Abroad
Italian swimmers suspended for 90 days after shoplifting at Changi Airport
They will both miss the European Short Course Championships in early December.
October 10, 2025, 11:26 AM
The two Italian Olympic swimmers who were detained for shoplifting in Changi Airport have been suspended for 90 days, the Italian swimming federation announced on Oct. 9.
The federation said it had accepted individual plea bargain requests from the swimmers, and made the decision considering "the collaborative attitude of the athletes, who accepted their responsibility", as quoted by AP.
Chiara Tarantino, 22, and Benedetta Pilato, 20, were in Singapore in August to compete in the World Aquatics Championships.
Returning from a vacation in Bali after the competition, they were making a stopover in Singapore on Aug. 14 when they were caught on CCTV cameras stealing three bottles of perfume from a duty-free store in Changi Airport.
After being detained for several days, they received a 12-month conditional warning on Aug. 19, and were allowed to return to Italy the next day with a ban on re-entering Singapore.
After the incident came to light, Pilato addressed it in an Instagram post.
She said that she "never intended to commit inappropriate gestures", and through this experience "learnt great lessons about prudence, individual responsibility and the value of the people around [her]".
Will miss competitions
Due to the three-month suspension, Tarantino and Pilato will miss taking part in the 2025 European Short Course Championships happening from Dec. 2 to 7, ESPN reported.
Both swimmers have previously picked up medals at this competition.
They also represented Italy at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Pilato, a six-time medalist at the World Aquatics Championships, won bronze in the women's 50-metre breaststroke at the 2025 championships in Singapore.
She also currently holds the Italian national records for women in the 50-metre and 100-metre breaststroke.
Tarantino was part of the Italian women's freestyle relay that set a national record and finished seventh at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
Top images from Pilato and Tarantino's Instagram
