Benedetta Pilato, Chiara Tarantino Get 90-Day Bans for Arrest
Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino were suspended 90 days by the Italian swimming federation for their arrest for shoplifting in Singapore this summer. The duration of the ban will rule them out of the European Short-Course Championship in Poland in December.
The swimmers were detained at the Singapore airport on Aug. 3, after returning from a vacation in Bali after their participation in the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. They required intervention from the Italian embassy to secure their release. The FIN took into account the plea bargain requests entered by both athletes.
Pilato, 20, is the higher profile of the two. She’s a six-time medalist at the World Championships, including the 2022 World Champion in the women’s 100 breaststroke. She won bronze in the 50 breast in Singapore. She won gold at each of the last two European Championships in the 50 breast, to go with silver in 2023 in the 100.
Tarantino, 22, was part of the Italian women’s freestyle relay that set a national record and finished seventh in Singapore. She won a bronze in the mixed freestyle relay at the 2021 European Championships.
