Festival dello Sport Martinenghi and Pilato, golden couple of the frog: ‘This is how we win’

From our correspondent Stefano Arcobelli

September 25th
– Trento

The world frog (but also European) is blue and made the catwalk at the Sport Festival. The award-winning couple of the most technical specialty, Nicolò Martinenghi and Benedetta Pilano, told each other through anecdotes, curiosities and perspectives. “At first I didn’t like water, I played basketball, then it was an increasingly overwhelming passion. Now I win because I am aware” said Martinenghi, or Tete, as everyone calls him. The seventeen-year-old from Taranto said that “swimming and high-level studies can be reconciled, the only thing I miss is the 50-meter swimming pool, to stay in Taranto in the future we need facilities. Leaving Taranto could be more than an idea. I realized that I have more competitive opportunities elsewhere, also because in Taranto there are no structures for practicing high-level sports “.

The jump

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The world record holder is looking forward to turning 18 in January “to get her driver’s license immediately”. She then underlined together how “in the national team we are all friends and we drag ourselves along”. What did Benny have to give up? “The sacrifices in this sport are many, an outing with friends or a dinner out, but honestly I do not regret it, I would do it all again. Calmly and without pressure, the results always come, beyond the sacrifices that are made. A this age is even more important to dream, as well as always aiming to improve even when you have already achieved results, he concluded “. Martinenghi also talked about the rivalry with Adam Peaty: “We often exchange messages, but we hardly ever talk about swimming. My biggest ambition is not to beat him, but to do something great that can maybe even allow me to beat him.” Then he adds: “Our sport is clean, there is a lot of friendship out there, even if obviously you don’t give anything to anyone in the water. When I left the police it was to make my future responsible, I wanted to have a plan A and no more. a plan B. It was a big family, which I left before the Olympics. It was an abysmal change which, however, made me a different person from what I was before “. Pilato admits that this 2022 “was one of the best summers of my still short career. The World Cup was really nice, a unique experience back in Budapest where I managed to achieve various goals. The European Championship in Rome is it was the icing on the cake because the atmosphere of the audience was fantastic. The Melbourne World Cup? Last year the short season was not so good for me, but we try it. I started training and going to school again. I miss the last year. It all started again. But this year it will be quieter. ”

Golden couple

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They win together: “In the Olympic specialty – says Tete – it’s as if Benny and I had agreed by winning together. It was another fantastic summer after last year at the Games”. Benny and Tete responded to a nice game to bring out the traits of their personality: “Calm? I’m improving – says Pilato -. Before I was much more emotional. Now before the race I can calm down: how are you doing. And now it’s much better. Thom (Ceccon) hides the emotion, but he too feels it all. ” Ceccon was unable to intervene as he was stuck in Livigno due to bad weather: the helicopter was unable to take off. He would have enjoyed it too. Massimiliano Rosolino was also there to tease the champions.