Swimming at home, student athletes from Italian universities earned at least one medal in all but one race they took part during the first edition of the FISU University World Cup Finswimming, held on 1-2 April in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Udine).

 

Their performance was all the more impressive that it was achieved by athletes from many different universities throughout the country.

 

But beside the dominant results of the host country’s swimmers, the event also revealed two unique stars: Lilla Blaszák (Uni Kesckemét, Hungary) and Juan Sebastian Giraldo Cespedes (Uni Cali, Colombia) each won three gold medals in surface finswimming (SF).

 

“I’m so excited to be one of the champions of the first FISU University World Cup,” Giraldo Cespedes (picture) said. “I really enjoyed the pool, it has great swimming conditions.”

 

Athletes were unanimous in praising the good organization, the great atmosphere of the event and exciting races.

 

In the final one, Denis Shao (Uni Milan) and the 2021 World Champion Oleksii Zhakarov (Uni Kharkiv) embarked in a thrilling duel on 800m SF which the Ukrainian eventually won with a fantastic rush in the last 50 meters.  

 

FISU University World Cups embrace a unique university-versus-university format instead of national delegations.

 

All the results at a glance

 

50m Apnea (AP) Women:

 

1. Adela Svomova, Masaryk University, Brno (CZE) ; 2. Rosa Vitale, University of Ferrara (ITA) ; 3. Aleyna Franke, University of Leipzig (GER)

 

50m AP Men:

 

1. Guglielmo Alicicco, Technical University of Milan (ITA) ; 2. Adham Mohy Mohamed Mahmoud Elbily, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Alexandria (EGY) ; 3. Artem Pochepetskyi, Kharkiv National University Named After V.N. Karazin (UKR)

 

50m BiFins (BF) Women:

 

1. Viola Magoga, University of Padua (ITA) ; 2. Logyen Youssef Ahmed Youssef Aly, Helwan University (EGY) ; 3. Fatma Ayman Said Ahmed Osman, Ain Shams University (EGY)

 

50m BF Men:

 

1. Riccardo Romano, University of Salerno (ITA) ; 2. Viktor Riepin, Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Education (UKR) ; 3. Davide Konjedic, University of Turin (ITA)

 

100m BF Women:

 

1. Viola Magoga, University of Padua (ITA) ; 2. Carolina Trocca, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (ITA); 3. Fatma Ayman Said Ahmed Osman, Ain Shams University (EGY)

 

100m BF Men:

 

1. Riccardo Romano, University of Salerno (ITA) ; 2. Viktor Riepin, Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Education (UKR) ; 3. Davide Konjedic, University of Turin (ITA)

 

100m Surface (SF) Women:

 

1. Adela Svomova, Masaryk University, Brno (CZE) ; 2. Maya Haytham Mohamed Abdelrahim, Nile University, Cairo (EGY) ; 3. Kateryna Vashchenko, Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (UKR)

 

100m SF Men:

 

1. Juan Sebastian Giraldo Cespedes, Pontifical Xavier University Cali Branch (COL) ; 2. Guglielmo Alicicco, Technical University of Milan (ITA) ; 3. Oleksii Zakharov, Kharkiv H. Skorovoda National Pedagogical University (UKR)

 

200m BF Women:

 

1. Carolina Trocca, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (ITA) ; 2. Consuelo Dametto, University of Novedrate-Ecampus, Como (ITA) ; 3. Laura Rodriguez Tejerina, University of Valladolid (SPA)

 

200m BF Men:

 

1. Andrea Rega, University of Naples Federico II (ITA) ; 2. Riccardo Romano, University of Salerno (ITA) ; 3. Yan Plotze, Aix Marseille University (FRA)

 

200m SF Women:

 

1. Lilla Blaszák, John von Neumann University, Kecskemét (HUN) ; 2. Silvia Sevignani, Universita Telematica Pegaso, Napoli (ITA) ; 3. Maya Haytham Mohamed Abdelrahim, Nile University, Cairo (EGY)

 

200m SF Men:

 

1. Juan Sebastian Giraldo Cespedes, Pontifical Xavier University Cali Branch (COL) ; 2. Simone Dama (University of Parma) ; 3. Lorenzo Caronno, Universita Telematica Pegaso, Napoli (ITA)

 

400m BF Women:

 

1. Martina Mach di Palmstein, Luiss Guido Carli University, Rome (ITA) ; 2. Laura Rodriguez Tejerina, University of Valladolid (SPA) ; 3. Emma Lena Durand, Rennes 2 University (FRA)

 

400m BF Men:

 

1. Yan Plotze, Aix Marseille University (FRA) ; 2. Andrea Rega, University of Naples Federico II (ITA) ; 3. Leonardo Grimaudo, University of Rome La Sapienza (ITA)

 

400m SF Women:

 

1. Lilla Blaszák, John von Neumann University, Kecskemét (HUN); 2. Silvia Sevignani, Universita Telematica Pegaso, Napoli (ITA) ; 3. Gaia Savioli, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (ITA)

 

400m SF Men:

 

1. Juan Sebastian Giraldo Cespedes, Pontifical Xavier University Cali branch (COL) ; 2. Lorenzo Caronno, Universita Telematica Pegaso, Napoli (ITA) ; 3. Mahmoud Waleed Ali Mohamed Ali, Ain Shams University (EGY)

 

800m SF Women:

 

1. Lilla Blaszák, John von Neumann University, Kecskemét (HUN); 2. Gaia Savioli, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (ITA) ; 3. Manuela Battipaglia, University of Milan (ITA)

 

800m SF Men:

 

1. Oleksii Zakharov, Kharkiv H. Skorovoda National Pedagogical University (UKR) ; 2. Denis Shao, University of Milano-Bicocca (ITA) ; 3. Robert Semostyán, University of Pécs (HUN)

 

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY OLIVIER VAN BOGAERT