Sara Curtis is the great protagonist of the Italian day at the European Swimming Championships in Paris. The Piedmontese signed the world record in the 50m backstroke, swimming the semi-final in 26″63 and improving the previous record by 23 hundredths. A time that allowed her to enter the final with the best time.
For Curtis the day was then enriched with another medal. Together with Emma Virginia Menicucci, Chiara Tarantino and Alessandra Mao she won silver in the 4×100 freestyle relay, finishing with a new Italian record of 3’33″19. Gold went to Holland and bronze went to Russia.
Bronze for Ceccon in the 200 backstroke
Italy also gets on the podium with Thomas Ceccon, third in the 200 backstroke. Starting from lane 8, the Italian finished in 1’53″96. Hungarian Hubert Kos won gold in 1’53″08, while the Greek Apostolos Siskos won silver in 1’53″81, completing the comeback in the last pool.
Ceccon was second in the 150 meters before giving up one place late. «The podium could have been achieved because I knew it was possible. Obviously my previous time didn’t belong to me, this is a time that is starting to mean something”, he commented to Rai’s microphones.
The Italian explained that he had planned a time around the low 1’54” and that he had set up an aggressive race from the start. «I worked so hard in the last pool and a lot of effort to do this damned 200 – he added – and I’m so happy after so many training sessions that I didn’t want to do».
Pilato third in the 100 breaststroke
Bronze medal also for Benedetta Pilato in the women’s 100m breaststroke. The Italian reached the plate in 1’05″89, finishing behind Evans, gold medalist, and Mc Sharry, silver medalist.
In the same final Lisa Angiolini finished in eighth place. Thus comes a day full of medals and records for Italy in the continental exhibition in Paris.