Benedetta Pilato (born 28 January 2005) is an Italian swimmer. She is the European champion in the 50 metre breaststroke in 2021 and the 100 metre breaststroke in 2022 as well as the silver medalist in the 50 metre breaststroke in 2022. In 2021, she won a silver medal in the 50 metre breaststroke at the 2021 World Short Course Championships. She is the world champion in the 100 metre breaststroke and the silver medal in the 50 metre breaststroke at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships.

Career

2019–2020: World Championships silver medalist at 14 years of age 2019 European Junior Championships On 3 July, at the 2019 European Junior Swimming Championships held in Kazan, Russia, Pilato won the gold medal in the 50 metre breaststroke with a Championships record time of 30.16 seconds, finishing over one full second ahead of silver medalist Kotryna Teterevkova of Lithuania and Anastasia Makarova of Russia.LEN (3 July 2019). "Glasgow LEN European Junior Championships Swimming Kazan 2019: Results 50m Breaststroke - Women Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 20 August 2022. Two days later, she won a silver medal in the 4×100 metre medley relay, contributing a split of 1:07.70 for the breaststroke leg of the relay to the final time of 4:05.66.LEN (5 July 2019). "Glasgow LEN European Junior Championships Swimming Kazan 2019: Results 4x100m Medley - Women Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 20 August 2022. In the final of the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay the next day, she helped achieve a fifth-place finish in 3:55.49, splitting a 1:10.15 for the breaststroke leg of the relay.LEN (6 July 2019). "Glasgow LEN European Junior Championships Swimming Kazan 2019: Results 4x100m Medley - Mixed Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 20 August 2022. For her fourth and final event, on 7 July, she placed fifth in the 100 metre breaststroke with a time of 1:08.22.LEN (7 July 2019). "Glasgow LEN European Junior Championships Swimming Kazan 2019: Results 100m Breaststroke - Women Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 20 August 2022.

2019 World Aquatics Championships Pilato competed in the women's 50 metre breaststroke at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, winning the silver medal, at the age of 14.

On 27 July 2019, at the beginning of the senior national team, at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, she entered the final of the 50 breaststroke with the third best time (30.17), after setting the new Italian record and winning her heat in 29.98, beating her previous record set at the Settecolli Trophy (30.13). The next day, she placed second in the final with a time of 30.00 seconds, finishing 0.16 seconds behind gold medalist Lilly King of the United States and 0.15 seconds ahead of bronze medalist Yuliya Yefimova of Russia.FINA (28 July 2019). "18th FINA World Championships Gwangju (KOR): Women's 50m Breaststroke Final Heat 1 Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 19 August 2022.

2019 World Junior Championships The month following the senior World Championships, Pilato competed at the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, held in Budapest, Hungary, where she won the world junior title and gold medal in the 50 metre breaststroke with a time of 30.60 seconds, finishing over three-tenths of a second ahead of silver medalist Kayla van der Merwe of Great Britain and bronze medalist Kaitlyn Dobler of the United States.Arcobelli, Stefano (22 August 2019). "L'estate d'oro della Pilato: "La vita è cambiata, io solo la stessa"" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 19 August 2022. She also placed sixth in the 100 metre breaststroke with a time of 1:08.21 and fourth in the 4×100 metre medley relay with a final time of 4:05.29.FINA (25 August 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019 Budapest (HUN): Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved 19 August 2022.

2019 European Short Course Championships In December, at the 2019 European Short Course Swimming Championships held in Glasgow, Scotland, Pilato won the gold medal in the 50 metre breaststroke in a world junior record time of 29.32 seconds, after setting world junior records in the preliminaries heats, at 29.62 seconds, and the semifinals, at 29.48 seconds.Kenny, John (4 December 2019). "Mona McSharry storms home to take European bronze in Glasgow". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 August 2022.Pérez, Marta (4 December 2019). "Hosszu y Pilato, con dos récords del mundo júnior, se exhiben en Glasgow" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 20 August 2022.LEN (8 December 2019). "Glasgow LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships 2019: Results Book". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 20 August 2022. She also won a silver medal as part of the 4×100 metre medley relay, splitting a 29.18 for the breaststroke leg of the relay in the final, and placed thirteenth in the preliminaries of the 100 metre breaststroke with a 1:06.07, where she did not advance to the semifinals as she was not one of the two fastest swimmers representing Italy.

2020 Italian National Championships In December 2020, at 15 years of age, Pilato set a world junior record in the long course 50 metre breaststroke at the 2020 Italian Winter National Swimming Championships, in Riccione, with a time of 29.61 seconds.Villa, Stefano (3 April 2021). "Nuoto, Benedetta Pilato vince i 50 rana senza il tempone: 3 decimi sopra il record italiano" (in Italian). OA Sport. Retrieved 19 August 2022. The following month, she was the recipient of SwimSwam's World Junior Female Swimmer of the Year award for the year 2020.Dornan, Ben (2 January 2021). "2020 Swammy Awards: World Jr Female Swimmer of the Year - Benedetta Pilato". SwimSwam. Retrieved 13 June 2021.

2021: 16-year-old world record setter in 50 metre breaststroke In April 2021, at the Italian National Swimming Championships, Pilato achieved a spot on the 2020 Olympic Team for Italy in the 100 metre breaststroke.

2020 European Aquatics Championships In May 2021, at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships, conducted in long course metres and held in Budapest, Hungary, Pilato tied Sophie Hansson of Sweden for third-rank in the preliminaries of the 100 metre breaststroke with a time of 1:06.34 and did not advance to the semifinals as she was not one of the two fastest Italian swimmers.LEN (18 May 2021). "Hungary 2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships: Results 100m Breaststroke Women Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 19 August 2022. Four days later, she set a new world junior record in the preliminaries of the 50 metre breaststroke with a time of 29.50 seconds, lowering the former record she set in December by 0.09 seconds, setting a new Championships record, and qualifying for the semifinals ranking first.LEN (22 May 2021). "Hungary 2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships: Results 50m Breaststroke Women Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 19 August 2022. Later in the day, in the evening semifinals, she set a new world record, world junior record, and Championships record at of age with a time of 29.30 seconds, breaking the former record of 29.40 seconds set by Lilly King in 2017, and qualifying her to the final ranking first. In the final the following day, she won the gold medal and European title with a time of 29.35 seconds, finishing 0.84 seconds ahead of silver medalist Ida Hulkko of Finland.LEN (23 May 2021). "Hungary 2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships: Results 50m Breaststroke Women Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 19 August 2022.

2021 European Junior Championships At the 2021 European Junior Swimming Championships, held in early July in Rome, Pilato won the gold medal in the 50 metre breaststroke with a time of 30.13 seconds, and contributed a split of 1:06.58 for the breaststroke leg of the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay in the preliminaries before being substituted out and Simone Cerasuolo substituted in for the finals relay, which went on to be disqualified while swimming.LEN (11 July 2021). "Rome LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships 2021: Results Book". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 20 August 2022.

2020 Summer Olympics

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Pilato entered as the number six seed in the 100 metre breaststroke, in the prelims round of competition on 25 July 2021, she was disqualified and did not advance to the semifinals round of competition.Sutherland, James (25 July 2021). "Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved 25 July 2021."Olympic Swimming Results". WTOP-FM. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021. The reason for Pilato's disqualification was that she did not move her feet on the same horizontal plane during her kicks, which is also known as a scissor kick.DeGeorge, Matthew (25 July 2021). "Olympics: Tatjana Schoenmaker Sets Olympic Record in 100 Breast". Swimming World. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

International Swimming League Pilato was selected to compete on team Energy Standard for the 2021 International Swimming League.Penland, Spencer (1 August 2021). "ISL Season 3: Free Agency Period Closed After 36 Free Agent Signings In July". SwimSwam. Retrieved 2 August 2021.

2021 European Short Course Championships Leading up to the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships held at the Palace of Water Sports in Kazan, Russia in November, Pilato was highlighted as a competitor to watch in one of the top five female races, the 100 metre breaststroke, by SwimSwam.Race, Retta (1 November 2021). "Top 5 Women's Races To Watch At 2021 European Short Course C'Ships". SwimSwam. Retrieved 1 November 2021. Pilato won her prelims heat in the 100 metre breaststroke on day one of competition, 2 November, with a time of 1:05.23 and ranked fourth amongst Italian swimmers, sixth overall.LEN (2 November 2021). "2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships Kazan (RUS): Results 50m Breaststroke Women Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 2 November 2021. As Pilato was the fourth fastest Italian across all prelims heats of the event, she did not advance to the semifinals since only the two fastest swimmers in the prelims heats from a country were eligible for the semifinals.Sutherland, James (2 November 2021). "Pilato, Sabbioni Among Big Names Eliminated In Heats On Day 1 Of SC Euros". SwimSwam. Retrieved 2 November 2021. On the fifth day, she swam a 29.62 in the prelims heats of the 50 metre breaststroke and qualified for the semifinals ranked first.LEN (6 November 2021). "2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships Kazan (RUS): Results 50m Breaststroke Women Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 6 November 2021. Later in the day, she swam a 29.67 in the semifinals, ranked second overall, and advanced to the final of the event the next day.LEN (6 November 2021). "2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships Kazan (RUS): Results 50m Breaststroke Women Semi-Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 6 November 2021.Pezzato, Aglaia (6 November 2021). "Europei Kazan: Finali E Semifinali Day 5 Recap Live" (in Italian). SwimSwam. Retrieved 6 November 2021. On the last day of competition, Pilato won her first medal of the competition, a silver medal in the 50 metre breaststroke with a time of 29.75 seconds in the final.LEN (7 November 2021). "2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships Kazan (RUS): Results 50m Breaststroke Women Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 7 November 2021.Hamann, Michael (7 November 2021). "2021 European Short Course Championships: Day 6 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

2021 World Short Course Championships