Media365
Italian swimmers Benedetta Pilato, 20, and Chiara Tarantino, 23, received 90-day bans from all activities by the Italian swimming federation for stealing cosmetics at Singapore airport while returning from the 2025 world championships, where Pilato won bronze in the 50m breaststroke.The two athletes were arrested by Singapore police on August 14 after being caught stealing two cosmetic products from a duty-free store at the airport.The swimmers were able to return to Italy on August 20 following intervention from Italian authorities.“Given the facts revealed by the investigation and the cooperation of the two athletes, who acknowledged their responsibilities, the prosecutor of the Italian swimming federation has decided to suspend them for 90 days from all activities starting today,” the federation announced.The suspension means both swimmers will miss the European short course championships in Poland this December.Pilato, who won world breaststroke gold in Budapest in 2022, addressed the incident on social media. “From this experience, I draw great lessons on prudence, individual responsibility, and the value of the people around me,” she wrote.She also claimed she had been “involved (in this theft) independently of (her) will.”
