Sette Colli, Day 3: Gretchen Walsh Adds Another Sprint World Record
This year’s Sette Colli has brought record-breaking speed. Gretchen Walsh provided more on Sunday.
Walsh downed the world record in the women’s 50 freestyle, taking the mark away from training partner and countrywoman Kate Douglass nine days after Douglass went 23.59 in Indianapolis. Walsh was .04 under that in 23.55 in a quick succession.
That made for a fast start to the afternoon in the first final of the final session in Rome. All the action:
Women’s 50 freestyle
Gretchen Walsh is inevitable. More about that here, but she wasn’t the only one.
Behind Walsh’s record-setting 23.55, Sarah Sjostrom showed her comeback from maternity leave is on the right track. The Swedish start went 23.86, .25 off her world record (and still European record) from 2023. Sara Curtis lowered her Italian record by two tenths to 24.09.
Fourth was Arina Surkova, swimming as a neutral athlete, in 24.60. Slovenia’s Neza Klancar was fifth in 24.72. Silvia Di Pietro led three Italians rounding out the A final in 24.77 for sixth.
Men’s 200 backstroke
Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov got to the wall first in the 200 back, his time of 1:57.32 holding off John Shortt of Ireland. Shortt went 1:57.73, rising from fourth to second on the third 50. But Mityukov split 29.93 coming home, the fastest in the field, to hold on.
Benedek Kovacs of Hungary was third in 1:57.76. Four of the final finalists were Italians, led by a 1:58.25 from Mattia Morello in fourth.
Women’s 200 backstroke
Italian Aurora Velati won a relatively slow 200 back in a time of 2:12.57. Anna Conti was second in 2:13.30, with Hungary’s Dora Molnar third in 2:13.67. Gaia Monti was fourth in 2:13.91, one of five Italian in the A final.
Men’s 50 butterfly
Women’s 200 butterfly
Men’s 200 breaststroke
Women’s 200 breaststroke
Women’s 400 freestyle
Men’s 200 IM
Women’s 200 IM
