Italian swimmers returning home from worlds detained briefly at Singapore airport for shoplifting

Two Italian swimmers returning home from the world championships in Singapore were stopped and briefly detained by airport authorities on the Asian island for shoplifting. The Italian swimming federation says Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino were released after the Italian embassy intervened on their behalf. Pilato won a bronze medal in the 50-meter breaststroke. The federation says it will “carefully evaluate the matter.” The Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Tarantino put items that she stole inside Pilato’s suitcase. Pilato says on Instagram that she experienced “particularly difficult moments which fortunately turned out to be independent of my will.”