SCM (25m)
• Riccione, Italy
• Additional qualifying opportunity for Short Course World Championships
• Live Results

Day one of the 2021 Italian Short Course Championships already brought a new World Junior Record, as Simone Cerasuolo broke through in the men’s 50m breaststroke.

The 18-year-old busted out the fastest time of his young career, hitting the wall in a time of 25.85 to top the podium here in Riccione. That lowered his own previous personal best, European Junior Record and World Junior Record, which all stood at the 26.26 he produced in April of this year.

As such, Cerasuolo has entered entirely new territory, dipping under the 26-second threshold big-time to beat out domestic rivals Fabio Scozzoli and Nicolo Martinenghi in today’s race. Scozzoli settled for silver in 26.20 while Martinenghi rounded out the top 3 in 26.33.

It was actually Olympic medalist Martinenghi’s World Junior Record which Cerasuolo originally overtook back in April, with that previous WJR standing at 25.31 Martinenghi established in December 2017 at the European Short Course Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Cerasuolo turned 18 this past June swims for Imolanuoto under Cesare Casella. Along with all other male athletes born in 2003, he will be eligible to set Junior World Records through the end of 2021. The athletes included in the junior category are boys and girls who, on 31 December of the year in which they establish the record, are aged between 15 and 18 for males and between 14 and 17 for females.

The teen is the reigning long course European Junior champion in this 50 breast, having clocked a time of 27.29 at this year’s European Junior Championships in Rome pre-Olympics.