There are those who think about it, and can, and those who dream of it, and this is for everyone: 748 swimmers (387 males and 361 females) will be competing from tomorrow to Thursday in the long pool of Riccione for the Winter Swimming Championships. The thought and the dream is in numbers: those of the time trial that would qualify them for the next world championships in Doha (February) and, even better, for Paris 2024. In such a messy calendar, with world champions who expire prematurely (the last ones they became in July) as if they were a yogurt, knowing your program in advance can ease tension and improve your approach. Because, in addition to the two great events already mentioned, there are also the European short course championships (in a few days: they start on December 5th in Otopeni, Romania) and those in the long course course, which is not yet known when or where. Don’t worry, guys: sheiks can’t buy these, Europe isn’t boundless up there…, even if football brings us its cups and super cups.
INSIGHTS
Swimming, Ceccon show in Genoa: wins the 200 medley and 100 backstroke. Pilate dominates in breaststroke
Nine of the 748 in the blocks (1638 race attendances) for Doha have already booked: they are the finalists for Fukuoka 2023, the world championships in July.
They are Gregorio Paltrinieri (800), the multitasking playmaker Thomas Ceccon (50 butterfly, 50 and 100 backstroke), Simona Quadarella (800 and 1500), Nicolò Martinenghi (50 and 100 breaststroke), Sara Franceschi (400 medley), Benedetta Pilato (50 breaststroke), Anita Bottazzo (50m breaststroke), Alberto Razzetti (400m medley) and Leonardo Deplano (50m freestyle). But Paris, oh dear… The 50m is not Olympic (except in the freestyle) and therefore someone will want to throw the anxiety out of the water and already take the trip to the Ville Lumière: we think especially of Pilate and the 100m breaststroke, also because there can be strong competition and the ticket validated first guarantees a place.
Greg starts immediately: tomorrow is already the fast series of the 1500m. He will not go to the European short course championships, he follows his path between the pool and the sea towards Paris, Doha will be the dress rehearsal of his Herculean labours. He trusts Paltrinieri (and his current coach, Fabrizio Antonelli: the two are symbiotic) and his choices have always led to something, sometimes “obvious”, other times “heroic”. Ceccon’s program is the usual puzzle: he too knows what to do and when to do it. He’s as talented as anyone. Back? Butterfly? Mix everything in the mixes? The freestyle with the 100m which is the golden fleece of every swimmer? And then that Sinner desire to be the leader of the relay that has already given Italy unimaginable satisfaction. The Vicenza native is ready for anything.
Simona Quadarella towards Doha knows she has an opportunity: Ledecky, who puts half a pool or more between her touch at the plate and her opponents, will not make the World Cup, like many Americans. The US team is thin (18 names, 5 women) because in their part the world championships mean little compared to the Olympics and even before that to the qualifying Trials (June in Indianapolis), the real trap that many times led them to overdo it there and to go to surménage for the Games. But they have so many potential champions that they can even afford it. There will be a naval battle in Riccione for the places in the relays (not scheduled here): there is a certain abundance, especially in the men’s sector and the selection will not be easy. The boys will have to sell their lives dearly. A bit of what happens in the frog pond, especially for women, in which Pilate is certainly not alone and, fortunately, the competition is at home even before outside.
In Riccione the heats (only the long distances are held in series) will be at 9.30 am, the finals at 5.30 pm. Watch out for those very young swimmers who will manage to juggle school and sport, which should go hand in hand and instead… Said of the Americans and to look at Doha (not even the good names of the Romanian Popovici and the French Marchand will go, and even the ‘Australia and Canada announce themselves “decapitated”) it is still worth noting the no to the Russians, who have just performed in their national championships in short. Strong as usual, but for now kept out of international competitions due to the war with Ukraine, which seems to the Powers of World Sport to be the only ongoing war: but there are, according to the most up-to-date research, 58 others.
Riccione program and members on the website www.federnuoto.it.
1970-01-01 00:00:00
#Riccione #Paltrinieri #Ceccon #prepare #Olympics
