The Italy National Swimming Team has returned to Olympic-level competition at the 2026 European Aquatics Championships in Paris, with veteran Alberto Razzetti securing a spot in the 400m individual medley final and a new generation of sprinters making their mark in the heats. The event, running through August 16 at the Olympic Aquatic Centre, represents the first major international test for Italian swimmers midway through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle.
Why This Matters
• Alberto Razzetti qualified third for tonight's 400m medley final (4:13.54) with Olympic champion Léon Marchand sidelined by injury—opening medal prospects.
• Sara Curtis advances with the 4th-fastest time in women's 100m freestyle (53.76), targeting multiple sprint titles after setting the European 50m backstroke record (27.07) in June.
• Italy fields 48 athletes across pool events, aiming to maintain continental dominance despite the return of Russian competitors under neutral flags.
• 15-year-old Alessandra Mao makes her senior championship debut, already breaking age records once held by Federica Pellegrini.
Razzetti Eyes Gold Without Marchand
Alberto Razzetti, the 27-year-old from Liguria now training in Livorno, cruised into Monday evening's 400m individual medley final with the third-best qualifying time. The continental champion from Rome 2022 and Budapest 2021 silver medalist deliberately conserved energy in the final meters, clocking 4:13.54 and describing his heat as "breaking the ice" for the evening session.
The absence of France's Léon Marchand—who withdrew from both the 200m and 400m medleys due to an aggravated adductor injury sustained at the French Championships in late June—fundamentally reshapes the medal race. Marchand, the reigning Olympic champion, initially entered four events but ultimately pulled out of the medleys to focus on the 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle. Razzetti himself acknowledged that Marchand's withdrawal "leaves a podium spot open."
Leading the qualifiers is Ilya Borodin of Russia, competing under a neutral banner, who posted 4:13.10. The 2025 World Championships bronze medalist from Singapore holds a narrow edge over Germany's Finn Hammer (4:13.45) and Razzetti. Greece's defending European champion Apostolos Papastamos qualified sixth in 4:14.79.
The final is scheduled for Monday evening at 18:30 local time, part of a busy session that will award medals in multiple disciplines and feature 16 Italian swimmers across individual events and two relay squads.
Curtis Advances in Crowded Sprint Field
Sara Curtis, the 19-year-old from Piedmont who now trains at the University of Virginia, posted the 4th-fastest time overall in the women's 100m freestyle heats, winning her heat in 53.76. The performance keeps her on track for what could be multiple titles across the sprint disciplines.
Curtis arrives in Paris holding Italian national records in both the 50m (24.09) and 100m (52.69) freestyle, plus the European record in the 50m backstroke (27.07), set at the Trofeo Sette Colli meet in June. She strategically withdrew from the 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly to concentrate her energy on the 50m backstroke, 50m freestyle, and 100m freestyle—events where she's considered a genuine medal threat.
Her training stint in the United States has brought technical refinement to her explosive speed. "I'm happy and confident," Curtis said before competition began. "I know there are many expectations, but I pay attention to my personal ones. The tension will rise on the starting block. And when I'm there, as my mother says, it's enough to put in the effort." She noted that strong early performances from teammates like diver Chiara Pellacani (who captured five golds in the diving events) and open-water swimmer Ginevra Taddeucci provided inspiration for the pool contingent.
Also advancing from the women's 100m freestyle heats was Emma Virginia Menicucci, who clocked 54.45 for the 15th-best time overall.
The Mao Factor: Italy's Emerging Prodigy
Among the 48-strong Italian delegation, no swimmer has generated more pre-competition buzz than Alessandra Mao, who turned 15 in March and represents the youngest member of the squad. The Venice native arrives in Paris fresh from a triple-gold performance at the European Junior Championships in Belgrade, where she also broke Federica Pellegrini's age-group record in the 100m freestyle with a time of 54.28.
Already being called the "new Pellegrini" by Italian media, Mao holds four Italian age-group records in freestyle events (100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m) and earned three bronze medals at the 2025 World Junior Championships. At April's Italian National Championships, she became the youngest Italian absolute champion in the 200m freestyle at just 14, setting a national age record in the process. Her 200m freestyle time of 1:57.00 at the World Juniors also eclipsed Pellegrini's mark for that age bracket.
While the comparisons to "La Divina" carry inevitable weight—Pellegrini's nine world records, Olympic gold, and 64 international medals represent an almost unreachable standard—Mao's trajectory suggests Italy has found a legitimate successor in the women's freestyle events. She competes Monday in the 100m freestyle and will anchor the 4x200m freestyle relay later in the week.
What This Means for Italy's Olympic Pipeline
The Paris meet serves dual purposes for Italy Swimming Federation technical director Cesare Butini and his staff. With no World Championships scheduled until 2027, these Europeans represent the only major international competition of the current season—and a critical evaluation point for Los Angeles 2028 Olympic selections.
"These championships represent not only the sole international appointment of the current season but also the opportunity to define which athletes to focus on for Los Angeles 2028," Butini explained before competition began. The return of Russian and Belarusian swimmers competing under neutral flags significantly raises the technical level compared to recent European meets, making it "very difficult to repeat the results of Rome 2022," where Italy captured 35 medals.
The Italian contingent blends established Olympic medalists—Thomas Ceccon, Nicolò Martinenghi, Simona Quadarella, and Benedetta Pilato—with emerging talents including Mao, Curtis (who despite her youth already holds senior status), and backstroker Ludovico Blu Art Viberti. Eight athletes are making their senior European debuts: Lorenzo Ballarati, Jacopo Barbotti, Andrea Camozzi, Daniele Del Signore, Matteo Diodato, Davide Marchello, Giada Alzetta, and Alessia Bianchi.
Notably absent is Gregorio Paltrinieri, who opted to compete only in open-water events, skipping the pool program entirely. The 1500m freestyle—typically his signature distance—will proceed without the two-time Olympic medalist.
Veteran Leadership and Breaststroke Depth
At 33, Silvia Di Pietro serves as team captain, bringing experience and remarkably consistent performances even as she ages. Italy's breaststroke depth remains particularly strong, with world 50m champion Simone Cerasuolo joined by Lisa Angiolini and Anita Bottazzo, both medal contenders in their respective distances.
Quadarella, who completed her university degree in July, returns to defend her middle-distance freestyle titles. The 25-year-old from Rome has dominated European 800m and 1500m competitions for years and will look to reassert her status as the continent's premier distance swimmer.
Martinenghi and Viberti both arrive in Paris recovering from recent setbacks, making their performances key indicators for Olympic planning. Butini emphasized the importance of evaluating their "recovery trajectory" alongside confirming the continued progression of established stars like Ceccon, Razzetti, and Pilato.
"We want to maintain our role as a protagonist nation at the international level," Butini stated. "Then confirm the performances of the more experienced athletes who will be the fulcrum of the Olympic Italy in 2028. I hope that athletes like Curtis and D'Ambrosio take the younger ones by the hand and that athletes like Alessandra Mao consolidate their ambitions toward an Olympic dimension."
Competition Format and Medal Sessions
The meet follows a split-session format, with preliminary heats beginning at 09:30 and medal finals starting at 18:30. Monday's evening session will award the first pool medals of the championships, including Razzetti's 400m medley final and semifinals in Curtis's 100m freestyle.
The Olympic Aquatic Centre, which hosted the Paris 2024 Olympic swimming competition, provides a familiar venue for many competitors and offers a psychological preview of racing at Olympic-level facilities ahead of Los Angeles. For Italian swimmers who medaled at the Paris Games two years ago—including Ceccon's 100m backstroke gold—the return carries additional significance.
The championships run through Friday, August 16, with relay events scheduled throughout the week. Italy's mixed medley relay and women's freestyle relay teams both qualified for finals berths and represent additional medal opportunities beyond individual events.
Curtis summarized the team's confidence heading into competition week: "I think our women's movement is very strong. I followed what Pellacani and Taddeucci did in this first week and this certainly gives us energy. We are sure to do well."
