Rome, 12 Aug. (LaPresse) – The Italian women’s team put in a convincing and ambitious performance in the 50m backstroke at the European Swimming Championships. The semi-finals are within reach for the outstanding Sara Curtis – who yesterday won a historic bronze in the 100m freestyle with the fastest time – and for the consistently strong Costanza Cocconcelli, who has once again demonstrated her versatility and finished twelfth. The 20-year-old from Savigliano – registered with the Army and CS Roero, coached at the University of Virginia by Todd DeSorbo and in Italy by Thomas Maggiora – swam a time of 27.31 seconds, maintaining her pace over the final ten metres, just twenty-four hundredths of a second off her European record of 27.07 seconds set in the final of the 62nd Settecolli IP. The 24-year-old from Bologna, who has been based in Florence for the past two years – registered with Fiamme Gialle and NC Azzurra 91, and coached by Paolo Palchetti – finished in 28.03 seconds. It was not to be for Federica Toma (Carabinieri/In Sport Rane Rosse), who came nineteenth in 28.61 seconds.
Swimming: European Championships, Curtis and Cocconcelli through to the 50m backstroke semi-finals
Rome, 12 Aug. (LaPresse) – The Italian women’s team put in a convincing and ambitious performance in the 50m backstroke at the European Swimming Championships. The semi-finals are within reach for the outstanding Sara Curtis – who yesterday won a historic bronze in the 100m freestyle with the fastest time – and for the consistently strong Costanza Cocconcelli, who has once again demonstrated her versatility and finished twelfth. The 20-year-old from Savigliano – registered with the Army and CS Roero, coached at the University of Virginia by Todd DeSorbo and in Italy by Thomas Maggiora – swam a time of 27.31 seconds, maintaining her pace over the final ten metres, just twenty-four hundredths of a second off her European record of 27.07 seconds set in the final of the 62nd Settecolli IP. The 24-year-old from Bologna, who has been based in Florence for the past two years – registered with Fiamme Gialle and NC Azzurra 91, and coached by Paolo Palchetti – finished in 28.03 seconds. It was not to be for Federica Toma (Carabinieri/In Sport Rane Rosse), who came nineteenth in 28.61 seconds.