World Series Lignano 2025: Barlaam and Trimi lead Italy’s dominance

The Para Swimming World Series Lignano Sabbiadoro 2025 witnessed stunning performances, exciting contests and new world records as the four-day event ended on Sunday (16 March).

The home team, who emerged winners in the last two World Championships, yet again showed their strength at Bella Italia Village’s pool led by four-time Paralympic champion Simone Barlaam (S9) who clinched gold medals in the men’s 50m and 100m freestyle. 

Overall, Italy claimed eight gold medals. Barlaam also took a silver medal in the 100m butterfly and a bronze in the 100m backstroke race.

Much like Barlaam, two-time Paralympic champion Arjola Trimi (S2) triumphed in the women’s 50m and 100m freestyle while Paralympic champions Angela Procida, Francesco Bocciardo, Monica Boggioni, and Antonio Fantin were the other names that shone brighter in the competition.

Procida (SM2) secured the gold in the women’s 150m medley; Bocciardo (S5) and Boggioni (S5) were the winners in the men’s and women’s 200m freestyle race respectively; and Fantin (S6) topped the podium in the men’s 400m freestyle, which he shared with his teammates Federico Bicelli (S7) in second and Alberto Amodeo (S8) in third.

Fantin and Boggioni also took other medals for the hosts. Fantin finished second in the men’s 50m freestyle and third in the 100m freestyle race. Boggioni (SB3), meanwhile, took two silver medals in the women’s 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke events.

Black and white on Day 3️⃣ of Para Swimming World Series Lignano Sabbiadoro 2025.

🔗 Check out the full results: https://t.co/8P4rzRP9PA

📸: Augusto Bizzi #ParaSwimming #Lignano2025 pic.twitter.com/HNNWYe92fN

— Para Swimming (@Para_swimming) March 16, 2025

Other winners

The Lignano Sabbiadoro 2025 also had other names who shone at the championships.

Brazil’s Paralympic champion Gabriel Bandeira (S14) dominated the men’s 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke races besides taking a silver medal in the men’s 100m freestyle to propel the team to second place in the medals table.

Brazil also had other two gold medallist with Debora Carneiro (SB14) and Lidia Cruz (S4) triumphing in the women’s 100m breaststroke and 50m backstroke, respectively.

Ukraine’s Anna Hontar, four-time bronze medallist at the Games, also topped the podium twice after winning the women’s 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly.

Day 2️⃣ ✅

🇧🇷 Beatriz Carneiro & Lidia Cruz grabbed gold medals for Brazil on the second day of the Para Swimming World Series Lignano Sabbiadoro 2025.

🇮🇹 The hosts topped the podium twice with Monica Boggioni & Francesco Bocciardo… (+) pic.twitter.com/cwWqDMsG44

— Para Swimming (@Para_swimming) March 15, 2025

World record smashed

Great Britain, with two golds, three silver, and three bronze, competed the top three in the medals table. 

Paralympic champions Ellie Challis and Faye Rogers were responsible for Britain’s nation anthem God save the King being sung at Bella Italia Village. Challis (S3/SM3/SB2) triumphed in the women’s 50m breaststroke, finished second in the 200m freestyle, and claimed bronze in the 150m medley.

Rogers (S10/SM10) pulled off a similar result topping the podium in the women’s 200m medley, took a silver in the 100m butterfly, and secured two bronze medals in the women’s 100m and 400m freestyle.

The weekend was even more perfect for Rogers as she went beyond the medals and broke her own S10 class world record in the women’s 200m butterfly after lowering her performance in four seconds and setting 2:22.77 as the new global mark.

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Israel, Uzbekistan, Argentina, and Hong Kong were the other nations to take gold medals in Lignano.

The full results of the Para Swimming World Series Lignano Sabbiadoro 2025 can be found here.

What’s next?

The calendar gets busier as Para Swimming World Series heads up immediately from Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy to Barcelona, Spain where the third meet of the year takes place this week.

It will be other four-day action-packed competition starting on Thursday (17 March).