Thomas Ceccon: A Minor Setback with His Swimsuit for the Italian National Team
Thomas Ceccon took his first strokes at the 2026 European Swimming Championships currently underway in France. The champion from Veneto, one of the most highly anticipated members of the Italian national team at the continental event, advanced from the heats to the semifinals of the 50-meter butterfly with the ninth-fastest time overall. After the race, Ceccon shared his initial impressions, also revealing a minor setback at the start.
“We’ve finally gotten started. This morning I had a small problem with my swimsuit, but nothing serious. The start is always a bit tough; I need a moment to get into gear,” he told RAI reporters. “We’re supposed to have a tag on our swimsuits with a QR code; today it wasn’t there, and I couldn’t compete,” Ceccon explained. As a good professional, I didn’t have a spare one—I either had to compete in the one I had or wait for them to bring me another. There were ten minutes left before the race, but they brought me another one, so I had to hurry a bit.”
Ceccon is hoping to achieve several personal goals: “It’ll be an important championship with lots of races; I want to perform well. I’ve worked hard these past few months—maybe a little less on the 50 than on the other races—but I’m confident.” From Monday, August 10, through Sunday, August 16, a total of 43 gold medals will be awarded, in addition to the Paralympic swimming events scheduled for Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16. Italy is heading into these competitions with its largest delegation ever fielded at an event outside the country’s borders: 48 athletes in total, 26 men and 22 women.
The Italian team heads into the week of competition at the pool bolstered by the results achieved in the first part of the European Championships in Paris, held at the same venues that hosted the 2024 Olympic Games. Among the standout performers of the first week was Chiara Pellacani, who achieved a historic feat in diving by winning five gold medals—a result no Italian athlete had ever achieved in a single edition of the European Championships.
