In Shanghai, an epic success for the Italian champion, who reached the final only after the play-off and then triumphed. Razzetti exploits, more disappointments for Benny and Nicolò.
Devil by a Thomas Ceccon. After the blow of the day before, after a morning in which he had risked making another bad impression, he pulled one of his most unpredictable jokers out of the hat. The Italian Olympian won the 100m freestyle final on the second day of the Shanghai stage of the short course World Cup, after having achieved qualification only thanks to a play-off win. Good too Alberto Razzetti, third in the 200 butterfly. However, Benedetta Pilato and Nicolò Martinenghi were still bad.
Ceccon in the final only thanks to the play-off
During the 100 SL heats in the morning Ceccon had recorded the eighth fastest timeidentical to that of the Chinese Liu: 47″34. A play-off was necessary, a sort of rarity in modern swimming. Ceccon, who is almost a champion of times gone by, first won the duel with the home favourite (46”97 against Liu’s 47”40) e then he sensationally beat everyone in the afternoon final. The time was fantastic, 46″32, not far from his personal best, and another home idol beaten, the Chinese Pan Zhanle, collapsed in the final (46″35). Pieter Coetze was third with a time of 46″56.
Another exploit: Razzetti bronze in the 200 butterfly
Beautiful toothe feat of Alberto Razzetti, who won bronze in the 200 butterfly final, for which he qualified by recording the second best time in the heat (1’54”30). In the sprint with Trenton Julian and Chad Le Clos, Razzetti placed behind the American (1’51″24) and the Frenchman (1’51″46), stopping the time at 1’51″88. Razzetti also achieved fifth place in the 200 medley final.
Another disappointment for Pilato and Martinenghi
Still off the podium, however, were Benedetta Pilato and Nicolò Martinenghi. The Apulian finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke final in which the Chinese Qianting Tang came close to breaking the world record. The Italian suffered a small decline at the endstopping the clock at 1’05″50, a time lower than the 1’05’25 of the heat (the second of the whole lot). Seventh, however, was Nicolò Martinenghi in the 50m breaststroke. After reaching the final with the seventh time (26″66), lThe Paris Olympian did not improve his placing (26”79), finishing almost a second and a half behind the winner, the Chinese Qin Hayang.
Source: sport.virgilio.it
