Filippo Pelati wins bronze at the World Artistic Swimming Championships in the men's freestyle: "Dedicated to my parents."

Ferrara, July 21, 2025 - Philip Pelat He won bronze in the men's freestyle at the World Artistic Swimming Championships . Italy also won a medal in the synchronized swimming event in Singapore . "Dedicated to my parents, who have always helped and supported me," says the eighteen-year-old from Ferrara, who also graduated from high school this year with a score of 80/100. The young man took third place in the men's freestyle event in his first world championships, finishing with a score of 213.9850. The music was Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird, and the choreography was by Anastasia Ermakova. His eyes were painted in black kohl, tears were streaming down his cheeks, and he hugged the national team's technical director, Patrizia Giallombardo, and cried with happiness . It's a dream come true. "I'm very excited, " says the Italian, "because it's an honor for me to wear these colors and bring them into the water. I'm achieving results I've always dreamed of. I was determined these days, but I never expected a world championship medal. I won it not because of the demerits of others, but because I performed well in the routine we've been preparing over the past few months with the coaches." In the competition, Russian neutral Aleksander Maltsev took gold, and China's Muye Guo took silver.

Born in Lagosanto (40 kilometers from Ferrara), Pelati is coached by Beatrice Casalini for Fiamme Oro and Uisp Bologna , and by technical director Patrizia Giallombardo for the national team. This is his first medal at the World Championships after his World and European Championship successes in the junior category two years ago. "We are very proud of this well-deserved result," commented Patrizia Giallombardo, "because Filippo performed at the highest level. He's a young man who's worked hard this year and has been very committed to school. He struggled a bit at first, but then he adapted to the pace of the national team and has done very well." New coach Linda Cerruti , also making her world debut in her new role, was also satisfied: "I was hoping for a medal, even though I knew it would be difficult to win because there are so many at the same level. It wasn't easy for Filippo because he beat experienced rivals accustomed to this kind of stage. He's a guy with a lot of room for improvement, and we'll definitely work on that. Let's say he's on the right track."