Ned Denison, chairperson of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, announced Arianna Bridi as an Honor Swimmer in the IMSHOF Class of 2024.

The 28-year-old is an Italian professional marathon swimmer who also serves as a Chief Army Corporal in the Italian military. In 2020, she joined a select group of illustrious women throughout marathon and channel swimming history who set overall speed records (male and female) in major marathon competitions or channel crossings when she won the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in 6 hours 4 minutes.

Her performance set the overall (male and female) speed record and is still held as of November 2023. It was the first time a female swimmer held the overall speed record on the famed Capri-Napoli course, swum since 1954. It was an especially sweet victory and record for the Italian woman from the northern Italian city of Trento.

Women Who Have Set Overall Speed Records In Marathon Swimming History (not inclusive of pioneering swims)

• Rose Pitonof set the record for the 18.1 km Boston Light Swim in 6 hours 50 minutes in 1910
• Ida Elionsky set the record for the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 11 hours 45 minutes in 1916
• Gertrude Ederle set the record for the 33.5 km English Channel (France-England) record in 14 hours 39 minutes in 1926
• Lynne Cox set the record for the 33.5 km English Channel (England-France) in 9 hours 36 minutes in 1972
• Diana Nyad set the record for the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 7 hours 57 minutes in 1975
• Penny Dean set the record for the 32.3 km Catalina Channel (mainland-Catalina) in 7 hours 15 minutes in 1976 (that still holds)
• Penny Dean set the record for the 33.5 km English Channel (England-France) in 7 hours 40 minutes in 1978
• Cindy Nicholas set the record for the 67 km English Channel two-way in 18 hours 55 minutes in 1982
• Irene van der Laan set the record for the 67 km English Channel two-way in 18 hours 15 minutes in 1983
• Annemie Landmeters set the record from Robben Island to Blouberg in 1 hour 40 minutes in 1987
• Alison Streeter set the record for the 35 km North Channel in 9 hours 54 minutes in 1988
• Annemie Landmeters set the record from Robben Island to Three Anchor Bay) in 2 hours 45 minuts in 1989
• Dr. Vicki Keith, CM set the butterfly record for the 32.3 km Catalina Channel in 14 hours 53 minutes in 1989
• Tamara Bruce set the record for the 19.7 km Rottnest Channel Swim in 4 hours 13 minutes in 1992
• Karen Burton set the record for the 32.3 km Catalina Channel (Catalina-mainland) in 7 hours 43 minutes in 1984
• Shelley Taylor-Smith set the record for the 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 5 hours 45 minutes in 1995
• Shelley Taylor-Smith set the record for the 79 km Sydney to Wollongong, Australia in 12 hours 28 minutes in 1995
• Penny Palfrey set the record for the 47.6 km Alenuihaha Channel in 14 hours 51 minutes in 2009
• Elizabeth Fry set the record for the reverse 45.9 km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 11 hours 41 minutes in 2009
• Michelle Macy set the record for the 35 km North Channel in 9 hours 34 minutes in 2013
• Jaimie Monahan set the record for the 91 km Manhattan Island double circumnavigation in 20 hours 12 minutes in 2017
• Adrianna Bridi set the record for the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in 6 hours 4 minutes in 2020

Bridi won the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in 2020 in a time of 6 hours 4 minutes that set the overall (male and female) speed record which held at end 2023 (and beyond). It was the first time a female swimmer held the overall speed record in Capri-Napoli, especially a sweet victory and record for the Italian woman from Trento.

Bridi also won 1 Major, the 2017 FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup, and two bronze medals at the 2017 FINA World Championships in the 10 km and 25 km in Hungary.  Her other FINA World Cup 10 km victories included:

• 2019 in Lake Qiandiao, China
• 2019 in Seychelles
• 2018 in Seychelles
• 2018 in Abu Dhabi
• 2017 in Viedma, Argentina
• 2017 in lac St Jean, Canada
• 2017 in Hong Kong
• 2016 lac Mégantic, Canada

Arianna has earned a podium position in an incredible 67% of her 30 FINA professional marathon swimming races in 17 countries over a 9-year period until 2023 (to date, with more certainly do come).  She also won the LEN 25 km Championship in 2018 and 2016 LEN Cup, and the 2015 10 km Summer Universiade (World University Games).

She wrote poetically on Instagram @ari.bridi, “I have always had my feet planted on the ground and my head in the clouds. And the body sometimes got a little lost. My feet shouldn’t be on the ground and my head shouldn’t be in the air. I want to be in the water.”

Together with a long history of female inductees in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame who have set overall speed records in the sport, Bridi is well deserving of this honor.

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