Federica Pellegrini (ITA) got her 2010 race season off to a solid start with a meet record of 8:31.07 in the 800m free at the Berlin Arena ISM Meet. The Olympic 200m champion swam a very even morning race, of 2:07.98, 4:15.76, 6:23.76 and 8:31.07.
In the afternoon session, Pellegrini, unopposed, clocked the best time in the world this year over 400m free, of 4:05.57, a meet record. Her splits: 59.52; 2:01.27; 3:03.73; 4:05.57.
Britain's Michael Jamieson, of Bath Intensive Training Centre, put in a splendid 2:12.62 effort in the 200m breaststroke ahead of teammate Andrew Willis, 19, on 2:15.11, the precise time of David Wilkie (GBR) when he claimed the 1976 Olympic crown.
Ingvild Snildal (NOR) claimed the 50m 'fly in a solid 27.25, with Dorothea Brandt (GER) second in 28.19, while the men's sprint 'fly saw Nikolay Skvortsov (RUS), on 24.37, keep at bay Konrad Czerniak (POL) by 0.1sec, with Martin Spitzer (AUT) just 0.05 away and backstroke sprinter Matt Clay, of the Bath ITC in England, fourth on 24.91.
Francesca Segat (ITA) claimed the 200m medley in 2:17.93; Marcin Tarczynski (POL) the 200m medley in 2:05.99, 0.01sec up on Chris Walker-Hebborn, on 2:06.00; the 200m backstroke went to Radoslaw Kawecki, on 2:01.16; and Chiara Boggiatto clocked 2:32.77 in the 200m breaststroke.
Federico Colbertaldo (ITA) clocked 15:37.75 to win the 1,500m free ahead of Polish 18-year-old Krzysztof Pielowski, on 15:48.57 in the morning session. Colbertaldo was back later in the day to win the 400m free in 3:53.89 ahead of Italian teammates Massimiliano Rosolino, Olympic silver medallist of 2000, on 3:55.26, and Emiliano Brembilla, also a thirtysomething, on 3:55.27.
Not quite as solid a start to 2010 for Pellegrini's boyfriend, Luca Marin, a winner in the 400m medley but on 4:27.88 ahead of 19-year-old Giorgio Battistella (ITA), on 4:28.30.
