{"id":404940,"date":"2019-12-04T11:08:57","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T18:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=404940"},"modified":"2019-12-04T12:59:08","modified_gmt":"2019-12-04T19:59:08","slug":"benedetta-pilato-powers-to-one-world-junior-record-nor-three-for-glasgow-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/benedetta-pilato-powers-to-one-world-junior-record-nor-three-for-glasgow-gold\/","title":{"rendered":"Benedetta Pilato Powers To One World Junior Record – Nor Three – For Glasgow Gold"},"content":{"rendered":"

European Short-Course Championships<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Glasgow, Day 1 Finals<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

World silver medallist Benedetta Pilato<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>had set three world junior records in a day, the announcer screamed out to the crowd as the 14-year-old\u00a0Italian stopped the clock at 29.32 for gold in the 50m breaststroke on the first day of action at the European winter showcase at a Tollcross pool in Glasgow shortened for short-course speed.<\/p>\n

In fact, it was Pilato’s first World Junior Record of the day. What had not seeped through to organisers was the 29.41sec effort the teenager had swum at the Nico Sappio meet back home last month.<\/p>\n

As such, the 29.62 Pilato swam in morning heats<\/a> and the 29.48 in the semi-finals at the start of the evening session, both announced as World Junior standards, were shy of her best.<\/p>\n

That came in the final as Pilato powered to the title a touch ahead of Italy teammate\u00a0Martina Carraro<\/strong>, on\u00a029.60 (after 29.53 in heats), and Ireland’s Mona McSharry<\/strong>, on\u00a029.87.<\/p>\n

McSharry, cheered win by an Irish squad led by performance director Jon Rudd<\/strong>, reminded the observant and those keen not to have triple-record lines written in the history book of the sport if the moment never happened that Pilato may hold the World Junior mark but is not actually the fastest junior in history.<\/p>\n

\"Gian

Ruta Meilutyte – Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto\/Lapresse<\/p><\/div>\n

Rudd coached Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte<\/strong> to Olympic, World and European podiums at senior and youth levels over 50 and 100m breaststroke.<\/p>\n

As a junior in 2014 two years after claiming London 2012 Olympic 100m gold at just 15, Meilutyte clocked 28.81 in the semi-final of the world-title hunt. She then claimed the crown in 28.84 and remains the fastest junior ever.<\/p>\n

FINA, the international federation, only recently recognised World Junior standards but began its book of records as a ‘Year-Zero’ exercise that did not recognise any previous efforts.<\/p>\n

\"bernadettapilato3\"

Bernadetta Pilato off to a flying start on her way to a World Junior record victory over 50m breaststroke at the European Championships in Glasgow – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer<\/p><\/div>\n

For Pilato, gold was greater than the clock. She said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super satisfied! I don\u2019t know what to say. I\u2019m lost for my emotions, I don\u2019t know what to say. I really wanted to win this one!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Pilato<\/a> won silver at the World long-course Championships in July, sandwiching Lilly King<\/strong> and Yulia Efimova<\/strong>, after setting a new national record of 29.98secs in the heats.<\/p>\n

Today, Pilato said she had her eyes on a bigger prize, a place on the Italian Olympic team over 100m, a tougher task:<\/p>\n

“I was more nervous here than at the World Championships. I was happy and thought I wanted to prove something to the others but instead it was for me.\u00a0I didn\u2019t look up to anyone as I have only just entered this world-class [realm] \u00a0so I haven\u2019t had the time to look up to anyone.\u00a0I am training for the 100 breaststroke for Tokyo but there are a lot of other women in Italy that are training for the same thing and trying to get there.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The official result sheets of all three rounds of the race today display a “WJ” marker next to Pilato’s times. Just the last one is true after she clocked a 29.41 Italian junior mark at the Nico Sappio meet last month<\/a>, which, if ratified,<\/p>\n

That effort last month made her the first holder of the new junior short-course record, the target time for swimmers eligible to break the mark set at 29.86 by FINA as it disregarded Meilutyte and all that had gone before.<\/p>\n

\"benedettapilatowalkoutPBK\"

Bernadetta Pilato walks out to her blocks on her way to a World Junior record victory over 50m breaststroke at the European Championships in Glasgow – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer<\/p><\/div>\n

Championship Quick Links:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n