Published on Cuba Si (http://www.cubasi.cu)
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:
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.
| NATION | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL |
| Italy | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Great Britain | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Germany | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Portugal | 1 | 1 | ||
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | ||
| Spain | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lithuania | 1 | 1 | ||
| Denmark | 1 | 1 | ||
| Sweden | 1 | 1 | ||
| Greece | 1 | 1 | ||
| Austria | 1 | 1 | ||
| Hungary | 1 | 1 | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 1 |
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