Italian Swimmers Detained at Singapore Airport Over Alleged Shoplifting Incident
According to a report by The Associated Press, Italian swimmers Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino were detained by airport authorities before flying home from Singapore. After competing at the World Championships in Singapore, Pilato and Tarantino took a vacation to Bali, only to return to Singapore to get on.a flight back to Italy. But before boarding, Pilato and Tarantino were detained on suspicion of shoplifting.
The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Tarantino placed items that she stole in Pilato’s suitcase and authorities had video footage of the incident. The Italian embassy eventually got involved and helped arrange for the return of the swimmers to Italy. Meanwhile, the Italian Swimming Federation released a statement indicating it would evaluate the situation.
A longtime presence on the international scene as an elite breaststroker, Pilato won the bronze medal at the World Championships in the 50-meter breaststroke. She used a social media account to address the airport incident.
“On days that should have been mainly for rest and mental relaxation, I went through, far from home, particularly difficult moments, which fortunately turned out to be independent of my will, but which seriously affected me,” Pilato said. “I want to specify that I collaborated with local authorities from the very beginning, with the full support of the Italian embassy. Fortunately, the incident ended within a few hours, without any implications, thanks to my maximum transparency with the Singapore airport authorities.
“I never intended to commit inappropriate gestures, and those who know me know how much I care about sport values, fairness and personal honesty. From this experience, I’ve learned great lessons about prudence, individual responsibility and the value of the people around me.”
