“Could have made much”: Fans rip into Olympic swimmers Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino after Singapore shoplifting case

Olympic swimmer Benedetta Pilato and fellow Italian swimmer Chiara Tarantino were briefly detained at Singapore’s airport after a shoplifting case while returning from their trip to Bali. Pilato, just 20 years old and a world champion in breaststroke, and Tarantino, 22, who earlier won medals in Europe, were stopped by local authorities this month. Both were released within hours after the Italian embassy stepped in. The Italian Swimming Federation later confirmed the incident and said it would review the matter.

Online backlash hits Olympic swimmers Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino over shoplifting incident

The case involving Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino in Singapore has sparked loud reactions online, with many fans shocked at the news.


Some people mocked the swimmers, writing,

“Could have made much,”

while another said, “Great lesson indeed at cost of ending career. Just ask Alyssa Milano.”

Other reactions were harsher, with one asking, “Was she trans?”

while another wrote, “Wtf? How embarrassing. And the absolute worst country to shoplift in. Cameras everywhere.”

Another fan added, “What an idiot.”

X/NYPost

The criticism came fast on social media as the story spread. Many fans pointed out that Singapore has some of the strictest rules in the world, making it one of the worst places for such an incident.

Olympic swimmers Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino explain the Singapore airport incident

According to reports in Gazzetta dello Sport, Chiara Tarantino placed items she stole inside Benedetta Pilato’s suitcase. The incident happened on August 3, after the swimming world championships had ended, while the two were flying back from a vacation in Bali and passing through Singapore airport.

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Benedetta Pilato, who had won bronze in the 50-meter breaststroke at the recent world championships, explained her side on Instagram. She wrote, “On days that should have been mainly for rest and mental relaxation, I went through, far from home, particularly difficult moments, which fortunately turned out to be independent of my will, but which seriously affected me.”

She added that she cooperated fully with Singapore officials, saying, “I collaborated with local authorities from the very beginning, with the full support of the Italian embassy. Fortunately, the incident ended within a few hours, without any implications, thanks to my maximum transparency with the Singapore airport authorities.”

Benedetta Pilato, who has also won a world gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke in 2022 and competed at the Paris Olympics, said she never meant to act against the values of honesty and sport.

“I never intended to commit inappropriate gestures, and those who know me know how much I care about sport values, fairness and personal honesty. From this experience, I’ve learned great lessons about prudence, individual responsibility and the value of the people around me.”

Chiara Tarantino, who won a bronze medal in the mixed 4x100 freestyle relay at the 2021 European Championships, has not yet issued her own public statement.



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