Simone Cerasuolo (born 22 June 2003) is an Italian competitive swimmer. He is the world junior record holder in the short course 50 metre and 100 metre breaststroke events. In the 50 metre breaststroke, he won a gold medal at the 2021 European Junior Championships, the silver medal at the 2022 European Aquatics Championships (long course), the bronze medal at the 2022 World Short Course Championships, and placed fifth at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships (long course). In the 100 metre breaststroke, he won the bronze medal at the 2021 European Junior Championships and placed sixth in the final at the 2022 World Short Course Championships.
Early life Cerasuolo was born 22 June 2003 in Italy. He has swum for GS Fiamme Oro and Imolanuoto in national and regional competitions, and is coached by Cesare Casella.
Career 2021 On 25 April 2021, at the Italian Regional Championships of Emilia-Romagna, Cerasuolo set a new world junior record and European junior record in the short course 50 metre breaststroke event with a time of 26.26 seconds, which broke the former records of 26.31 set by Nicolò Martinenghi of Italy in 2017.Lepesant, Anne (26 April 2021). "Simone Cerasuolo Sets World Junior Record In SCM 50 Breast With 26.26". SwimSwam. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
2021 European Junior Championships
At the 2021 European Junior Swimming Championships in Rome, and held at the Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto, Cerasuolo swam a personal best time of 1:00.78 in the prelims heats of the 100 metre breaststroke.LEN (7 July 2021). "LEN European Junior Swimming Championships Rime - Italy: Results 100m Breaststroke Men Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 30 November 2021. In the final of the 100 metre breaststroke the following day, 8 July, he placed third with a time of 1:01.56, winning the bronze medal in the event.LEN (8 July 2021). "LEN European Junior Swimming Championships Rime - Italy: Results 100m Breaststroke Men Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 30 November 2021.Johnson, Annika (8 July 2021). "2021 European Junior Championships Day 3 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved 30 November 2021. Cerasuolo won the gold medal in the final of the 50 metre breaststroke with a time of 27.29 seconds, bringing his total medal count to two medals in individual events for the Championships.LEN (9 July 2021). "LEN European Junior Swimming Championships Rime - Italy: Results 50m Breaststroke Men Final". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 30 November 2021.Sutherland, James (9 July 2021). "2021 European Junior Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved 30 November 2021.Byrnes, Liz (9 July 2021). "Miladinov Adds Junior 100 Fly Gold To European Silver; Popovici Blasts 1:45.26 For 200 Free CR". Swimming World. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
2021 Italian Short Course Championships At the short course 2021 Italian National Championships in Riccione, Cerasuolo broke his own world junior and European junior records in the 50 metre breaststroke with an event winning time of 25.85 seconds.FIN (30 November 2021). "Campionato Italiano Assoluto Frecciarossa - V. 25m: Risulti 50 m Rana - Uomini" (in Italian). Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 30 November 2021.Race, Retta (30 November 2021). "Simone Cerasuolo Posts New World Junior Record In 50 Breast". SwimSwam. Retrieved 30 November 2021. In the 100 metre breaststroke, Cerasuolo set new world junior and European junior records with a time of 56.66 seconds that won him the event by finishing over three tenths of a second ahead of the former world junior record holder and second-place finisher Nicolò Martinenghi.FIN (1 December 2021). "Campionato Italiano Assoluto Frecciarossa - V. 25m: Risulti 100 m Rana - Uomini" (in Italian). Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 1 December 2021.Race, Retta (1 December 2021). "Cerasuolo Nails Encore SCM 100 Breast World Junior Record – 56.66". SwimSwam. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
2022 In April 2022, at the Italian National Spring Championships, conducted in long course metres, Cerasuolo swam a 1:00.59 in the prelims heats of the 100 metre breaststroke to qualify for the final ranking second.FIN (10 April 2022). "Campionato Italiano Primaverile UnipolSai - V. 50m: Risultati 100 m Rana - Uomini" (in Italian). microplustiming.com. Retrieved 10 April 2022. He won the silver medal in the final with a time of 1:00.62.FIN (10 April 2022). "Campionato Italiano Primaverile UnipolSai - V. 50m: Risultati 100 m Rana - Uomini Finale" (in Italian). microplustiming.com. Retrieved 10 April 2022.Carlson, Reid (10 April 2022). "2022 Italian Spring Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved 10 April 2022. On the fifth and final day, he swam a 27.28 in the preliminary round of the 50 metre breaststroke to qualify for the final ranking second.FIN (13 April 2022). "Campionato Italiano Primaverile UnipolSai - V. 50m: Risultati 50 m Rana - Uomini" (in Italian). microplustiming.com. Retrieved 13 April 2022. In the final, he won the silver medal with a personal best time of 26.85 seconds.FIN (13 April 2022). "Campionato Italiano Primaverile UnipolSai - V. 50m: Risultati 50 m Rana - Uomini Finale" (in Italian). microplustiming.com. Retrieved 13 April 2022.Bruno, Gianluca (13 April 2022). "Nuoto, Niccolò Martinenghi sfiora il record italiano sui 50 rana. Ai Mondiali anche Simone Cerasuolo" (in Italian). OAsport. Retrieved 13 April 2022. His time of 26.85 seconds was fast enough to qualify him for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in the event.Carlson, Reid (13 April 2022). "2022 Italian Spring Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
2022 World Aquatics Championships
On the fourth day of competition at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, held at Danube Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Cerasuolo swam a time of 27.17 seconds in the preliminaries of the 50 metre breaststroke and qualified for the semifinals ranking eighth across all prelims heats.FINA (20 June 2022). "19th FINA World Championships Budapest (HUN): Men's 50m Breaststroke Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 20 June 2022.Tiseo, Giandomenico (20 June 2022). "Nuoto, Mondiali 2022: Nicolò Martinenghi vola in semifinale con il miglior tempo nei 50 rana. Bene Cerasuolo" (in Italian). OA Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2022. For the semifinals later in the same day, he lowered his time to a 27.01, ranked fifth across both semifinals heats, and qualified for the final.FINA (20 June 2022). "19th FINA World Championships Budapest (HUN): Men's 50m Breaststroke Semifinals Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 20 June 2022. In the final, he swam a time of 26.98 seconds to place fifth, finishing 0.26 seconds behind bronze medalist Michael Andrew of the United States.FINA (21 June 2022). "19th FINA World Championships Budapest (HUN): Men's 50m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 21 June 2022.Adami, Davide (21 June 2022). "Nuoto, Simone Cerasuolo: "Il quinto posto per ora va bene, sono contento per Martinenghi"" (in Italian). OA Sport. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
The following month, at the 2022 Italian National Summer Championships in Ostia, Cerasuolo swam a personal best time of 1:00.08 in the 100 metre breaststroke to win the bronze medal, finishing 0.15 seconds ahead of fourth-place finisher Alessandro Pinzuti."Campionato Italiano Assoluto Herbalife - V. 50m: Resultati 100 m Rana - Uomini" (in Italian). Italian Swimming Federation. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
2022 European Aquatics Championships
In the preliminaries of the 100 metre breaststroke on day one of the 2022 European Aquatics Championships, held in August in Rome, Cerasuolo ranked sixth with a time of 1:00.51 and did not qualify for the semifinals as he was not one of the two fastest Italian swimmers in the preliminaries.LEN (11 August 2022). "European Aquatics Championships Roma 2022: Results 100m Breaststroke Men Preliminary". Microplus. Retrieved 11 August 2022.Tiseo, Giandomenico (11 August 2022). "Nuoto, Europei 2022: Nicolò Martinenghi in semifinale con il miglior tempo nei 100 rana, bene Federico Poggio". OA Sport. Retrieved 11 August 2022. In a tight race for the top two spots by the Italians in the 50 metre breaststroke on day five, he ranked second, all of the top four spots were achieved by Italians, and qualified for the semifinals with a time of 26.85 seconds that equalled his personal best time.LEN (15 August 2022). "European Aquatics Championships Roma 2022: Results 50m Breaststroke Men Preliminary". Microplus. Retrieved 15 August 2022. For the semifinals, he swam a 26.86 and qualified for the final ranking second.LEN (15 August 2022). "European Aquatics Championships Roma 2022: Results 50m Breaststroke Men Semi-Final". Microplus. Retrieved 15 August 2022.Šimnovec, Miha (15 August 2022). "Peter John Stevens ima velike cilje tudi za finale" (in Slovenian). Delo. Retrieved 15 August 2022.Tiseo, Giandomenico (15 August 2022). "Nuoto, Europei 2022: Nicolò Martinenghi e Simone Cerasuolo dominano le semifinali dei 50 rana" (in Italian). OA Sport. Retrieved 15 August 2022. In the final, he won the silver medal with a time of 26.95 seconds, finishing only behind fellow Italian Nicolò Martinenghi.LEN (16 August 2022). "European Aquatics Championships Roma 2022: Results 50m Breaststroke Men Final". Microplus. Retrieved 16 August 2022.Vigarani, Marco (16 August 2022). "Europei di nuoto, altre due medaglie d'argento: Paltrinieri e Cerasuolo" (in Italian). Corriere di Bologna. Retrieved 16 August 2022."Europei nuoto, Martinenghi oro e record italiano nei 50 rana. Argento per l'altro azzurro Cerasuolo" (in Italian). Il Gazzettino. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
2022 World Short Course Championships
On the morning of day two of the 2022 World Short Course Championships in December in Melbourne, Australia, Cerasuolo split a 26.46 for the breaststroke leg of the 4×50 metre mixed medley relay to contribute to a time of 1:38.91 in the preliminaries that advanced the relay to the final ranking sixth.FINA (14 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 December 2022. Later in the morning, he qualified for the semifinals of the 100 metre breaststroke ranking ninth across all preliminary heats with a time of 57.24 seconds.FINA (14 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Men's 100m Breaststroke Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 December 2022. In the evening session, Nicolò Martinenghi substituted in for him on the relay and he won a silver medal for his efforts when the finals relay placed second in 1:36.01 before he achieved a 56.71 in the semifinals of the 100 metre breaststroke to qualify for the final ranking fifth.FINA (14 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 December 2022.FINA (14 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Men's 100m Breaststroke Semifinals Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 December 2022. With a time of 56.99 seconds in the final, he placed sixth exactly 1.11 seconds behind gold medalist Nic Fink of the United States.FINA (15 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Men's 100m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 December 2022.