Swimming, World Championships: Quadarella flies into the final, Ceccon overtakes in the 100 m backstroke

On the Italian evening, the World Aquatics Championships continued in Fukuoka with the preliminary session, which included the 100m backstroke, the gold specialty and the world record set by Thomas Ceccon, fresh off the silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle and making it to the final in the 50m butterfly, where he will be in the water twice today from 1pm (semi-finals and finals on Rai 2, Rai Sport and Sky Sport). The Vicenza rider, using his 51’60 from a year ago as a reference, advances to the semi-finals for the 14th time at 53’84. Even America’s Hunter Armstrong, Olympic bronze medalist and World runner-up, comes in with a time to improve, 16th in 53.94, a hundredth ahead of Australia’s Isaac Cooper, first of the excluded in 53.95; out also the Greek Apostolos Christou, European silver in Rome, only 19th in 54“01. At the top is the Chinese Xu Jiayu with 52″87, the only one under 53″ in the lead. Ceccon says: “I didn’t think I would risk it like that. I felt good, I had seen the other series and I thought we could go to the semis without pressure. I’m all about a tenth, that’s the most important thing, but maybe I was joking a little too much. I saved myself The others are with me. This start to the World Cup is exhausting: I swim six races in the first two days; I finished yesterday at 1am and am pretty tired. We’re not used to these rhythms, but we have to learn to deal with them. Now two more important races await me: the 50m butterfly final and this semi-final with less than 30 minutes between the two. I will do my best”.

Simon, okay

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Easy qualification for Tuesday’s 1500m final for former world champion Simona Quadarella, who completed the thirty laps in 15’55’05 with an average of 31’8/31’9, the final heat of the second time trial. The 24-year-old Roman swims alongside American Katie Ledecky, who starts in 15’41”22, Australian Lani Pallister joins her in 15’58”11, and fourth is China’s Bingjie Li in 15’58”81. Under sixteen minutes, the tenacious German Isabel Gose also finished fifth in 15’59”67. “I want to reclaim the world podium,” says the Italian record holder (15’40’89), coached by Christian Minotti at Aniene. “Ledecky is from another planet but otherwise we’re all pretty close and it’s going to be a great final.” I didn’t struggle much today to be honest, I felt the fatigue at around 1200 meters and so I wanted to moderate my strength in the last three hundred meters to prepare for the final. This morning I had a good feeling, anything can happen now, every race is unpredictable, just like the 400m freestyle final on Sunday. I preferred not to do it and rested.” Margherita Panziera is in the 100m backstroke semifinals: for the European 200m champion a 1’00’40, thirteenth time trial with two tanks of 29’55 and 30’85. The fastest is the American Regan Smith, Olympic bronze with 58’47. “I’ve had a particularly unlucky season – claims the 27-year-old Aniene business graduate – from January I was constantly ill and missed six months of training; When I could, I only swam in the mornings and have tried to recover for the past month. In the heat I was hoping to save half a second, in the semifinals I think I’ll do a little better. In the 100 m I always have a hard time finding the right frequencies and the right shot.”

frogs

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Martina Carraro, already World Bronze in 2019, and Lisa Angiolini, sixth and light in the water, progress in the 100m breaststroke, author of 1’06″28, twenty-eight cents from the 1’06″00 signed in Rome for the European silver. “I felt good,” says the Tuscan. I wanted to be fast straight away to understand where I stand and not risk dropping out of the semifinals.” Carraro is 11th in 1’06”63. One more reason for the Azzurri to do well: It is the specialty of Benedetta Pilato’s title win a year ago, who will only swim 50 runs in Japan. Fly half a second behind Lithuanian Olympian Ruta Meylutite’s world record of 1’04’67. “Good feelings and a good race,” says Martina, married to Fabio Scozzoli. I missed the World Championships in South Korea and it’s nice to be able to experience those emotions again.” Marco De Tullio reacts to the failed 400m freestyle final by securing the 200m freestyle semi-final. The Bari native finished 13th in 1’46’69, along with Korean Sunwoo Hwang and Germany’s Rafael Mirsolav. Texan Luke Hobson takes the lead in 1’45’69 ahead of Britain’s Matthew Richards in 1’45’82 and outgoing Romanian World Champion David Popovici in 1’45’86. Stefano Di Cola is 24th in 1’47”27.

Waiting for Tete

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Nicolò Martinenghi, the outgoing world champion in the 100m breaststroke, is also eagerly awaited for today’s final at 1 p.m.