Bonnet Tops A Quartet Of Podiums, Ponti Hits 100 IM Swiss Record On Day One In Bolzano

2023 INTERNATIONAL SWIM MEETING BOLZANO (ITA)

• Saturday, November 4th & Sunday, November 5th
• Bolzano, Italy
• SCM (25m)
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The 2023 International Swim Meeting Bolzano got underway today in Italy but it was a French woman who stole the show through the first day of racing.

28-year-old Charlotte Bonnet topped the podium not just once, not twice but on four separate occasions before the action concluded.

The French ace first grabbed gold in the 100m free, producing a winning effort of 53.67. She and runner-up Chiara Tarantino of Italy represented the sole competitors of the field to delve under the 55-second threshold, with Tarantino clocking 53.99 as the silver medalist.

Bonnet then tried the 50m breaststroke on for size, earning gold in a result of 30.29. That held a healthy advantage over runner-up Nika Godun of Russia who touched in 30.62 while USA’s Rachel Bernhardt rounded out the top 3 in 30.89.

Bonnet’s third final of the evening came in the 50m fly where the Olympian nabbed the top spot in a time of 26.14. Italian national record holder Elena Di Liddo was right behind in 26.30 while Godun once again landed on the podium in a mark of 27.03.

Finally, Bonnet concluded her program with the 100m IM, which she won decisively. Bonnet punched 58.50 as the sole racer among the pack to get under the 1:00 threshold.

Noe Ponti of Switzerland was another multi-event winner, with the Olympic medalist doubling up with the men’s 50m fly and 100m IM.

In the former, 22-year-old Ponti put up a time of 22.77 as the victor while in the latter he got to the wall in 52.49. Entering this meeting, Ponti held lifetime bests of 21.96 and 53.23, respectively, so his 100m IM checks in as a new PB for the former NC State commit.

In fact, Ponti’s 52.49 now represents a new Swiss national record, overwriting the previous standard of 52.83 fellow Olympic medalist Jeremy Desplanches put on the books at the 2017 French Championships.

Additional Day 1 Winners

• Gabriele Brambillaschi clocked a time of 48.92 to top the men’s 100m free podium.
• The men’s 50m breaststroke gold was captured by Italy’s Alessandro Pinzuti who notched 26.79.
• National record holder Margherita Panziera of the host nation was too quick to catch in the women’s 100m back as she touched in 58.99 as the gold medalist.
• Simone Stefani followed suit in the men’s edition of the 100m back, hitting 52.67 to get the edge over Switzerland’s Thierry Boliln‘s time of 52.95.