ABU DHABI. The blue frog flies on the second day of the short course world championships in Abu Dhabi. Nicolò Martinenghi in the 100 and Benedetta Pilato in the 50 are silver. Both from the lane …
ABU DHABI. The blue frog flies on the second day of the short course world championships in Abu Dhabi. Nicolò Martinenghi in the 100 and Benedetta Pilato in the 50 are silver. Both from lane two, both highly anticipated on the eve. Martinenghi’s is a season to be remembered. This time, however, he is unable to beat the Belarusian vice-champion and world record holder Ilya Shymanovich as he did at the Europeans in Kazan, who wins by one tenth with the championship record of 55 “70, but the 21-year-old from Varese still wins silver in the 100 breaststroke. in 55 ”80 putting his hand in front of the American Nic Fink.
He expected a signal from Benedetta Pilato and he arrived: 29 ”50 and world silver of the 50 breaststroke. The European record holder competes in a good race: she pays 16 cents to the Israeli Anastasia Gorbenko, European champion of the 200 medley, and precedes by five Sophie Hansson, European champion in long of the 100. “In the call room I saw that I was in lane two as Nicolò – says the Taranto woman, who will turn 17 on January 18 – I said to myself: let’s see how it will end ». In the other finals Lorenzo Mora obtains the personal best in the 100 backstroke, Ilaria Cusinato is sixth in the 200 butterfly ex aequo with Zsuzsanna Jakabos. Matteo Ciampi is eighth in the 200 freestyle. Matteo Rivolta qualifies for the final of the 100 butterfly, while Michele Lamberti stops in twelfth place. In the 4×50 mixed freestyle that closes the day, Italy reaches fifth place.