Brazil and Italy dominate Lignano Sabbiadoro 2022 World Series

Hosts Italy and visitors Brazil shone brighter at the Lignano Sabbiadoro 2022 Para Swimming World Series, the third stop of the season.

Only 4 out of 30 podiums in the three-day event at the Bella Italia Village sports complex did not have a Brazilian nor an Italian swimmer.

BRAZILIAN SUPREMACY

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champions Gabriel Araujo, Gabriel Bandeira, and Talisson Glock were among the highlights of the Brazilian team that picked 16 gold medals – more than any other delegation in Lignano Sabbiadoro. 

Glock swam the men’s 50m butterfly in 31.94 while Bandeira triumphed in the men’s 100m butterfly touching the wall in 55.68.

Araujo collected three gold medals and set three new world records in the S2 class. First in the men’s 50m butterfly heats when he lowered his previous mark in more than 4 seconds (57.21). Hours later in the final session, he swam even faster to set a new record (56.62).
The Brazilian broke another world record in the men’s 150m medley clocking 03:47.04. 

Araujo also set two Americas records, first in the men’s 100m freestyle (01:58.75) going 2 seconds faster than his mark from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Later, in the men’s 50m freestyler (53.08)

PROUD HOSTS

Italian superstar Simone Barlaam led the host nation taking gold in the men’s 100m backstroke (01:02.98). 

Federico Bicelli set three new national records in home waters, in the men’s 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle as the hosts topped the podium in 10 events. 

“We had 38 nations competing in Lignano. Brazil was the largest delegation, bringing all its senior national team. At the same we had new entries such as Uganda and we are very happy with this,” said the Lignano Sabbiadoro 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC) General Manager, Francesco Bettella.

A class S1 swimmer, Bettella himself also took part in three events in this year’s World Series.

“We had athletes from Latin America, Africa, Asia and almost all European countries, so it is definitely a great satisfaction for us. The performances we have had are of the highest level. Lignano proves itself once again a very fast swimming pool,” added Bettella. 

NEXT STOP, BERLIN 

Colombia, Great Britain, Spain and the Netherlands were the other countries to pick gold medals at Lignano 2022.

“I am really happy with the gold medal with a result very close to my world record. We are working really hard in preparation for the World Championships in Portugal,” said Colombian swimmer Carlos Serrano, who won the men’s 100m breaststroke (01:11.53).

The South American team is one of the nations heading to Berlin for the fourth leg of the Para Swimming World Series 2022 from 31 March to 3 April.

Indianapolis, USA will host the final stop of the season from 7 to 9 April.

The World Para Swimming Points System is used at the World Series competitions to calculate athletes’ results. At the end of the season the top female and male swimmers are declared season winners.

Complete results, records and all medallists from Lignano Sabbiadoro 2022 can be found here.