Benedetta Pilato Adds 100 Breaststroke Gold to European Bronze in CR at Mediterranean Games
Benedetta Pilato twice lowered the 100m breaststroke championship record to clinch the Mediterranean Games title a week after European bronze.
Pilato went 1:06.64 in prelims before returning to the Taranto pool to go 1:05.82 for gold, 0.07 faster than her bronze-winning time at Paris 2026 last week.
Lisa Angiolini: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
She led home defending champion Lisa Angiolini who made it an Italian 1-2 in 1:06.55 with Tina Celik of Slovenia third in 1:07.58.
“Winning and swimming at home is an incredible emotion,” said Pilato through the Italian federation. “I have always been used to doing kilometres and kilometres to train and compete and instead now I am here, with family and many friends in the stands: it is really beautiful. A unique joy different from all the others”.
Gabriel Mancini also penned a new CR in the men’s 100 breaststroke, going 59.94 for the title. It was his fourth time inside the minute mark and the third best of his career following the 59.84 and 59.86 he posted at the Sette Colli international in June. Christian Mantegazza made it an Italian 1-2 in 1:00.40 with Joaquin Pardo Ortiz third in 1:00.58.
Abdelrahman Elaraby of Egypt also set a championship record of 23.18 in the men’s 50 fly.
Rebelo & Siskos Upgrade European Silvers
Camila Rebelo dominated the women’s 200 back to add gold to her European silver. The Portuguese stopped the clock in 2:08.88 ahead of Italian Federica Toma (2:11.62) and Sudem Denizli of Türkiye (2:13.13).
Apostolos Siskos also followed up his Paris silver with gold in the southern Italian city. The Greek swimmer posted 1:55.95, a week after e went 1:53.81 for a new national record in the French capital. Matteo Venini of Italy was second in 1:57.28 with Tunisian Mohamed Yassin Ben Abbes coming from sixth at the final turn to move through for third in 1:59.43.
Apostolos Siskos: Photo Courtesy: KMSP/Philippe Millereau
Noemi Cesarano headed the fastest heat of the women’s 1500 free in 16:08.39, a time that would have been good enough for fifth at the European Championships. It was an eight-second PB for Cesarano who jumps from 10th to fifth Italian all-time. Artemis Vasilaki – seventh in Paris – was second in 16:22.15 with Azzurra Sbaragli going 16:30.57 for an Italian 1-3.
A strong second half guided Dimitrios Markos to a successful defence of his 400 free title as he lowered his Greek record in 3:47.07. The 24-year-old cut 0.37 from his previous best set en-route to silver at the 2024 European Championships. Alessandro Ragaini, the 2024 European junior champion, posted 3:49.02 for silver with Ahmed Jaouadi coming from fifth at the final turn to take bronze in 3:49.13.
Francesca Martins was never threatened at the head of the women’s 400 free final to take the title in 4:09.00. It followed the Portuguese swimmer’s fourth place at the European Championships in Paris where she was 3.20secs off the podium. Bianca Nannucci (4:11.61) and Antonietta Cesarano (4:13.17) made it an Italian 2-3.
Anna Ntountounaki captured the women’s 50 fly title in 26.11.
