Noé Ponti and Charlotte Bonnet are the dominators of the International Swimmeeting South
Tyrol 2023, now in its 27th edition since 1997. The Swiss, bronze medallist at the Tokyo Games
in 2021 in the 100 butterfly, won three races out of three, the French wrote a new page in the
history of the meeting in Bolzano and she is the first athlete ever to win six races in a single
edition. In total, the audience in Bolzano and online witnessed five event records on Saturday
and Sunday. Three by Ponti, one by Bonnet and one by Silvia Scalia, who won the 50
backstroke in 26.99 on Sunday. The previous record was held by Kira Touissant, who swam a
27.12 in 2017.
Ponti didn’t only win, but also set three new event records. On Saturday he equalled his record
in the 50 butterfly (22.77) and took Thomas Ceccon's record in the 100 IM lowering the best
mark from 52.79 to 52.49. This afternoon he triumphed in the 100 butterfly, his favourite race,
and in 49.85 he improved by three hundredths on twelve months ago (49.88) "I am happy, I
improved from last year. Good meeting, good results,' said Ponti, who after the Swiss
championships will aim for the European Short Course in a month's time in Romania. Ponti
has won ten times in the last three years in Bolzano.
Charlotte Bonnet dominated in the women's field like no one before her. Six competitions, six
victories, culminating with the meeting record in the 100 IM. Yesterday she erased in 58.60
Natalie Coghlin's 58.72 from 2011. After four first places on Saturday (100 style, 50
breaststroke, 50 dolphin, 100 breaststroke), the 28-year-old French did a double by winning
today, in the 100 breaststroke in 1.05.45 ahead of the American Rachel Bernhardt (1.06.04)
and the Russian Nika Godun (1.06.54.) and at the end she was also unrivalled in the 50
freestyle, winning in 24.72. Second and third were the Italians Chiara Tarantino (25.08) and
Elena Di Liddo (25.62). Bonnet was really happy: "Am I the first to win six times here in
Bolzano? I don't believe it, that's good. I wanted to win all the races, that was the goal. Saturday was tough, with four races in a short time. Today I did a good time in the 50
freestyle."
Di Liddo won the 100 butterfly in 58.49 ahead of Alessia Polieri (58.49). "The time is not great,
but now it is important to compete after the stop and the shoulder operation. The shoulder is
fine," Di Liddo reassured. Scalia was happy with the victory and the 1,000 euros, which got for
the meeting record, but not with the time: "I was expecting a little less at this point of the
season, but we have set the whole season on the long course."
A double in the backstroke for Simone Stefanì, who after his victory in the 100 backstroke on
Saturday, took the next one today in the 50 backstroke in 23.83 missing the meeting record
by three tenths, but easily winning over Thierry Bollin (24.48) and Tommaso Coccato (24.85).
"Before coming here I had a fever, but I came because competing is good for you and helps. "
A double also for Gabriele Brambillaschi who after Saturday's 100 freestyle, won the final race
in the 50 freestyle today with a good 21.80 ahead of Dutchman Thom De Boer (22.04) and the
14 y.o. Lithuanian Tajus Juska (22.60). "I am very happy, the time is good, this meeting was a
very good test for the open championship," said Brambillaschi at the poolside. The 100
breaststroke went to Jeremy Desplanches. The Swiss, third at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the
200 IM, beat the Bulgarian Victor Rusinov (1.02.28) in 1.00.07.