Italy’s Ceccon hits 200 free personal best at Luxembourg euro meet

Rome: The action continued from Luxembourg at the 2023 Euro Meet with Ireland’s first-ever European Record holder Daniel Wiffen back in the pool.

After snagging silver in the 1500m on night one, 21-year-old Wiffen grabbed gold in the men’s 800m freestyle.

Wiffen got to the wall first in a time of 7:53.14, holding a comfortable advantage over runner-up Ahmed Mahmoud. Mahmoud scored silver in 7:57.52 while Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk was a fingernail behind in 7:57.56 for bronze.

Wiffen owns the Irish national record in this 8free event with the 7:46.32 he put up at last year’s World Championships. There in Budapest, the Loughborough-trained athlete ultimately wound up 8th while Romanchuk secured bronze.

Sophie Hansson of Sweden ensured a meet Euro Meet Record bit the dust, as the 24-year-old clocked a mark of 30.69 to take the women’s 50m breast.

Hansson’s time overtook the previous competition standard of 30.70 Italy’s Martina Carraro put on the books in 2019, the last time this competition was held before a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Carraro was in the race on day two as well, settling for silver in 31.27.

Carraro exacted revenge in the women’s 200m breast, however, earning gold in a time of 2:26.67. That just out-touched Hansson who was next to the wall in 2:25.82.

Italy got on the board with gold, courtesy of the dynamic Thomas Ceccon. Ceccon, who owns the long course 100 backstroke World Record, took on the men’s 200m freestyle here in Luxembourg.

Ceccon registered a solid time of 1:46.52, comprised of a 51.49 opener and a back half of 55.03. The 22-year-old’s effort here represents a big-time personal best, outperforming his previous PB of 1:48.95 produced in June of last year.

Ceccon’s 1:46.52 now renders him Italy’s 7th fastest performer all-time as well as the 3rd fastest performer in the world this season.