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Pellegrini Clocks 4:04.30 For 400m Crown
Apr 16, 2010 - Craig Lord
On day 3 of Italian nationals and trials in Riccione, Federica Pellegrini, world champion in the first shiny suit sub-4min swim last year, clocked 4:04.30 to win the national spring title and push a little further ahead at the helm of the early 2010 world rankings. The session saw four champions dethroned. Race reports below.
Men's 400m free
Cesare Sciocchetti, a 20-year-old racing for Centro Sp.vo Carabinieri, came of age when he went out hard and held off a late challenge from 800m winner and training partner Samuel Pizzetti to claim the 400m freestyle crown in 3:48.93.
Sciocchetti won through courage: he was out in 55.03, more than a second up the pack and turned at the half-way mark in 1:52.66, with Andrea Busato, Fiamme Gialle, chasing hard and Pizzetti almost 2sec adrift. With 100m to go, the order was the same, with Pizzetti 1.7sec off the leader's pace. By the last turn, the deficit was 0.9sec and the distance man seemed to have a second gold in his sights.
A year after finishing in the worst place possible, fourth, Sciocchetti had other ideas, dug deep and found the reserve to hang on for the crown. Pizzetti took silver in 3:49.30, with Busato taking bronze in 3:50.17. In fourth was last year's runner-up, Federico Colbertaldo, Fiamme Azzurre, on 3:50.88, with defending champion and Olympic silver medallist from 2000, Massimiliano Rosolino, Nuotatori Milanesi, relinquishing his crown on 3:53.13.
Times in transition (top 3, Italian spring nationals, 2009 and 2010)
Rosolino's 3:43.40 from Sydney 2000 remains the Italian record
Women's 50m backstroke
Elena Gemo, Circolo Canottieri Aniene, dominated the final on her way to retaining the crown in 28.76, just outside the then 28.63 national record she set at this meet a year ago. The silver went to Elisa Apostoli, Rane Rosse Aqvasport, on 29.25, with bronze for Sara Fazzini, Plain Team Veneto, on 29.28.
Times in transition (top 3, Italian spring nationals, 2009 and 2010)
Gemo holds the national record at 28.27, from Rome 2009.
Men's 50m backstroke
There was upset in the sprint backstroke final, with 18-year-old Stefano Pizzamiglio, Malaspina Sport Club, setting an Italian junior record of 25.47 to topple defending champion Mirco Di Tora, Fiamme Oro Roma, by 0.01sec. The bronze went to Matteo Giordano, Forestale, in 25.81. Last year's silver medal sinner on 25.31, Enroco Catalano, Ispra Swim Planet, brought the 2009 final to a close on 26.24.
Times in transition (top 3, Italian spring nationals, 2009 and 2010)
Di Tora holds the national record at 24.77 from Rome 2009.
Women's 100m butterfly
In the third of four finals to see the champion dethroned, two 16-year-olds stepped up to break the mould. Silvia Di Pietro, Forum Sport Center, set the pace with a 27.52 half-way split and never looked back, taking the crown in 59.36. The other junior pretender, Elena Di Liddo, Apulia Nuoto, was 0.77sec back at 50m but closed the gap to 0.27sec by the end, taking silver in 59.63, while last year's runner-up Francesca Segat, Fiamme Gialle, took bronze in 59.99. The other side of Caterina Giachetti, Circolo Canottieri Aniene and on 1:00.43, was defending champion Ilaria Bianchi, 19 and for Imolanuoto, on 1:00.56.
Times in transition (top 3, Italian spring nationals, 2009 and 2010)
Bianchi holds the national record at 58.12 from the Beijing Olympic Games, 2008
Men's 100m breaststroke
None of the 2009 podium made it back this year, the crown going to 20-year-old Luca Pizzini, Centro Sp.vo Carabinieri, on 1:01.67, off a 28.99 half-way split that saw him turn in 6th place. First through was the 20-year-old Mattia Pesce, Forum Sport Center, on 28.55 towards a silver medal in 1:01.75, while the bronze went to 18-year-old Andrea Toniato, Plain Team Veneto, on 1:01.80.
The defending champion Fabio Scozzoli, Centro Sportivo Esercito, took 4th in 1:01.88, with Marco Sommaripa, Centro Sportivo Esercito, third in 2009, in 5th on 1:02.13. The final was brought to a close by the 2009 runner-up Loris Facci, Ispra Swim Planet, on 1:02.55.
Times in transition (top 3, Italian spring nationals, 2009 and 2010)
Scozzoli holds the national record at 59.85 from world student games last July.
Women's 400m freestyle
As a world champion (and the first woman in a shiny suit to get below 4mins) last year, Federica Pellegrini, Circolo Canottieri Aniene, was never going to feel the weight of competition beside her in domestic waters but a fine 4:04.30 that pushes the 21-year-old a touch further ahead at the helm of the world rankings was fit to bring a smile to the new champion's face.
The silver went to 18-year-old Martina De Meme, Nuoto Livorno, in 4:13.62, the bronze to Stefania Pirozzi, 16 and racing for Circolo Canottieri Napoli, on 4:15.06.
Times in transition (top 3, Italian spring nationals, 2009 and 2010)
Pellegrini did not race at Spring nationals last year, the crown going to Alessia Filippi, out of action this year with a shoulder inflammation after finishing second in the 1,500m on day 1.
Men's 50m freestyle
Marco Orsi, Fiamme Oro Roma, was one of two swimmers to retain his crown this session, with a solid 22.18 victory ahead of the chasing pack. Last year's runner-up, Luca Dotto, Forestale, clocked 22.44 to take silver once more, with Lucio Spadaro, 18 and racing for Sporting Club Flegreo, taking bronze on 22.46. That left Luca Leonardi, Malaspina Sport Club, pondering the meaning of 0.03sec, on 22.49. The 2009 bronze medal winner, Federico Bocchia, Centro Sportivo Esercito, clocked 22.83 for 6th place this time round.
Times in transition (top 3, Italian spring nationals, 2009 and 2010)
Orsi holds the Italian record at 21.82, his 2009 winning time
