Four Olympic Gold Medalists Win on Final Day of Sette Colli

By David Rieder

ROME, Italy, June 15. FOUR different Olympic champions from 2012 won event victories during the final day of action at the 50th annual Sette Colli meet, highlighted by a swift 200 free from France's Camille Muffat.

Muffat won the event in 1:56.01, a time which no one else has bettered this year. Muffat, the Olympic silver medalist in the 200 free and gold medalist in the 400 free, holds the top time in the world this year at 1;55.48, while Australia's Bronte Barratt stands second with a 1:56.05. Sweden's Michelle Coleman picked up second in 1:57.22, less than a tenth of a second outside of the world top ten. Italy's Alice Mizzau took third in 1:57.91.

Hungary's Daniel Gyurta moved up to fourth in the world with a win in the men's 200 breast. The Olympic champion in the event and former world record-holder, Gyurta put up a 2:10.25 to pull away from Italy's Luca Pizzini. Pizzini touched out countryman Flavio Bizzarri for second, 2:11.69 to 2:11.72.

The Netherlands' Ranomi Kromowidjojo took the women's 50 fly in 25.95. The Olympic champ in the 50 free moved up to fifth in the world. Countrywoman Inge Dekker took second in 26.43, and Italy's Silvia Di Pietro grabbed third in 26.99. The men's 50 free gold medalist, Florent Manaudou, also took a victory, this one in the men's 100 free. The Frenchman posted a 48.55, while Italy's Filippo Magnini grabbed second. The former World Champion touched out Russia's Sergey Fesikov for second, 48.71 to 48.76.

In addition to the four London gold medalists, one champion from Beijing took a win in Rome. Italy's Federica Pellegrini made a rare appearance in the women's 200 back, winning in 2:08.60. She has been even faster this year, having swum a 2:08.05 earlier this year in Riccione. Her fellow Italians swept the race; Ambra Esposito took second in 2:12.05, and Margherita Panziera finished thid in 2:14.30.

Brazil's Thiago Pereira and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh blazed the men's 200 IM. Pereira took the win in 1:58.12, less than a second short of his third-ranked 1:57.48, while Cseh squeezed into the world top-ten with his 1:58.32. That reversed their finishes from the Olympic final in 2012, when Cseh won the bronze medal and Pereira took fourth.

Hungary's Zsuzsannah Jakobos dominated the women's 200 IM, taking the win in 2:11.40. Jakobos has the fifth-best time in the world this year at 2:10.27. Two more Hungarians rounded out the podium, as Evelyn Verraszto took second in 2:13.03, and Reka Gyorgy grabbed third in 2:14.80. Verraszto ranks tenth in the world at 2:11.71.

Brazil's Nicholas Santos and Ukraine's Andrey Govorov each swam under Geoff Huegill's meet record in the men's 50 fly. Santos took the win in 23.27, touching out Govorov, who clocked 23.33. Huegill had previously swum 23.50 back in 2008. Italy's Piero Codia ended up third in 23.58 and a new national record. Paolo Facchinelli had swum a 23.60 in 2009.

Denmark's Lotte Friis earned a victory in the women's 800 free. The 2009 World Champion in the same Rome pool, Friis swam a time of 8:27.39. Italy's Martina De Memme finished second in 8:30.18, and another Italian, Martina Caramignoli, finished third in 8:34.99. Hungary's Gergo Kis took the men's 1500 free in 15:05.90, while Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri finished as runner-up in 15:13.29. Italy's Luca Baggio touched third in 15:17.97.

Sweden's Joline Hostman moved up to seventh in the world in the women's 200 breast with a 2:24.90 clocking. Italy went 2-3, as Elisa Celli finished second in 2:26.46, while Giulia De Ascentis ended up third in 2:27.07. Hungary's Peter Bernek beat out a pair of Italians in the men's 200 back, winning in 1:57.96. Christopher Ciccarese touched in 1:58.89 for second, and Luca Mencarini grabbed third in 1:59.58.

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