Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Italian swimmers Pilato and Tarantino are suspended for 90 days after shoplifting at Singapore airport, affecting their participation in upcoming championships.
ROME (Reuters) -Italian swimmers Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino have been suspended for 90 days following a shoplifting incident at Singapore airport, their federation said on Thursday.
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 August 3.
The suspension bars both swimmers from taking part in the European Short Course Championships scheduled for December 2-7 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 with the assistance of Italian diplomatic officials.
After the events became public, Pilato wrote on Instagram 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.
(Reporting by Alvise ArmelliniEditing by Christian Radnedge)
Shoplifting is the act of stealing goods from a retail establishment. It often involves concealing items and leaving the store without paying for them.
A suspension in sports is a disciplinary action that temporarily bars an athlete from participating in competitions or events due to violations of rules or conduct.
A duty-free shop is a retail outlet that sells goods exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, typically found at international airports.
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