Federica Pellegrini
(born August 5, 1988) is an Italian swimmer. A native of Mirano
(province of Venice),
she is currently the women's 400m freestyle (Long
Course) and 200m freestyle world record holder.
Medals and world records She
is the current European Champion of the 400m, establishing the current
women's 400m freestyle world record with a time of 4:01.53 in the final
of the European Championships of Eindhoven held on March 24, 2008.
Pellegrini also currently holds the women's 200m freestyle world
record, with a time of 1:54.82, and has reached several podiums during
her career, including the silver medal in the women's 200m freestyle at
the 2004 Athens Olympics. Pellegrini is the only Italian swimmer, and
one of the few European ones, who have broken a world record in more
than one discipline. After suffering disappointment in the 400m
freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where she was favoured to win
she showed great resilience to win her first gold medal in the 200m
freestyle event setting new world records in the both the heats and
final.