Olympic gold medalist and World Record holder Federica Pellegrini announced her engagement to Italian National Team coach Matteo Giunta Saturday on Instagram. Giunta is also the head coach of the Rome-based Aqua Centurions of the International Swimming League, a team which Pellegrini belongs to and is competing with in the third season of the league, as well as Pellegrini’s personal coach. Pellegrini recently swam in her 5th Olympic Games and is expected to retire from competition when the Aqua Centurions’ season comes to an end this ISL season. Pellegrini has been with the Aqua Centurions since the ISL’s inception in 2019 and is one of the team captains.
Pellegrini is the World Record holder in the 200 LCM freestyle, set at the 2009 World Championships in Rome in a 1:52.98. Pellegrini was the 2008 Olympic gold medalist in the 200 freestyle and has finished on the podium in the same race at 7-consecutive World Championships (2005-2019) as well as 2-consecutive Olympic Games (2004-2008), though she swam in the Olympic final of the 200 freestyle in 5-consecutive Olympics (2004-2020).
Giunta has an impressive coaching resume and was the 2019 Swammy Award winner for Italian Coach of the Year. Giunta and Pellegrini will return to the pool in Eindhoven in November for the 2021 ISL semi-finals. The top-4 teams that emerge from the semi-finals will advance to the league final in early 2021.
PELLEGRINI 200 FREESTYLE FINALS — Olympics & World Championships (LCM)
- 2004 Olympics, silver — 1:58.22
- 2005 Worlds, silver – 1:58.73
- 2007 Worlds, bronze – 1:56.97
- 2008 Olympics, gold — 1:54.82
- 2009 Worlds, gold – 1:52.98 (WR)
- 2011 Worlds, gold – 1:55.58
- 2012 Olympics, 5th — 1:56.73
- 2013 Worlds, silver – 1:55.18
- 2015 Worlds, silver – 1:55.32
- 2016 Olympics, 4th — 1:55.18
- 2017 Worlds, gold – 1:54.73
- 2019 Worlds, gold – 1:54.22
- 2020 Olympics, 7th — 1:55.91