Federica Pellegrini made it into the final of the women's 200 m freestyle on Monday after nothing the third-best time in the semifinals of 1'55''42, behind Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden and Katie Ledecky of the United States.
The final is scheduled for Tuesday. Meanwhile, Italian boxer and 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist Vincenzo Mangiacapre had to pull out of the Rio games on Monday after fracturing his cheekbone during his victory over Mexico's Juan Pablo Romero in the men's welterweight last 32. He was due to take the first flight home.
On Monday Niccolò Campriani won the gold medal at the 10-meter air rifle competition.
It was Italy's third Olympic gold medal for Italy so far after victories for Fabio Basile in judo and Daniele Garozzo in fencing on Sunday.
Basile beat South Korea's Baul An in the final of the 66-kilogram judo division to notch Italy's 200th gold medal in Olympic history. Garozzo upset top-ranked American Alexander Massialas 15-11 in the final of the men's foil fencing to claim another gold shortly after.
The victories capped an impressive start by the Italian team at the Olympics that put them fourth in the medals table at the end of day two with a total of seven medals - two golds, three silvers and two bronzes. Rossella Fiamingo won Italy's first medal of the games on Saturday with silver in the women's epee. Swimmer Emanuele Detti then went on to pick up bronze in the 400 metres freestyle.
On Sunday, Odette Giuffrida took silver in the women's 52-kilogram judo division and Elisa Longo Borghini won bronze in the women's road cycling. Diving duo Tania Cagnotto and Francesca Dallape took silver in the women's three-meter springboard synchronized event.
Premier Matteo Renzi used his @matteorenzi Twitter account to express his pride at Italy's strong start at the Rio Olympics. "How wonderful Italian sport is," he tweeted. "Gold in judo and fencing. But well done in diving, cycling, swimming too. And it's only the start #orgogliotricolore (#tricolourpride) #ForzaAzzurri".
The biggest disappointment so far for Italy was Vincenzo Nibali's crash on a hazardous decent in the men's road cycling on Saturday when he looked on course to win gold. He had to be taken to hospital with a broken collarbone.
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