An incredible milestone for Burdisso at just 19 years old. The debut at Aics Pavia, then the successes up to the historic bronze in Tokyo: now he is among the big names
Federico Burdisso makes history: he is the first Italian to win a medal – bronze – in the butterfly specialty at the Olympics, and the first from Pavia to win one in swimming. The 19 year old champion from Pavia, weaned in the swimming pool in via Folperti, with determination and sacrifice combined with innate talent, thanks to the podium in the final of the 200 has written a fundamental page of Italian sport.
Luciano Cremonesi, Coni provincial delegate, underlines it thus: «A round of applause to Federico for an enterprise that will remain in the history of national swimming and sport in Pavia. Before the start of the Games I had thrown a big “good luck” to all the people from Pavia who participated in the Olympics because I felt that something important would be done. So it was and we are only at the beginning, who knows that other great satisfactions may follow. When Federico returns to Pavia we will organize an awards ceremony dedicated to him and to all the Olympians from Pavia ».
Malinverno, the first coach
The first coach of “Chicco” Burdisso was Stefano Malinverno, who followed him at a very young age in the plant in via Folperti for Aics Pavia Nuoto: “I immediately understood that Federico was talented – he says – He swam and won in all styles but he was particularly good at dolphin. It was easy to predict an important future for him, even if you also need to put determination and grit into it, qualities that Burdisso has never lacked ». Burdisso was then coached by Mario Franchi, again at Aics.
The first successes at the Student Sports Games; then the Estra Team, training at the Lacchiarella swimming pool. When he was 13 years old, Franchi said of him that «a swimmer like this is born every decade. For a sum of physical, character and technical skills. He was born to swim. In the water it is perfect, even in details such as the movement and shape of the foot, and to all this it also combines the intuitive gift of knowing what to do to win ».
Burdisso began high school at the high school of applied sciences in Pavia and then continued his studies in England and America, at the Northwestern University in Evanston, where he attended courses in economics with a statistical address and where his brother Alessandro also studies. Federico is part of the Army sports group and is registered with Aurelia Swimming: his current coach is Simone Palombi.
Burdisso holds the Italian record of 200 butterfly in long course (1’54 “28) and in short course (1’51” 98): if the bronze at the Olympics is the highest point, he won the medal of the same coin at the European Championships of Glasgow in 2018 and silver in those of Budapest in the 200 butterfly. At the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympics he collected bronzes in the 100 and 200 butterfly, and in the 4×100 style.
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Maurizio Scorbati