Italian swimmers suspended 90 days over Singapore Changi Airport shoplifting incident

ROME: Italian swimmers Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino have been suspended for 90 days following a shoplifting incident at Singapore's Changi Airport, their federation said on Thursday (Oct 9). 

The Italian Swimming Federation (FIN) said the punishment was meted out taking into account the two athletes' admission of responsibility and their cooperative stance.

Pilato, 20, is a former world record holder for the women's 50 metre breaststroke, and won a bronze medal at the world championships in Singapore on Aug 3.

The suspension bars both swimmers from taking part in the European Short Course Championships scheduled for Dec 2 to Dec 7 in Lublin, Poland.

According to Italian media reports, the shoplifting incident happened in late August during a stopover in Singapore, while the pair were returning from a holiday in Bali.

Tarantino, 22, reportedly stole some essential oil bottles at a duty-free shop and hid them in Pilato's bag, in an act that was caught by security cameras.

The two athletes were briefly detained by local authorities before being released.

After the events became public, Pilato wrote on Instagram that she had been unwillingly and indirectly "involved in an unpleasant incident handled by Singapore airport authorities".

She said it had never been her intention to behave inappropriately, and said she was deeply attached to "the values of sport, fairness, and personal honesty".

"From this experience, however, I have learned great lessons about prudence, individual responsibility, and the value of the people around me," she added.

Tarantino made no public comments.