The 29th International Swimmeeting, once again staged as a fully certified Green Event, opened with an exceptional first day marked by thrilling head-to-head battles, outstanding international talent and two sensational meeting records that electrified the crowd. The undisputed star of the day was the American Finn Brooks, who produced a rare and remarkable double triumph. In the 50 m breaststroke, Brooks shattered Fabio Scozzoli’s 2017 record by clocking 26.18. Italy’s Simone Cerasuolo followed just one hundredth behind in 26.19 – also inside the former record – with Federico Rizzardi completing an elite podium in 26.49. Brooks then stunned the arena once more in the 50 m butterfly, delivering a blazing 22.53 to erase Noe Ponti’s previous mark. The Dutch sprinter Nyls Korstanje took second place in 22.85, while Estonia’s Daniel Zaitsev secured third in 23.03, rounding off a world-class field. In the women’s events, Veronica Quaggio continued her winning tradition in Bolzano. Having claimed the title last year, she repeated her success over 100 m freestyle with 55.15, ahead of Carlotta Giannini (56.22) and Beatrice Banfi (57.59). Although Kelsi Dahlia’s record remained unchallenged, Quaggio reaffirmed her dominance on this stage. The men’s 100 m freestyle offered another display of top-level sprinting, with European champion Alessandro Miressi capturing victory in 47.95. Sean Niewold (48.26) and Gabriele Brambillaschi (49.02) completed the podium. A wave of cheers swept through the stands when local favourite Luca Scampicchio (SSV Bozen) stormed to fourth place in 49.20 – one of the most celebrated home performances of the evening.
In the women’s 50 m breaststroke, Olympic medallist Mona McSharry showed her international calibre with a winning time of 30.32, followed by Russia’s Nika Godun (30.49). South Tyrolean swimmer Viviane Greif earned a heartfelt bronze in 31.12, making her podium appearance one of the evening’s most emotional highlights. The backstroke races provided further excitement. The longstanding meeting record of Nicholas Thomas – 50.32 in the 100 m backstroke, set back in 2009 – remained untouched, but the battle for the podium was intense. Latvia’s Nikolass Deicmans secured victory in 53.43, ahead of Kristians Brencs (53.88) and Antonio Gregucci (54.42). Once again, home swimmer Luca Scampicchio impressed with fourth place in 55.30. Among the women, Alessia Polieri was the strongest in 1:02.12. Meanwhile, Dutch sprint talent Tessa Giele asserted her versatility by winning the 50 m butterfly in 26.21 and later dominating the 100 m individual medley with 1:00.25. On the butterfly podium she was joined by Giulia Caprai (27.58) and Alessia Polieri (27.68), both delivering excellent performances. This opening day demonstrated once again that the International Swimmeeting excels not only in sporting quality but also in environmental responsibility. The event’s Green Event framework – reduced waste, efficient energy management and sustainable logistics – highlights a forward-thinking approach to modern sports organisation. The international stars will return to the pool on Sunday from 13:30 to 15:30, promising another round of thrilling performances to close this prestigious meeting.