was surprisingly excluded from the final of the 400-metre freestyle at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships, after winning two gold medals in other events (200-metre freestyle and 4 × 200 m freestyle relay) and a bronze medal in 4 × 100 freestyle relay. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Pellegrini finished fifth in the 400 metres freestyle with a time of 4:04.50 and the 200 metres freestyle with a time of 1:56.73. 2013 World Championships After the Olympics, Pellegrini declared she wouldn't take part to 200 and 400 metres freestyle at 2013 World Aquatics Championships to take a gap year. She chose to prepare herself for 200 metres backstroke competition to compete for Italy at World Championships. Anyway, with a last-minute decision, Pellegrini took part to 200 metres freestyle event at the 2013 World Championships and eventually won a silver medal with a time of 1:55.14, her best since Rome. Pellegrini won the silver medal behind Missy Franklin. 2014 At the 2014 European Aquatics Championships she repeated herself, winning the two gold medals of the previous championship, in the 200-metre freestyle (preceding Hosszú and Heemskerk) and in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, this one with an exceptional vamp over the Swedish team. She took part of 400-metre freestyle too, finishing fourth in the final, and this was her last international competition in that event. 2015 World Championships At the World Aquatics Championships held in Kazan (Russia) in 2015, she won the silver medal in 200 metres freestyle behind Katie Ledecky and ahead of Missy Franklin with a time of 1:55.32, and the silver medal in the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay behind the United States. By winning the silver medal in the individual 200 metres freestyle, she became the first female swimmer in history to get a medal in the same event at six consecutive World Championships. 2016 In May 2016, she competed in European Championships in London and won the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:55.93, beating Femke Heemskerk from Holland. At the Settecolli, in June, she set the Italian record in the 100 freestyle (53:18), and she made a very interesting time in the 200 freestyle (1:54:55), her personal best with the textile suit. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Pellegrini was flagbearer for Italy, and competed in the following disciplines: 200m freestyle, and in the 4 × 100 and 4 × 200 m