Home success for Italy as Lindberg extends Open Water Cup reign in Sardinia

Italy's home stars added more titles to an impressive September, while Sweden's Pernilla Lindberg continued her remarkable reign at the World Para Swimming Open Water Cup in Sardinia, Italy, claiming another women's 3km title.

The competition featured races across the 1.5km and 3km distances, with athletes from Europe, Oceania and the Americas battling for honours at the fourth edition of the event, held on Saturday at Alghero's Lido San Giovanni beach.

Fresh from the European Championships in Kocaeli, Turkiye, Paralympic champion Federico Bicelli (S7) led an Italian charge, taking gold ahead of Dutch swimmer Bas Takken (S10) and fellow Italian Tommaso Clementoni (S9) in the men's 3km race for swimmers in classes S7-S10.

It was Bicelli's second consecutive win in Sardinia, following his successful 2025 debut. At the Kocaeli 2026 European Championships earlier this month, he claimed gold in the men's 400m freestyle S7, silver in the men's 100m freestyle S7 and bronze in the men's 50m freestyle S7.

"A special victory, made even more beautiful by the company," Bicelli posted on social media after the race alongside Clementoni, Italy's Letizia Milesi and Croatia's Emma Mecic.

Mecic (S9) secured one of the standout victories of the competition, taking gold in the women's 3km S7-S10 event. She finished ahead of fellow open water debutant Lisa Kruger (S10) of the Netherlands, while Italy's Margherita Sorini (S9) completed the podium in third place.

The women's 3km S14 race once again belonged to Sweden's Pernilla Lindberg, who successfully defended her title to continue an impressive unbeaten streak in Sardinia. Lindberg led home Australia's Jade Lucy, who took silver, while compatriot Maddison Hinds secured bronze.

The result reinforced Lindberg's status as the swimmer to beat in the women's S14 open water event, with the Swede now victorious in all four editions of the Open Water Cup.

Fresh from winning the men's 100m backstroke S6 title at the European Championships, Italy's Luca da Prato (S6) topped the men's 1.5km S3-S6 podium ahead of Venezuela's Ivanosky Jose Marichal (S6), the 2024 winner of the event.

Complete results of the Sardinia 2026 Open Water Cup can be found below:

Men's 1.5km (S3-S6)

1. Luca da Prato (S6) - Italy
2. Ivanosky Jose Marichal (S6) - Venezuela

Women's 1.5km (S3-S6)

1. Caterina Meschini (S6) - Italy

Men's 3km (S7-S10)

1. Federico Bicelli (S7) - Italy
2. Bas Takken (S10) - Netherlands
3. Tommaso Clementoni (S9) - Italy

Men's 3km (S14)

1. Andres Torres (S14) - Venezuela

Women's 3km (S7-S10)

1. Emma Mecic (S9) - Croatia
2. Lisa Kruger (S10) - Netherlands
3. Margherita Sorini (S9) - Italy

Women's 3km (S14)

1. Pernilla Lindberg (S14) - Sweden
2. Jade Lucy (S14) - Australia
3. Maddison Hinds (S14) - Australia

Complete results of Sardinia 2026 are available here.