Here are the surprises and disappointments of the second session of the Spring finals, valid as the third opportunity to qualify for the Olympics
The surprise is at the end of the second session of the Spring finals, valid as the third opportunity to qualify for the Olympics. Filippo Megli in the 4×200 won by the Army in 7’11″11 (Caserta, 2002, 1’47″39, Detti 1’48″52, Ciampi 1’47″15, Marchello 1’48″05) over the Carabinieri by 29 cents shows off an Olympic-worthy 1’45″91: the time limit for the 200 freestyle is 1’45″8. Having guaranteed his place in the Olympic relay (limit time 1’46″26), the time of the 27-year-old Florentine is worth the pass in the individual race: the Tuscan swam 24 hundredths of a second from his Italian record achieved on the occasion of sixth place at the 2019 Gwangju World Championships. “They were difficult years in which I could no longer swim under 1’45 and I had entered a spiral of negativity – states Megli -. This time repays me for many sacrifices and the work done with Paolo (Palchetti ed.), with the belief of being able to return to important levels. I dedicate this qualification to my parents who have always been by my side. I may be worth a few cents less, because in tonight’s relay I had no references to the sides.” The number of swimmers who have an Olympic pass from November through the World Championships and yesterday’s competitions therefore rises to 13. Federico Poggio also came close to passing in the 100m breaststroke, Francesca Fangio in the 200m breaststroke, Michele Lamberti in the 100m backstroke, Costanza Cocconcelli in the 100m butterfly and even Filippo Megli, who opened the 4x200m in 1’45″91, missed by just a tenth the qualifying time for the Olympics. Authors of excellent performances, among these also Sofia Morini in the 200 freestyle won over Simona Quadarella, also Lorenzo Gargani and Silvia Scalia who won the two non-Olympic events, namely the 50 butterfly and backstroke (in which Sara Curtis improves the Italian cadet record for the second time.) The summary.
BUTTERFLIES
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Costanza Cocconcelli, born in 2002, emigrated to Florence, rediscovers herself as the best centrist in the dolphin (“I finally did a race at my best”) in a season that had started very badly due to the technical changes that had taken her away from Bologna and the Bianchi, beaten by 28 hundredths of a second from the multi-purpose team with a wise performance of 57″77 (moving to 27″38). Third is Sonia Laquintana in 59″39 (in the 50 in the lead at 27″18, in November she had secured the World Championships in 58″85), fourth is Paola Borrelli, born in 2005, author of 59″61 and ten hundredths after the record holder Italian (57″04) Elena Di Liddo, who in recent years has shared the specialty scene with Bianchi. Great progress for Cocconcelli (in the morning 58″65) and the third Italian under 58″ after the record holder and the former short course world champion who is 34. The new student of Paolo Palchetti came close to the time limit of 57″4: in short, she is very close and very useful also for the mixed relay.
FAMILY TRADITION
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Another step forward and, as for Cocconcelli, a barely missed pass, exactly 3 tenths. But for Michele Lamberti, who wins the 100 backstroke in 53″56, the Olympics is approaching step by step: “It takes patience, I have a lot to learn from Ceccon” says the Brescia native who won the 50 backstroke in 24″47. A return still to be sorted out, but Burlina’s student in Verona continues to gain experience and after the medal in the mixed relay and the podiums in the short course between the European Championships and the World Championships, he improves his personal best by 53″73. The 24-year-old son of Giorgio and Tanya Vannini, is on the right track. Like the nineteen-year-old Christian Bacico, second in 53″97 and for the first time under 54″ (he was 54″08). Third is Brunella at 54″04. The final of the 200m breaststroke, set by Francesca Fangio, Olympic athlete in Tokyo, in 2’23″90, turns out to be exciting: a regret for Chicca from Livorno even if “I regained my lost confidence, a race that came 95%, we hope to go faster at the Settecolli which I like.” Stefano Franceschi’s student was aiming for the pass set at 2’23″01, while the jokes put in the water: the happy Lisa Angiolini, qualified in the 100 breaststroke, and a combative Martina Carraro even at 30 years old who no longer wanted to swim the prolonged breaststroke which, however, she must hold on to if she still wants to hope to land in Paris. Lisa finishes 81 hundredths behind Fangio, Martina at 1″70, with Giulia Verona fourth and still margins. All four will see each other again in Rome for the capital challenge…
FIGHTING FROGS
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Exactly like in the men’s 100 breaststroke: the four musketeers who grew up behind the star Martinenghi didn’t want to think about it anymore and closed the second pass. The time is 59″1, not very easy to clock in March, the winner and European and Olympic medalist in Tokyo Federico Poggio tried, touching from lane number 2 in 59″46 (27″57), to beat Ludovico Viberti of 29 hundredths (59″75 and a passage to 27″89, in November 59″38), the third Simone Cerasuolo tries, author of 59″80 and a first lap of 27″54, fourth is the former sparring of Martinenghi, Alessandro Pinzuti 1’00″20 (27″84) fifth is Viberti’s training partner in Turin, Gabriele, Mancini 1’00″56 (28″28). The games remain open for the three but Poggio’s sigh says it all: “How difficult this sport is”. That is, to demonstrate that you are worth the Olympics.
MORINI AND SUPER SIMO
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The final of the 200m freestyle was also exciting, dominated by Sofia Morini, born in 2003, who in the end beat Simona Quadarella (in lane 1) by just 18 cents, with whom there is a certain affinity and an after-race period full of mutual compliments. Morini, who has been training in Livorno with Franceschi since this season, becomes the eighth Italian performer in 1’58″64 (the time limit is 1’57”) with a personal progress of 16 hundredths since November, and becomes the leader of a 4×200 under (re)construction in which mother Pellegrini would have made a great impression again. Third is Sara Gailli in 1’59″48, fourth is Giulia D’Innocenzo in 1’59″51. Morini has undoubted margins.
SMALL RECORD
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Silvia beats Sara but they both had fun in the 50m backstroke (non-Olympic) which opens the second afternoon session of the Riccione Spring Championships, valid for qualifying for the Olympics: Silvia Scala as an Italian record holder (27″39) winning by 4 hundredths per touch after the head-to-head on Sara Curtis, who improves the Italian cadet record compared to the battery reduced from 28″21 to 28″10. Lorenzo Gargani takes the 50 dolphin in 23″41: on touch he beats Todesco 23″78 and Piero Codia ( 23″829, while fifth with personal best is Alberto Razzetti (23″88) who after the 50 freestyle is having fun doing alternative races after his world championship feats. Gargani is fourth in Italy in 23″38.
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