You are working on Staging2

Federica Pellegrini Announces Birth of First Child Alongside Longtime Coach Metteo Giunta

Olympic medalist and former World Record holder Federica Pellegrini has given birth to her first child, alongside husband and longtime coach Matteo Giunta.

Pellegrini announced the birth of her daughter, named Matilde via Instagram. According to the post, Matilde was born at 6:51 AM on January 3.Ā 

English Translation:

ā€œTricky 2 days….

Finally you arrived !!!!

ā±ļø6:51

03/01/2024

Matilde šŸ’–

Thanks to the angels that cared for us during this trip, Titty, Marcello, Giada, Alessandra, Massimo and the entire team of the Sacred Heart hospitalā€Ā 

Pellegrini, 35, is widely regarded as Italyā€™s greatest female swimmer of all-time, winning 26 international gold medals over her 16-year swimming career, including an Olympic gold medal in the 200 freestyle in 2008. That made her the first Italian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming.Ā 

Pellegrini primarily competed in the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle. She was the first swimmer to break the 4-minute barrier in the 400m freestyle at the 2009 World Championships. At the same meet, she set the 200m freestyle World Record with a time of 1:52.98. Her record stood for over a decade before it was finally broken by Australian Mollie O’Callaghan last summer (1:52.85). Pellegrini was also dominant on the World Championship stage in the 200 freestyle, making every World Championship podium in the event from 2009 until 2019, including gold medals in 2009, 2011, 2017, and 2019.

Pellegrini retired on November 30, 2021, only a month after getting engaged to Giunta. The pair married on August 27, 2022. Giunta was Pellegriniā€™s personal coach from 2014 until her retirement in 2021. He was also the head coach of the Rome-based Aqua Centurions of the International Swimming League, the team that Pellegrini represented during her time in the League.

In This Story

21
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

21 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Luigi
10 months ago

Not just female.

frug
10 months ago

Congrats! Looking forward to many epic battles between Matilde and the Iron Baby.

Sub13
Reply to  frug
10 months ago

And baby Seebohm!

Kevin
10 months ago

Her pregnancy announcement was epic too. Well it might not have been the announcement and just a response to Mollie breaking get record. I wish her Olympics had been better to add that extra luster to her career and achievements. But as others have said amazing 200 freestyler.

notabackstroker
10 months ago

Wonderful news! And because I canā€™t help myself – the best 200m freestyler ever – male or female. Medalling in Athens, Beijing and then 8 straight worlds and hitting a 1:54.2 at 31. Unbelievable career and so criminally underrated because of Rome 09 and a few missed Olympic years. But sheā€™s the absolute blueprint of 200m free in my opinion.

Nick B
Reply to  notabackstroker
10 months ago

The Lioness of Verona. The All-Time queen of the 200.

Sous Vide Swimmer
Reply to  notabackstroker
10 months ago

She’s the female 200 freestyler GOAT in my opinion

FST
10 months ago

Ah… Hot Luca.
That was soooo messy. I loved it! šŸ˜‚

mclovin
10 months ago

If I am not mistaken Federica made the podium in the 200m freestyle from 2005 to 2019 without missing any. I dont know if anyone has achieved something like this ever

Sous Vide Swimmer
Reply to  mclovin
10 months ago

Yes, she medaled in 200 free in every World Championships from 2005-2019, but she failed to medal in 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympics.

I am 100% certain no other swimmer has ever medaled in a single event in 7 world championship.

Sous Vide Swimmer
Reply to  Sous Vide Swimmer
10 months ago

Correction: EIGHT world Championship!

The closest is Katie Ledecky with 6 World Championship (in 800m free)

Last edited 10 months ago by Sous Vide Swimmer
MarkB
Reply to  Sous Vide Swimmer
10 months ago

Katieā€™s are all Gold, though.

torchbearer
10 months ago

I presume she will be swimming in Paris- that seems to be the thing these days šŸ™‚

Nick the biased Aussie
10 months ago

She gave it an Aussie name!

e-Swimmer77
Reply to  Nick the biased Aussie
10 months ago

It’s a german one. Please check your facts.

Sub13
Reply to  e-Swimmer77
10 months ago

Pretty sure it was a joke. Our womenā€™s soccer team is called ā€œThe Matildasā€ and a very famous song/poem called ā€œWaltzing Matildaā€ is a big part of Australian culture.

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  Nick the biased Aussie
10 months ago

ā€˜Itā€™?!!

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, ā€¦

Read More »