Simona Quadarella Siblings: Getting to Know Erika Quadarella

Kevin Koech

2 months ago

Simona Quadarella is a renowned Italian swimmer born on December 18, 1998, in Rome, Italy, specializing in long-distance freestyle events such as the 400m, 800m, and 1500m.

At 26 years old, she has emerged as one of Italy’s premier female swimmers, often compared to legends like Federica Pellegrini for her dominance in distance races.

Quadarella’s journey into swimming began early, influenced by her family’s athletic background, and she quickly rose through the ranks to become a key figure in international aquatics competitions.

Standing at approximately 5’9″ with a powerful, endurance-driven stroke, she trains under coach Christian Minotti and represents the Fiamme Azzurre sports group.

Her career has been marked by resilience, including overcoming challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruptions and personal health setbacks.

Siblings

Simona has an older sister, Erika Quadarella, who introduced her to the sport.

Erika, a competitive swimmer at the national level in Italy, served as an inspiration and role model for the young Simona, encouraging her to follow in her footsteps and pursue aquatic excellence.

Growing up in Rome, the sisters shared a close bond, with Simona often crediting Erika’s achievements and guidance for her own entry into competitive swimming at the age of eight.

Career

Quadarella’s swimming career ignited in her youth, joining the Polisportiva Delta Roma club at age eight and transitioning to the junior competitive sector by 2013, where she secured second place in the 800m freestyle and third in the 400m at the Italian Winter Championships.

Her international breakthrough arrived in 2014 at the Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, where she claimed gold in the girls’ 800m freestyle with a time of 8:35.39, marking her as a prodigy in distance events.

By 2017, at just 19 years old, Quadarella exploded onto the senior scene, earning bronze in the 1500m freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, which propelled her to nine international medals over the next two years—seven golds and two bronzes.

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The 2018 European Aquatics Championships in Glasgow became a defining moment, as she swept gold in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events, shattering the Italian record in the 800m previously held by Alessia Filippi.

This triumph repeated in 2021 at the delayed 2020 European Championships in Budapest, where she again won three golds in the same events plus a bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

At the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, Quadarella captured her first world title in the 1500m freestyle with an Italian record of 15:40.89, followed by silver in the 800m after a thrilling duel with Katie Ledecky.

Her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020 yielded bronze in the 800m freestyle, finishing in 8:18.35 amid a tight race with Ledecky and Li Bingjie.

Post-Tokyo, Quadarella continued her ascent, securing gold in the 800m at the 2022 European Championships in Rome—her third consecutive European title in the event, a historic first for a female swimmer—and placing fifth in the 1500m at the 2022 Worlds.

In Paris 2024, she added to her legacy with strong performances, though specifics highlight her ongoing competitiveness.

Entering 2025, at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, she set two European records: silver in the 1500m freestyle at 15:31.79, the second-fastest time ever and 12th in history, and a new continental mark in the 800m at 8:12.81, surpassing Rebecca Adlington’s decade-old record.

Accolades

Quadarella’s Olympic medal tally includes bronze in the women’s 800m freestyle at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she edged out competitors in a photo-finish battle.

At the World Aquatics Championships, she boasts gold in the 1500m freestyle from Gwangju 2019, silver in the 800m from the same meet, and bronze in the 1500m from Budapest 2017, with recent silvers and records in Singapore 2025 elevating her global profile.

European Aquatics Championships have been her golden playground, yielding eight individual golds across multiple editions: a historic triple crown in 400m, 800m, and 1500m at both Glasgow 2018 and Budapest 2021, plus another 800m gold in Rome 2022, bringing her total European golds to a record eight for an Italian woman.

Youth accolades laid the foundation, including gold in the 800m at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics.

Quadarella holds multiple Italian records, notably in the 800m (8:12.81, set in 2025) and 1500m (15:31.79), and has shattered European benchmarks in both events.

Her nine-medal haul from 2017-2018 alone—seven golds—highlights an explosive rise, while relay contributions, like bronze in the 4x200m freestyle at Budapest 2021, showcase her team prowess.

Beyond hardware, she has been named a European Adidas athlete and stands as Italy’s torchbearer in distance freestyle, with over 20 international medals amassed by mid-2025, inspiring a new era of Italian aquatic dominance.