Federica Pellegrini

Federica Pellegrini
Pellegrini in 2009
Personal information
Nicknamela Divina
National teamItaly Italy
Born (1988-08-05) 5 August 1988 (age 35)
Mirano, Italy
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubCircolo Canottieri Aniene
CoachMatteo Giunta
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing Italy Italy
International podiums
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 1 0
World Championships (LC) 6 4 1
World Championships (SC) 1 2 5
European Championships (LC) 7 6 7
European Championships (SC) 7 4 6
Universiade 2 1 1
Mediterranean Games 2 0 0
Total 26 18 20
By individual race
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
200 m freestyle 17 7 1
400 m freestyle 5 2 4
800 m freestyle 1 1 1
Total 23 10 6
By relay race
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
4 × 50 m freestyle 1 0 2
4 × 100 m freestyle 0 3 3
4 × 200 m freestyle 2 1 3
4 × 50 m medley 0 1 2
4 × 100 m medley 0 0 2
4 × 50 m mixed freestyle 0 0 1
4 × 100 m mixed freestyle 0 1 1
4 × 200 m mixed freestyle 0 1 0
4 × 100 m mixed medley 0 1 0
Total 3 8 14
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens 200 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2009 Rome 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2009 Rome 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2011 Shanghai 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2011 Shanghai 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2017 Budapest 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2019 Gwangju 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2005 Montreal 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2013 Barcelona 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2015 Kazan 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2015 Kazan 4 × 200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Melbourne 200 m freestyle
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2016 Windsor 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2006 Shanghai 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2016 Windsor 4 × 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Shanghai 400 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Dubai 400 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Doha 4 × 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Windsor 4 × 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Hangzhou 4 × 100 m medley
European Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2008 Eindhoven 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2010 Budapest 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2012 Debrecen 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2012 Debrecen 4 × 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2014 Berlin 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2014 Berlin 4 × 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2016 London 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2008 Eindhoven 4 × 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2016 London 4 × 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2016 London 4 × 100 m mixed freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2016 London 4 × 100 m mixed medley
Silver medal – second place 2020 Budapest 4 × 200 m mixed freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2020 Budapest 200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Eindhoven 4 × 200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Budapest 800 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Debrecen 4 × 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Berlin 4 × 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Budapest 4 × 200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Budapest 4 × 100 m mixed freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Budapest 4 × 100 m medley
European Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2005 Trieste 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2008 Rijeka 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2009 Istanbul 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2010 Eindhoven 800 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2013 Herning 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2015 Netanya 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2015 Netanya 4 × 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2006 Helsinki 400 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2007 Debrecen 400 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2019 Glasgow 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2019 Glasgow 4 × 50 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Trieste 400 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Rijeka 4 × 50 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Eindhoven 4 × 50 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Szczecin 4 × 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Herning 400 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Copenhagen 4 × 50 m mixed freestyle
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2007 Bangkok 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2007 Bangkok 400 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2007 Bangkok 800 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Bangkok 4 × 200 m freestyle
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 2009 Pescara 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2009 Pescara 4 × 100 m freestyle
National championships
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Absolute 24 6 4
Spring 66 15 9
Winter 39 15 2
Total 129 36 15

Federica Pellegrini Grande Ufficiale OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [fedeˈriːka pelleˈɡriːni]; born 5 August 1988) is an Italian retired swimmer. A native of Mirano, in the province of Venice, she won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the 2009 World Championships in Rome (long course swimming pool, 50 m), Pellegrini became the first woman ever to break the 4-minute barrier in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 3:59.15. She also held the women's 200 meters freestyle world record (long course, 50 m).

Pellegrini is the only swimmer − male or female − to have won eight medals in a row in the same event (200 meters freestyle) at the World Championships. She is also the first female Olympic swimming champion from Italy and the only Italian swimmer to have set world records in more than one event. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, she became the first female swimmer to qualify for five consecutive Olympic finals in the same specialty (200 m freestyle). She is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Pellegrini retired from active competition in 2021. She was nicknamed "La Divina" ("The Goddess") by Italian sport journalists

Biography

Career

2004 Olympics

Pellegrini's first international podium was at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she won the silver medal in the 200 m freestyle at the age of 16, becoming the youngest Italian athlete ever to win an Olympic medal in an individual event.

2005–2007

Pellegrini competed at the 2005 Montreal, where she got a silver in the 200 m freestyle, just behind Solenne Figuès, after being the favourite in the event, because of setting previously the best time of the season in the distance. Two years after, she took part of the 400 m freestyle, her first attempt in the event, where she finished fifth. Then she competed also at the 200 m freestyle, where, in the semi-finals, she set her first world record of her career, with a time of 1:56:47, beating the previous one belonging to Franziska van Almsick. But it was beaten the day after in the final by her rival Laure Manaudou, who got the gold medal and immediately broke her world record, while she got just the bronze, behind Annika Lurz too.

2008

Pellegrini's first long course (50 meters) gold medal came at the 2008 European Championships in Eindhoven, where she won the 400 m freestyle setting a world record (4:01.53). She was disqualified in the heats of 200 m freestyle for a wrong start.

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, she arrived as the world-record holder and favourite for the gold medal in the 400 m freestyle, having set the Olympic record in the heats (4:02.19), but only finished 5th in the final. On the same day, she recovered from that disappointment by setting a world record (1:55.45) in the heats of the 200 m freestyle; in the final, she broke her own world record (1:54.82) and won her first Olympic gold medal.

Pellegrini also proved her strength in short course events at the 2008 European Short Course Championships in Rijeka, when she won the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle at a world-record pace (1:51.85). At the 2009 Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Pellegrini broke the world record in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 4:00.41 to better Joanne Jackson's record of 4:00.66.

2009 World Championships

Pellegrini at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Pellegrini broke the world record again in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 3:59.15, winning the gold medal and in doing so becoming the first female swimmer to break the 4-minute barrier in the event; she won the gold medal also in the 200 m freestyle and she broke her own world record with a time of 1:52.98. At 2009 European Short Course Championships in Istanbul she broke the world record in the 200 m freestyle with a time of 1:51.17. At the 2010 European Championships in Budapest Pellegrini won the bronze medal in the 800 m freestyle, behind Lotte Friis and Ophélie-Cyrielle Étienne, and the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle with a time of 1:55.45; in the same year, she announced that she would be working with Laure Manadou's former coach, Philippe Lucas.

2011 World Championships

At the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, Pellegrini won the gold medal in the 400 m freestyle with a time of 4:01.97, becoming the second female swimmer after Laure Manaudou to win the gold medal in this event at two consecutive World Aquatics Championships. Two days later, she won the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle too with a time of 1:55:58, becoming the first female swimmer ever to win this title at two consecutive editions of the World Aquatics Championships; after the success in Shanghai, she parted ways with her French coach and began working with Federico Bonifacenti.

2012

In May 2012, she was surprisingly excluded from the final of the 400-metre freestyle at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships, after winning two gold medals in other events (200-metre freestyle and 4 × 200 m freestyle relay) and a bronze medal in 4 × 100 freestyle relay.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Pellegrini finished fifth in the 400 metres freestyle with a time of 4:04.50 and the 200 metres freestyle with a time of 1:56.73.

2013 World Championships

After the Olympics, Pellegrini declared she wouldn't take part to 200 and 400 metres freestyle at 2013 World Aquatics Championships to take a gap year. She chose to prepare herself for 200 metres backstroke competition to compete for Italy at World Championships. Anyway, with a last-minute decision, Pellegrini took part to 200 metres freestyle event at the 2013 World Championships and eventually won a silver medal with a time of 1:55.14, her best since Rome. Pellegrini won the silver medal behind Missy Franklin.

2014

At the 2014 European Aquatics Championships she repeated herself, winning the two gold medals of the previous championship, in the 200-metre freestyle (preceding Hosszú and Heemskerk) and in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, this one with an exceptional vamp over the Swedish team. She took part of 400-metre freestyle too, finishing fourth in the final, and this was her last international competition in that event.

2015 World Championships

Pellegrini during Victory Ceremony of the 200 m freestyle at Kazan 2015

At the World Aquatics Championships held in Kazan (Russia) in 2015, she won the silver medal in 200 metres freestyle behind Katie Ledecky and ahead of Missy Franklin with a time of 1:55.32, and the silver medal in the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay behind the United States. By winning the silver medal in the individual 200 metres freestyle, she became the first female swimmer in history to get a medal in the same event at six consecutive World Championships.

2016

Pellegrini flagbearer for Italy at Rio de Janeiro 2016

In May 2016, she competed in European Championships in London and won the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:55.93, beating Femke Heemskerk from Holland. At the Settecolli, in June, she set the Italian record in the 100 freestyle (53:18), and she made a very interesting time in the 200 freestyle (1:54:55), her personal best with the textile suit.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Pellegrini was flagbearer for Italy, and competed in the following disciplines: 200m freestyle, and in the 4 × 100 and 4 × 200 m freestyle relays.

Pellegrini missed the podium during the competition, ranking fourth during the 200 m final. Eventually, she stated that failing to win an Olympic medal in the women's 200 metres freestyle final in Rio de Janeiro was so devastating for her that she may consider "making changes to her life".

Nevertheless, she got a prime redemption at the World Short Course Championships in Windsor (Ontario), because she won her first gold medal in the 200 freestyle, beating Katinka Hosszú.

2017

Pellegrini competed in a Milan meet on 12 March 2017 and finished first in 100 m freestyle with 54.77 and second in 100 m backstroke with 1:01.59. She competed in Indiana 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series in 2–4 March 2017 and won gold in 200 m freestyle with a time of 1:56.07. At the World Aquatics Championships held in Budapest, she won the gold medal in 200 metres freestyle ahead of both Katie Ledecky and Emma McKeon with a time of 1:54.73. This was Ledecky's first loss at a major event. By winning the gold medal in the individual 200 metres freestyle, she became the first swimmer ever to get a medal in the same event at seven consecutive World Championships. She competed in the 100 metres freestyle too.

2018, the sabbatical year

After winning her seventh consecutive medal at the World championships of Budapest 2017 Pellegrini decides to allow herself a sabbatical with milder training and partial abandonment of her beloved 200m freestyle. And this is how at the European Championships in Copenhagen in December 2017 as individual competitions she participates in the 100 m freestyle which she finishes in seventh position in the final, and in the 100 m backstroke where she does not qualify for the final swimming only the tenth time of the semifinals. The only satisfaction of this review is the bronze medal in the 4 × 50 mixed freestyle relay.

We continue on this path also at the European Long Course Championships in Glasgow of the following season where there is only a fifth place in the final of the 100 m freestyle and several placings at the foot of the podium in the relays, but also in this case Pellegrini seemed do not show up for the appointment in optimal conditions.

2019

Pellegrini won the gold medal (her fourth overall) in the 200 m freestyle race at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships held at Gwangju, with a time of 1:54.22, before Ariarne Titmus and Sarah Sjöström, taking advantage of Katie Ledecky, Emma McKeon and Taylor Ruck's withdrawals in the event, and so improving her record of being the one, among female and male swimmers, to achieve eight podiums in the same event during eight consecutive editions of the World Championships earning the title of 9th-most decorated swimmer history with individuals medals alone. She didn't go beyond the heats in the 50 metres freestyle and in the 100 metres freestyle. She took part in the finals of the 4×100-metre mixed freestyle relay and the 4 × 100 m medley relay.

2021

In May, Pellegrini competed at the European Championships in Budapest, where she won double silver medal respectively in the 200m freestyle and in the 4 × 200 m mixed freestyle, and a triple bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle, in the 4 × 100 m mixed freestyle and in the 4 × 100 m medley.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, she qualified for the final of the 200 metre freestyle. This made her the second swimmer in history (after Michael Phelps) to qualify for the final of the same event five times.

Pellegrini announced that she would retire at the conclusion of her third ISL season. Her final race as a professional was in her home country in Riccione on 30 Nov 2021.

Non-sporting activities

In August 2015 a section of the Lungomare delle Stelle of Jesolo was named after Federica Pellegrini and, as per tradition, the cast of the athlete's hands was made, preserved in the museum Kursaal of the city.

From 2019 to 2022 she was a judge on the talent show Italia's Got Talent , broadcast on TV8 and Sky Uno. Since October 2021 she has hosted some episodes of Le Iene with Nicola Savino.

In October 2022 she was one of the contestants in the tenth edition of Peking Express, paired with her husband Matteo Giunta.

Personal life

From August 2011 to late 2016, Pellegrini was in a relationship with swimmer Filippo Magnini, having previously been engaged to another teammate, Luca Marin.

On 30 October 2021, Pellegrini announced her engagement to her long-time coach Matteo Giunta. They married at San Zaccaria, Venice, on 27 August 2022.

Personal bests

Pellegrini currently holds 3 European records (ER) and 16 National records (NR). Her personal bests are (as of 15 December 2019):

Event Long course (year) Short course (year)
50 m freestyle 24.92 (2019) 24.55 (2017)
100 m freestyle 53.18 (2016) 52.10 (2019)
200 m freestyle 1:52.98 (2009) World record 1:51.17 (2009) World record
400 m freestyle 3:59.15 (2009) 3:57.59 (2011)
800 m freestyle 8:24.99 (2010) 8:15.20 (2010)
50 m backstroke 28.53 (2018) 30.01 (2003)
100 m backstroke 1.00.03 (2018) 57.55 (2018)
200 m backstroke 2:08.05 (2013) 2:03.75 (2013)
50 m butterfly 28.46 (2015) 28.59 (2005)
100 m butterfly 1:00.17 (2015) 1:00.39 (2015)
200 m butterfly 2:12.96 (2015) 2:08.69 (2013)
100 m medley 1:04.62 (2003)
200 m medley 2:17.25 (2009) 2:12.20 (2015)
4 × 50 m freestyle relay 1:35.61 (2016)
4 × 100 m freestyle relay 3:35.90 (2016) 3:29.48 (2014)
4 × 100 m mixed freestyle relay 3:24.55 (2016)
4 × 200 m freestyle relay 7:46.57 (2009) 7:43.18 (2018)
4 × 200 m mixed freestyle relay 7:32.37 (2018)
4 × 50 m medley relay 1:45.84 (2019)
4 × 100 m medley relay 3:56.50 (2019) 3:51.38 (2018)
4 × 100 m mixed medley relay 3:43.27 (2019)

International championships (50 m)

 Did not compete
Meet 100 free 200 free 400 free 800 free 200 back 4 × 100 free 4 × 200 free 4 × 100 medley 4 × 100 mixed free 4 × 100 mixed med 4 × 200 mixed free
WC 2003 8th not scheduled
EC 2004 4th 5th 4th
OG 2004 10th 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 10th DSQ(h)
WC 2005 10th 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5th
EC 2006 heats 6th 5th DSQ(h)
WC 2007 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5th 13th 10th
EC 2008 DSQ(h) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
OG 2008 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5th 10th 4th 14th
WC 2009 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4th
EC 2010 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
WC 2011 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 13th 14th
EC 2012 1st place, gold medalist(s) 10th 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
OG 2012 5th 5th 12th 7th 11th
WC 2013 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 9th 10th 7th DSQ(h)
EC 2014 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4th 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5th
WC 2015 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6th 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5th
EC 2016 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5th 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
OG 2016 4th 6th 13th 8th
WC 2017 15th 1st place, gold medalist(s) 10th 8th 5th 8th
EC 2018 5th 5th 4th 4th 5th
WC 2019 22nd 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6th not scheduled
EC 2021 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6th 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
OG 2021 DNS 7th DSQ 6th 4th
a Pellegrini swam only in the heats
b Pellegrini qualified from the heats, but scratched the semi-finals

National championships

Pellegrini won 129 national swimming championships (both individual and relay races), in absolute (24), winter (38) and spring (66) editions

Year
Edition
freestyle
50 m
freestyle
100 m
freestyle
200 m
freestyle
400 m
freestyle
800 m
freestyle
4 × 50 m
freestyle
4 × 100 m
freestyle
4 × 200 m
backstroke
100 m
mixed
4 × 50 m
mixed
4×100 m
backstroke
200 m
2002 Absolute - - 3 - - - - - - - - -
Winter - 2 - - - - - - - - - -
2003 Spring 2 1 3 - - - - - - - - -
Winter 2 1 1 - - 1 - - - 1 - -
2004 Spring 1 1 1 - - - 1 1 - - 1 -
Absolute 2 1 1 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -
Winter 2 1 1 - - 2 - - - 1 - -
2005 Spring - 1 1 1 - - 3 - - - 1 -
Absolute - 1 1 1 - - 1 2 - - 1 -
Winter - 2 1 1 3 2 - - - 1 - -
2006 Spring - 1 1 2 - - 1 3 - - 1 -
Winter - - 1 1 - - - - - - - -
2007 Spring - 1 1 1 - - 2 1 - - 1 -
Absolute - - 1 1 1 - 1 2 - - 1 -
Winter - - 1 1 - - - - - - - -
2008 Spring - 2 - - - - 3 1 - - 1 -
Absolute - - - 1 - - - 3 - - 2 -
Winter - - 2 - - - - - - - - -
2009 Spring - 1 1 - - - 1 1 3 - 1 -
Absolute - - - 1 - - 1 1 3 - 3 -
2010 Spring - - 1 1 1 - 1 1 - - 1 -
Winter - - 1 - - 1 - - - 1 - -
2011 Spring - 1 1 1 1 - 3 - - - 1 -
Absolute - - - 1 - 1 - - - 2 - -
Winter - - 1 1 - - 1 - - - 1 -
2012 Spring - 1 1 1 - - 2 - - - 1 -
Winter - - - - - - 2 - - - 1 -
2013 Spring - - 1 - - - 2 2 1 - 2 1
Winter - - - - - - 1 - - - 2 1
2014 Spring - - 1 1 - - 3 1 - - 2 1
Winter - - - - - - 2 - - - 1 -
2015 Spring - - - 3 - - 2 1 - - 1 -
Winter - - 1 - - - 1 - - - 1 -
2016 Spring 1 1 - - - 1 1 - - 1 -
Winter 1 1 - - - 2 - - - 1 -
2017 Spring 1 1 - - - 2 1 3 - 1
Winter 2 1 - - - 2 - - - 1 -
2018 Spring - 1 - - - - 2 - 1 - 2
Winter 1 1 2
2019 Spring 1 1 2
Winter 2 1 1
2020 Absolute 2 1 1 -
Winter 3 1 1
2021 Spring 2 1 1
Winter 1

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-01-20 02:30 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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