Italian swimming star Thomas Ceccon will compete in Merano. © ANSA / ETTORE FERRARI

Italy's swimming star comes to Merano

Italy's head coach Cesare Butini was once again present this year. He was the guest of honor at the presentation of the 9th edition of the Cool Swim Meeting this Wednesday at the Forsterbräu in Merano.

14 May 2025

From: pm/sn

For the 67-year-old and the Italian national team, the three-day meeting from June 20 to 22 at the Merano Lido is of great importance. The event, which was launched in 2016, becomes more international each year and will once again offer two important innovations in 2025. Qualification for the World Championships will be possible in Merano. In addition, there will be a live TV broadcast of the three-day event for the first time. Rai Sports.

The top news is the return of Thomas Cecon, whose start in Merano has been fixed since Tuesday. "We are enormously proud that the Olympic champion is coming to the Cool Swim Meeting again before competing at the Sette Colli and then fighting for medals at the World Championships," said organizing committee chairman Walter Taranto. Ceccon is 24 years old and arguably the biggest Italian swimming star at the moment. He won gold in the 100m backstroke and bronze with Italy's freestyle relay at last year's Summer Games in Paris. He has been training in Australia since the start of the year and set a new Italian record in the 200m backstroke there a few weeks ago. He will be one of the favorites in Singapore.

Butini brings Italy's top to Merano

Head coach Butini said at today's press conference: "This year's edition of the Cool Swim Meeting will be enhanced because it will be possible to swim the standard required by the World Aquatics Federation to qualify for the World Championships in Singapore. Many clubs and athletes representing the pinnacle of Italian swimming and already qualified for the World Championships will compete in Merano. Lisa Angiolini, Manuel Frigo, Simone Cerasuolo and Lenardo Deplano. In addition, part of the national team will be coming to Merano. More specifically, our sprinters. As is now customary, they will be in Merano before the meeting and will be completing a training camp. I'm sure this year's edition will bring us many emotions."

Lisa Angiolini won European Championship silver in 2022. © Giorgio Scala / Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

This year, Merano is a "Singapore Qualifying Event." This means that swimmers can qualify for the World Championships in Singapore from July 27 to August 3 at the Cool Swim Meeting. "This makes us only one of four meetings in Italy where this is possible," says meeting director Marco Giongo.

Has a few days ago Simone Cerasuolo confirmed his first participation in Merano. He finished fourth in the 50 m breaststroke at the Short Course World Championships in December and will challenge Fabio Scozzoli's meeting records. Lisa Angiolini, the 2022 European Vice Champion over 100 m breaststroke is back.

Eleven regional associations at the start

No fewer than eleven national associations will field a regional team. In addition to Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Sardinia, Liguria, and Basilicata, Trentino and South Tyrol will also field a team. The local team will be represented by Luca Scampicchio led by SSV Bozen, which will also compete for Italy at the Junior European Championships in Slovakia at the beginning of July.

As always, Merano is also the dress rehearsal for the Sette Colli Meeting in Rome, where the last tickets for the World Championships will be awarded from June 26 to 28.