One of the most beautiful days of Italian sport. It is gold at the World Cup in Budapest for Thomas Cecconwhich dominates the 100 backstroke breaking the world record in 51”60, e Benedetta Pilato, who at 17 wins the 100 breaststroke. The twenty-one year old from Schio took the lead from the American Ryan Murphy, who swam in 51 “85 at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and in Budapest finished behind Ceccon, silver with a time of 51” 97. Bronze to another American, Hunter Armstrongcon 51″98.
The second gold medal of the day is instead that of Benedetta Pilato who with a comeback in the last 25 meters, surpasses the competition triumphing with a time of 1’05 “93: the German beaten Anna Elendt (1’05”98) and the Lithuanian Ruta Meilutytė (1’06”02).
He puts it back in the second tank
Ceccon started in the fifth lane, among the Greek Christouthe fastest in the semifinals, and the Pole Masiuk which flanked the US record holder Murphy. The three rivals had faster reaction times, but the Venetian already had everything clear in mind from the semifinal, in which he understood he could win with a fair distribution of energies (which had also contributed to the bronze in the 4×100 sl relay).
Halfway through the race Murphy passes in 25 ” 02, with 12 cents over Ceccon and Christou at 29: it is already a duel restricted to the American and the blue, who can guess the silhouette of the opponent in lane 7, and around 45 ” is already first with the aim of maintaining position and rhythm of strokes. Not just for gold. At the fiftieth second, Ceccon is clearly in command, with his head on the world record line. A little more than a second and a half and it’s over: for the Italy of sport it is a historic moment.
Ceccon: “My goal is even higher”
Thomas Ceccon is measured after the race, he contains the emotion: “I still have to realize what happened. The 51”60 is a” very strong “time. I knew that it would be enough to repeat yesterday’s semifinal, keeping in the last 15 meters : the truth is that even yesterday I could have set the record. The world record is something that in Italy four of us did (besides him, Pellegrini, Lamberti and Calligaris ed). It’s a achievement (studied in the United States together with Burdisso ndr) … a result that is “a lot of stuff” in an athlete’s career. I had no rivals in the final, but my goal is even higher. ”Evident allusion to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Quadarella, fifth place and tears
Simona Quadarella collapses in 1500 freestyle, the specialty in which she was reigning world champion. Fifth at the end in the World Cup competition in Budapest won by the American Katie Ledecky (15’30”15) in front of the other American Katie Grimes (15’44”89) and Australian style Lani Pallister (15’48”96). A disappointing performance, abandoned in the ambitions already in the middle of the race with increasingly higher passes, and a final time higher than even those obtained in the heats. In the end, the Roman, bronze medalist in the 800 sl in Tokyo, is embittered when she analyzes her race on Rai’s microphones: “I don’t know what happened, it wasn’t me. I was unrecognizable. It seems to me that I was living a nightmare, I was fine not like the last year in Tokyo when I was not in good condition “. Then she tears: “I’m sorry for my mother, who came here to Budapest after so many difficulties.”
Martinenghi, another final in the 50 breaststroke: there is also Cerasuolo
After the gold on the 100 frog, Nicolò Martinenghi confirms the excellent moment of form by accessing the final of the 50 breaststroke in which he is world runner-up in short and European bronze in office: for him the best time (26 “56). In the final, with the fifth overall time, also Simone Cerasuolo ( 27 “01).
Martinenghi dream: world gold in the 100 breaststroke
by Mattia Chiusano
June 19, 2022
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Paltrinieri, good debut in the 800s
Gregorio Paltrinieri started his World Cup in Budapest on the right foot: now the pool, then the challenge in the open waters of Lupa Lake. The vice Olympic champion of the 800 sl qualifies for the final of the specialty with the fourth time trial (7’46 “24), obtained by winning the fifth battery, 2” slower than the previous one, bending the Tokyo Bobby gold medal to the photo finish Finke (7’46 “36).” I am pleased with the role of captain of this national team that is grinding great results – explains the swimmer from Emilia – The final will be fierce we are many for three positions on the podium “. Third access time for Gabriele Detti (7’46 “08), best time trial for the Ukrainian Mychajlo Romancuk (7’44” 75).
In the absence of the reigning Italian and Olympic bronze record holder Federico Burdisso, who last April did not find the qualification in the trials, Alberto Razzetti files his personal by eight cents (1’55 “71) and reaches the semifinals of the 200 butterfly with the fifth time trial; Giacomo Carini (1’56 “38) also qualified 11th in a series of heats dominated by the Hungarian Kristof Milak (1’54” 10).
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