Federica Pellegrini

Federica Pellegrini
Personal information
National team  Italy
Born (1988-08-05) 5 August 1988
Mirano, Italy
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
Club C.C. Aniene
Coach Matteo Giunta

Federica Pellegrini (Italian pronunciation: [fedeˈriːka pelleˈɡriːni]; born 5 August 1988)[1] is an Italian swimmer. A native of Mirano, in the province of Venice, she holds the women's 200 m freestyle world record (long course), and won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Pellegrini became the first woman ever to break the 4 minute barrier in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 3:59.15.[2]

Pellegrini is the only swimmer − male or female − to have won seven medals in a row in the same event (200 meters freestyle) at the World Championships.[3] She is also the first female Olympic champion in the history of Italian swimming and the only Italian swimmer to have set world records in more than one event.

Biography

Career

2004 Olympics

Pellegrini's first international podium was at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she won the silver medal in the 200 m freestyle at the age of 16, becoming the youngest Italian athlete ever to win an Olympic medal in an individual event.

2008

Pellegrini's first long course gold medal came at the 2008 European Championships in Eindhoven, where she won the 400 m freestyle setting a world record (4:01.53).

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, she arrived as the world-record holder and favourite for the gold medal in the 400 m freestyle, but only finished 5th in the final. On the same day, she recovered from that disappointment by setting a world record in the heats of the 200 m freestyle; in the final, she broke her own world record (1:54.82) and won her first Olympic gold medal.

Pellegrini also proved her strength in short course events at the 2008 European Short Course Championships in Rijeka when she won the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle at a world-record pace (1:51.85). At the 2009 Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Pellegrini broke the world record in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 4:00.41 to better Joanne Jackson's record of 4:00.66.[4]

2009 World Championships

At the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Pellegrini broke the world record again in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 3:59.15, winning the gold medal and in doing so becoming the first female swimmer to break the 4 minute barrier in the event; she won the gold medal also in the 200 m freestyle and she broke her own world record with a time of 1:52.98. At 2009 European Short Course Championships in Istanbul she broke the world record in the 200 m freestyle with a time of 1:51.17. At the 2010 European Championships in Budapest Pellegrini won the bronze medal in the 800 m freestyle, behind Lotte Friis and Ophélie-Cyrielle Etienne, and the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle with a time of 1:55.45; in the same year, she announced that she would be working with Laure Manadou's former coach, Philippe Lucas.

2011 World Championships

At the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, Pellegrini won the gold medal in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 4:01.97, becoming the second female swimmer after Laure Manaudou to win the gold medal in this event at two consecutive World Aquatics Championships. Two days later, she won the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle too with a time of 1:55:58, becoming the first female swimmer ever to win this title at two consecutive editions of the World Aquatics Championships; after the success in Shanghai, she parted ways with her French coach and began working with Federico Bonifacenti.

2012

In May 2012, she was surprisingly excluded from the final of the 400 metre freestyle at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships, after winning two gold medals in other events (200 metre freestyle and 4 × 200 m freestyle relay) and a bronze medal in 4×100 freestyle relay. [5]

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Pellegrini finished fifth in the 400 metres freestyle with a time of 4:04.50 and the 200 metres freestyle with a time of 1:56.73.

2013 World Championships

After the Olympics, Pellegrini declared she wouldn't take part to 200 and 400 metres freestyle at 2013 World Aquatics Championships to take a gap year. She chose to prepare herself for 200 metres backstroke competition to compete for Italy at World Championships. Anyway, with a last-minute decision, Pellegrini took part to 200 metres freestyle event at 2013 World Championships and eventually won a silver medal with a time of 1:55.14, her best since Rome. Pellegrini won the silver medal behind Missy Franklin.

2015 World Championships

At the World Aquatics Championships held in Kazan (Russia) in 2015, she won the silver medal in 200 metres freestyle behind Katie Ledecky and ahead of Missy Franklin with a time of 1:55.32, and the silver medal in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay behind the United States. By winning the silver medal in the individual 200 metres freestyle, she became the first female swimmer in history to get a medal in the same event at six consecutive World Championships.

2016

In May 2016 she competed in European Championships in London and won the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:55.93, beating Femke Heemskerk from Holland.[6][7]

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Pellegrini competed in the following disciplines:[8] 200 freestyle, and in the 4 × 100 and 4 × 200 m freestyle relays.

Pellegrini missed the podium during the competition, ranking fourth during the 200 m final. Eventually, she stated that failing to win an Olympic medal in the women's 200 metres freestyle final in Rio de Janeiro was so devastating for her that she may consider "making changes to her life".[9]

2017

Pellegrini competed in a Milan meet on 12 March 2017 and finished first in 100 m freestyle with 54.77 and second in 100 m backstroke with 1:01.59.[10] She competed in Indiana 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series in March 2–4, 2017 and won gold in 200 m freestyle with a time of 1:56.07.[11][12] At the World Aquatics Championships held in Budapest, she won the gold medal in 200 metres freestyle ahead of both Katie Ledecky and Emma McKeon with a time of 1:54.73. This was the first Ledecky's loss at a major event. By winning the gold medal in the individual 200 metres freestyle, she became the first swimmer ever to get a medal in the same event at seven consecutive World Championships. She competed in the 100 metres freestyle too.

Private life

Since August 2011, Pellegrini has been in a relationship with swimmer Filippo Magnini,[13] having previously been engaged to another teammate, Luca Marin.[14]

Personal bests

Pellegrini currently holds 1 world records (WR), 3 European records (ER) and 10 National records (NR). Her personal bests (as of the 30 July 2009) are:

Event Long course (year) Short course (year)
50 m freestyle 25.47 (2004) 25.02 (2004)
100 m freestyle 53.18 (2016) 52.17 (2016)
200 m freestyle 1:52.98 (2009) World record 1:51.17 (2009) World record
400 m freestyle 3:59.15 (2009) 3:57.59 (2011)
800 m freestyle 8:24.99 (2010) 8:15.20 (2010)
100 m backstroke 1.00.69 (2013) 58.80 (2013)
200 m backstroke 2:08.05 (2013) 2:03.75 (2013)
200 m butterfly 2:12.96 (2015) 2:08.69 (2013)
4×50 m freestyle relay 1:37.56 (2013)
4 × 100 m freestyle relay 3:39.18 3:39.18 (2006)
4 × 200 m freestyle relay 7:46.57 (2009) 7:50.39 (2006)
4×50 m medley relay 1:47:05 (2008)
4 × 100 m medley relay 4:04.90 (2008)

International championships (50 m)

Meet 100 free 200 free 400 free 800 free 200 back 4×100 free 4×200 free 4×100 medley 4×100 mixed free 4×100 mixed medley
WC 20038th[a]
EC 20044th5th4th
OG 200410th2nd, silver medalist(s)10thDSQ(h)
WC 200510th2nd, silver medalist(s)5th
EC 2006heats[b]6th5thDSQ(h)
WC 20073rd, bronze medalist(s)5th13th10th
EC 2008DSQ(h)1st, gold medalist(s)2nd, silver medalist(s)3rd, bronze medalist(s)
OG 20081st, gold medalist(s)5th10th4th14th
WC 20091st, gold medalist(s)1st, gold medalist(s)4th
EC 20101st, gold medalist(s)3rd, bronze medalist(s)
WC 20111st, gold medalist(s)1st, gold medalist(s)13th14th
EC 20121st, gold medalist(s)10th3rd, bronze medalist(s)1st, gold medalist(s)
OG 20125th5th12th7th11th
WC 20132nd, silver medalist(s)9th10th7thDSQ(h)
EC 20141st, gold medalist(s)4th3rd, bronze medalist(s)1st, gold medalist(s)5th
WC 20152nd, silver medalist(s)6th2nd, silver medalist(s)5th
EC 20161st, gold medalist(s)2nd, silver medalist(s)5th2nd, silver medalist(s)2nd, silver medalist(s)
OG 20164th6th13th8th
WC 201715th1st, gold medalist(s)10th8th5th8th
a Pellegrini swam only in the heats
b Pellegrini qualified from the heats, but scratched the semi finals

See also

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill. "Federica Pellegrini". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  2. ↑ "Federica Pellegrini". rio2016.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  3. ↑ Nuoto, Mondiali: Fede nella leggenda: è oro! Settima medaglia mondiale di fila
  4. ↑ http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21514.asp#RT Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ "Nuoto: Pellegrini shock, "forse sono malata"; oro 4x100 misti" (in Italian). agi.it. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "European Aquatics Championships | London 2016". london2016.microplustiming.com. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  7. ↑ Deportes Plus (2016-05-21), Women 200m Freestyle FINAL European Swimming Championships London 2016, retrieved 2017-03-19
  8. ↑ "Federica Pellegrini - Athlete's Page". Rio2016 Official Website. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  9. ↑ "Pellegrini gutted by missing Olympic podium in 200m freestyle final". Adnkronos International, Rome. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  10. ↑ "Nuoto, Detti sorprende Greg nei 1500 Primo k.o. di Paltrinieri dal 2013". La Gazzetta dello Sport - Tutto il rosa della vita (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  11. ↑ "200m results".
  12. ↑ USA Swimming (2017-03-06), Women’s 200 Freestyle A Final | 2017 arena Pro Swim Series at Indianapolis, retrieved 2017-03-19
  13. ↑ "Filippo Magnini and Federica Pellegrini pose naked in Vanity Fair". swimmersdaily.com. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  14. ↑ "Luca Marin on how Federica Pellegrini split up with him". swimmersdaily.com. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
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