ROME (ITALPRESS) – It will be Simona Quadarella in the batteries of the 400 freestyle to open the 17th edition of the Short Course World Championships scheduled in Budapest from tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 10, to Sunday, Dec. 15. The Italian middle-distance queen will lead the Italian troop composed of 28 elements: 16 men and 12 women, under the banner of youth, which guarantees the cyclical ambitions of a continuously growing movement. There will be no less than 7 athletes born between 2004 and 2007 and 13 those born between 2000 and 2003. Quality and density, despite the announced absences of established champions such as Gregorio Paltrinieri and Thomas Ceccon and the withdrawal of Nicolò Martinenghi and for family reasons of Paolo Conte Bonin. A total of almost a thousand athletes representing 195 countries. Precisely Simona is credited with the best time of the year in the 1500 freestyle (15’33″40), she will try to reach her first rainbow laurel in the short course, the last medal she pursues along with the Olympic one in the boundless international palmares that sees as many as 28 metals around her neck. Lorenzo Zazzeri, a Tokyo 2021 Olympic relay runner-up, 23 international medals and two world golds in short course, will captain the national swimming team, which arrived in a huddle at Margaret Island in the Hungarian capital where it will stay until the end of the event. Just across the street from the Duna Arena where the competitions will be held and already the site of two World Championships (2017, 2022) and one European Championships (2021), and looking forward to the next edition of the long-tub rainbow event in 2027. Technical director Cesare Butini after the technical meeting announced the scratches: Alberto Razzetti will not participate in the 100 medley, while Sarà Curtis will not take part in the 100 backstroke. “The short-tub World Championships will see the Italian team deprived, in agreement with the technical direction, of the athletes who individually medaled at the recent Paris 24 Olympic Games,” repeats the 68-year-old Roman coach. “The team, completed following the results of the recent Riccione Assoluti, is nevertheless competitive thanks to the presence of Quadarella, Pilato, Razzetti, Miressi, Mora, Frigo, Di Tullio who are joined by already very promising youngsters such as Curtis, D’Ambrosio, Della Corte, Ragaini, Bacico. This edition will be particular in that it will be post-Olympic; moreover, if from one point of view it sees the absence of many champions, including Leon Marchand, it will be a championship that will see the return to international competition of the Russian representative. As far as we are concerned, the World Short Course represents the first event of the new quadrennium; to this end, we have included in the team young swimmers and swimmers functional to the constitution of a competitive team in view of the Los Angeles 28 Olympics. Our goal is always to honor, with our commitment, the jersey we wear, and I am sure that our swimmers and athletes will give their maximum contribution.” Scheduled for live coverage on Raisport HD of the heats at 9 a.m. and the finals from 5:30 p.m.- Photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
