Italy came away from the European
Swimming Championships in Budapest with a record haul of 27
medals including five golds from women athletes including three
on the last day.
Benedetta Pilato won the women's 50M breaststroke in a time just
slightly below the world record she set in the semi-final, while
Margherita Panziera won the 200m backstroke and Simona
Quadarella added gold in the 400m freestyle to her wins in the
800m and 1500m, making her the queen of the games.
Quadarella, 22, from Rome, said "I wasn't expecting it. I was
more afraid than in Glasgow (where she also won the 400m), I
felt less sure. This was not a well-prepared Euros, the goal is
the Olympics (this summer in Tokyo)."
Pilato, 16, from Taranto in Puglia, whose new 50m breaststroke
record stands at 29.30 seconds said, "I was expecting the gold,
a bit, but I didn't expect to go so fast again," after coming in
just five 100ths of a second off her record.
Panziera, 25, from the northern town of Montebelluna, said after
recording her third best time in the 200m backstroke to win the
gold, "I'm really happy because I really didn't think I could go
so low. That means I'm working well and I'm really looking
forward to the Olympics".
Italy also did well in the open water championships with 1500m
freestyle world record holder Gregorio Paltrinieri, who won gold
in the 5 and 10 km and the team race, and then added silver in
the pool in the 800m and 1500m.
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