Rutgers swimming and diving has made an enviable addition to its freestyle roster with the addition of freshman Sveva Schiazzano, who enrolled in January and has been ruled immediately eligible to compete.

Schiazzano is a native of Sorrento, Italy, who won a 1,500-meter gold medal at the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijian.

“Sveva may be a first-semester freshman, but she is also a decorated champion on the national level,” RU head coach Jon Maccoll said. “She will be a tremendous asset to the program in and out of the water with her talent in swimming and her experience at the highest level of competition.”

Schiazzano made her debut for the Scarlet Knights in a quad-meet at Ohio State on Jan. 20, where she won the 1,650-yard freestyle event to help Rutgers to a victory against Nebraska.

“I chose Rutgers because it represents an opportunity, a point of departure and not of arrival,” Schiazzano said. “I know coming here would guarantee a good education and improvement in my sport.”

Schiazzano was a bronze medalist in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the 2016 European Junior Swimming Championships and a bronze medalist in the 800-meter freestyle at the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2013 and in the 5,000-meter freestyle at the Comen Cup Open Water Championships in 2014.