The blue rejoices: “A historic result, now I expect a statue”
ROME. Nicola Bartolini won the gold medal at the world championships in artistic gymnastics, free body specialty. In Kytakyushu, Japan, the 25-year-old from Quartu Sant’Elena imposed himself by performing an exercise with very few smears that earned him a remarkable score of 14,800. Italy had not won a medal in the free body since 1966, when Franco Menichelli won a bronze while in 1913, with Giorgio Zampori, the last world champion success for the blue in the specialty dates back
“It’s a historic achievement: now I’m expecting a statue.” So Bartolini commented on his world championship success. «It is an indescribable moment – says the 25-year-old gymnast from Quartu Sant’Elena from Kytakyushu -. It was a hard time between preparation and a thousand things. I pulled out my claws and did the right exercises at the right time. Then there was a bit of luck, which is never enough, but when you work hard you can see the result ».
«When I saw Yulo off the platform – added Bartolini talking about the mistake of his Philippine rival, favorite for gold – I began to think that something serious could come. Since 2014, the year of my first World Cup, I have changed a lot, it has become my job and finally it shows. I am waiting for a statue with my face, like Menichelli ».