Eliminated in the 100 butterfly battery after the bronze conquered in the 200. His coach Palombi: “Federico did something great anyway”
For only 8 cents, a trifle, Federico Burdisso remains out of the semifinal of the 100 butterfly, but the time and placement in the battery (51 “82, 24” 45 after 50 meters, 17th place, first of the excluded) guarantee him the presence in the mixed 4×100 blue relay that will compete on Saturday 31st with concrete possibilities of podium.
The other blue Santo Condorelli closes 31st in 52 “32 (24” 47), in the series dominated by Caeleb Dressel, which equals the Olympic record of 50 “39 (23” 85) held by Joseph Schooling, Singapore Olympian in Rio , disappeared from the radar; second time for the Hungarian Milak (50 ”62), third for the Polish Majerski (50” 97); fifth the Swiss Noè Ponti coached by Massimo Meloni in 51 ”24.
However, we certainly cannot speak of disappointment for the 19-year-old Burdisso, who faced the 100 butterfly battery a few hours after the historic bronze in the 200, the first from Pavia to win an Olympic medal in swimming and the first Italian in the butterfly specialty. This is reiterated by his coach Simone Palombi, from Rome, with a degree in Economics, technical manager of the Aurelia Nuoto club for which Federico is registered.
A historic enterprise
«The preparation was aimed at the 200 butterfly – underlines Palombi – Fede has done an extraordinary feat, which will remain in the annals. He is a fantastic boy, who makes enormous sacrifices to train and continue his university studies at a high level ». An expected result, the bronze? “It didn’t surprise me. But I must say that Federico felt the tension a lot. It is one thing to compete as an outsider, without headlights on, another to try your hand at the Olympics with the expectations of achieving results, in an event with compressed competitions and at impossible times, in the surreal atmosphere of the super-armored Olympic village. He certainly came out of this test stronger than before ».
Now the 4×100: «The possibility of a medal is not far-fetched. Italy plays between third and fourth place; Great Britain, the United States, Australia and Russia are the most accredited rivals ». Burdisso will play the third fraction, in the team including Ceccon, Martinenghi and Miressi, the same one who won bronze at the European Championships in Budapest in April (in which the champion from Pavia took home silver in the beloved 200 butterfly). The programs after the Games? «Federico – concludes Palombi – will probably participate in the Italians. Then some competitions and a lot of relaxation while waiting to resume studies in the US ».
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