CUS Bologna is making a big impression in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Udine), which is hosting the Italian Summer Finswimming Championships. The CUS team, led by coaches Veronica Arrighi, Alex Battista and Andrea Montalti, has sent a large and competitive squad that is set to make its mark.
The Under-18 women’s category has provided some of the greatest moments of triumph. Caterina Faccioli was crowned Italian champion in the 50m monofin and 50m fins events, cementing her status as one of the sport’s brightest stars. Alongside her, Emma Musolesi was also a standout performer, winning gold in the 50m freediving and the 200m finswimming, along with two silver medals in the 400m monofin and the 100m finswimming. Rounding off the picture were podium finishes for Caterina Andreoli and Vittoria Rizzello in the monofin events, alongside the valuable contribution of Alice Falchi.
The Under-18 women’s relay teams were a sight to behold, a true testament to the strength of the group: Faccioli, Musolesi, Rizzello and Andreoli, with Falchi joining them in the 4x200, won gold in the 4x50, the 4x100 and the 4x200 monofin relays, securing a highly impressive hat-trick.
In the senior category, Christian Degli Esposti cemented his status as a leading figure in monofin diving, winning the Italian title in the 200m. In the velosub discipline, Damiano Palleschi shone, taking gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m, whilst Gianluca Ghini proved his worth in the long-distance events with a silver in the 800m monofin and a bronze in the 1500m. Matilde Del Greco’s bronze in the Senior 400m fins was a significant achievement.
The senior men’s relay teams added further to the medal tally: the quartet comprising Palleschi, Marco Baravelli, Ghini and Degli Esposti won gold in the 4x200m monofin relay and two silver medals in the 4x100m and 4x50m relays, demonstrating the team’s cohesion and quality.
Giulia Savino, one of CUS Bologna’s most decorated athletes, also put in a consistently strong performance, winning three silver medals in the Under-18 50m, 200m and 400m finswimming events and a bronze in the 100m. There were also valuable contributions from Silvia Gualandi, Irene Orlandini, Viola Manaresi, Matteo Bacciottini, Davide Campagnoli, Gabriele Bassi and Gianmarco Antinori.
It is worth highlighting the strong ties with the Alma Mater: Simone Ravagli, Silvia Gualandi, Christian Degli Esposti, Matilde Del Greco, Marco Baravelli and Gianmarco Antinori are students at the University of Bologna and are part of the Dual Career programme, which supports athletes pursuing both high-level sport and university studies.
The results confirm the quality of CUS Bologna’s technical project: a team capable of combining outstanding results, the development of its youth academy and team spirit, bringing the colours of the Alma Mater to the podium.
Press Office - CUS Bologna ASD
