DOHA 2024, EURO RECAP DAY 5

It’s time to talk about Italy.

Through five days of competition at the 2024 World Championships, they’ve earned eight medals, which is three more than they’d earned at this point in Fukuoka last summer. It puts them on pace for their biggest medal haul since 2001 when they won 12 overall.

Italy’s Medalists Through Day 5:

• Simona Quadarella — Gold, 1500 freestyle
• Alessandro Miressi — Silver, 100 freestyle
• Gregorio Paltrinieri — Bronze, 800 freestyle
• Nicolo Martinenghi — Silver, 50 breaststroke/ Silver, 100 breaststroke
• Alberto Razzetti — Silver, 200 butterfly / Bronze, 200 IM
• Men’s 4×100 freestyle relay — Silver

They began to pick up steam yesterday, when they added three medals over the course of the finals session thanks to Alberto Razzetti‘s 200 fly silver (1:54.65), Nicolo Martinenghi‘s 50 breast silver (26.39), and Gregorio Paltrinieri’s 800 freestyle bronze (7:42.98). That put them ahead of their day 4 total from Fukuoka by one.

It was impressive considering that they are without Thomas Ceccon at this meet. Ceccon has made himself a consistent medal threat in the 100 back and 50 fly, both of which happen in the first half of the World Championships schedule. In 2023, he’d added those two individual medals to their medal haul through day 4.

We’ve been tracking the effect that the lack of star power in Doha is having on the medal table throughout the meet. 14 different countries have won gold through 23 different events. Countries like Ireland, Portugal, New Zealand, and Bosnia and Herzegovina have earned their first ever World Championship medals.

So yes, that reality is certainly a factor in Italy’s medal haul. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. The opportunity is there, but the swimmers have still had to step up and take advantage of it. Razzetti tore home in a competitive 200 IM field to out-touch Daiya Seto and Duncan Scott. Paltrinieri is on much better form after his 8th place (7:53.68) outing in the 800 freestyle at 2023 Worlds. The men’s breaststroke events have been as competitive as ever thanks to the return of Adam Peaty and the emergence of Sam Williamson.

Italy was on steady improvement curve in terms of total medals from 2013 to 2022 That year, they won two medals. They’ve earned more each Worlds since, jumping to five in 2015, six in 2017, eight in 2019, then nine in 2022. Those Budapest World Championships were a breakout moment for them as they earned five golds and finished 3rd in the medal table.

They regressed a bit in 2023, earning six medals and ranking 10th in the medal table. But even with a big name missing, they’ve bounced back just eight months later. Things would have to go perfectly for them to beat their 2001 haul. Tying it looks like the ceiling. But the pathway is there, and their swimmers have shown through the first five days that they’re ready to take full advantage.

QUICK HITS

• Two Dutch records went down during today’s finals session. First, Marrit Steenbergen ripped 52.53 during the women’s 100 freestyle semifinals. She reset Femke Heemskerk‘s record of 52.69, which had stood since April 2015. The swim also moved her to 10th on the all-time top performers list. Tes Schouten was next, cutting .02 seconds off her national record in the 200 breast. Schouten swam 2:21.50, bettering the standard she set at the 2023 World Cup and putting her in position to upgrade from her 2023 bronze medal.
• The British women are having themselves a World Championships. In recent years it’s been the men’s side of the roster that’s gotten most of the attention and been responsible for most of the medals at the World Championship level. But here in Doha, their women have been strong through the first half of the meet. They picked up two more medals this session with Laura Stephens‘ 200 fly gold and the 4×200 free relay’s silver medal.

OTHER CONTINENTAL AND NATIONAL RECORDS

• Apostolos Siskos broke the 200 backstroke Greek record during prelims. The 18-year-old Siskos swam 1:56.64 to claim the top seed out of prelims, breaking the record of 1:56.72 that was set in 2022 by Apostolos Christou. Siskos was a couple tenths slower in semifinals, but he’ll get another crack at the record tomorrow night as he qualified for the final in 6th.
• Kornelia Fiedkiewicz broke the Polish 100 free record that Kasia Wasick set leading off the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay on Day 1 of the meet. Fiedkiewicz swam 54.01, lowering Wasick’s record by .11 seconds. It was a .26 second drop for the 22-year-old, who made the final in 7th.

EUROPEAN MEDAL TABLE THRU DAY 5

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