On the day when Gregorio Paltrinieri and Benedetta Pilato hope to toast the first Roman continental gold at aperitif time, Italnuoto sits at the table at lunch, congratulating Matteo Giunta. The morning heats of the third day of competitions at the Foro Italico highlight the excellent work of the blue coach, the next husband of Federica Pellegrini. The technician from Pesaro, as well as Pippo Magnini’s cousin, sees the fruits of his training: Silvia Scalia arrives at 6 cents from her Italian record with the second absolute time trial in the 50 backstroke; Luca Pizzini with the tenth time in the 200 breaststroke; Ilaria Cusinato third time overall in the 400 medley. Only Giacomo Carini is missing, competing in the 200 butterfly, for the first complete session of the results of a working group that trains in the federal center of Verona and hopes to collect as much as possible at the Paris Olympics in two years. As a start, in the first year of competitive daily life without Federica Pellegrini, it’s not bad. “Federica got used to us too well, winning immediately is something very complicated,” says the future husband of the Divina, as well as godmother of the Roman Europeans and always on the poolside to observe the races.
Giunta, however, can smile with the recovery of Ilaria Cusinato, vying for a medal in the afternoon’s final after a year studded with many and too many physical problems. “For what I expected, this morning’s result is fine. I had problems with my ankle this season and I can’t extend my foot well in the back but I’m confident for the final », says the Venetian from Cittadella, bronze at the European Championships in Glasgow in 2018. Maybe at aperitif time, with five finals in the blue menu, there could be another medal to toast to for Italy’s swimming. In a while, on a date still kept secret but still close, Federica and Matteo will toast their wedding, after four years of engagement.
The finals
From 6 pm the finals starting from 200 meters back, with our Lorenzo Mora and Matteo Restivo. Then the 100 meters Freestyle with Alessandro Miressi and Lorenzo Zazzeri, the 100 meters breaststroke women, with the favorite Benedetta Pilato and Lisa Angiolini. And again the women’s 4×100 Freestyle Style. And finally, the 800m Freestyle Style – with Gregorio Paltrinieri and Lorenzo Galossi
But the first finals are those of artistic swimming with the free duo with Costanza Ferro and Linda Cerruti and the mixed duo with Giorgio Minisini and Lucrezia Ruggiero.