World Swimming Championships: Simona Quadarella silver in the 1500s

World Swimming Championships: Simona Quadarella wins silver in the 1,500

Simona Quadarella updates Italy’s medal tally in the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka. The Roman swimmer won a splendid silver in the 1500 freestyle.

The Azzurra finished with a time of 15’43″31, having to surrender only to the overpowering Katie Ledecky, who beat her by 17 seconds. On the lowest step of the podium was China’s Bingjie Li, who hit the bronze medal after catching up in the final with U.S. Lani Pallister, who was fourth.

“I’m happy, a weight has been lifted off me,” she admitted at the end of the race. “I didn’t think I would do these times, I was alone and had no reference. That’s why I was a little slower. I took back a medal in this race after four years, I am happy. It was complicated this year in so many ways, it takes training and mental balance, I had lost it at one point. I was very tense, but it went well.”