Paolo has already won in Rio and wants to repeat himself before the probable farewell to the Games. Fabrizio makes his debut at these levels but has three world titles on the showcase
PAVIA
The handbike could be a “gold mine” at the Tokyo Paralympics (25 August-2 September) for Paolo Cecchetto and Fabrizio Cornegliani of the Equa Team of Santa Cristina from Pavia. After all, Cecchetto is a veteran, the most coveted medal has already been won in Rio, in the line race in the H3 category.
Preparation on the high ground
“We prepared a lot and well – explains Cecchetto, 54 years old – after winning the world championship with Team Relay, which we will also take to the race in Japan, I worked at high altitude in Livigno, from which I only got off the day before the Italian championship. time trial, where, without releasing the fatigue, I finished in second place. At that point I left to work again on the heights. I did my best ». The handbikers leave for Japan on Monday. «The victory in the world championship was important because it was the confirmation that the work we were doing was well calibrated and this gives me a great boost – underlines Cecchetto, captain of Team Equa – they could be my last Paralympics, so I want to give the maximum. I don’t like bad figures, so now head focused on the Games. We’ll see. The best sporting moment of my career – continues Cecchetto – so far has been the victory at the 2016 Games. I dedicated it to my father, the next one I would dedicate to myself ».
Fabrizio Cornegliani, 42, is at the first Paralympic Games. The athlete from Miradolo Terme arrives there after three world titles in line and road racing, and two bronze medals, one in line and one on the road, category H1. «Sport is my life, because my life has always been sport – he says – the Games are the pinnacle. I chose the handbike because, since I have been in a wheelchair following an accident, it was the only discipline I could do and it allowed me to recover a lot ».
Fabrizio had the strength to improve, training consistently to aim for the top step in Japan. “It all started with the teacher I had in middle school, because it made me fall in love with all the disciplines I practiced in my life – explains Cornegliani – I love the suffering and fatigue that make me feel alive, which are part of the handbike of me. I never love to lose, it’s something that I suffer a lot and that makes me work twice as hard in training, so for me the race is a war to be won at any cost. This is why I am inspired by Federica Pellegrini, a tiger ». Of the three world championships he has won, one remembers him with particular pleasure: «It was the best moment, winning my first world championship in Italy in Maniago. Now let’s think about the Games, though. Mine is a discipline in which the handbike is very important, so the night before racing I think if everything is in order and ready to compete, I don’t want anything left to chance. I would dedicate the victory at the Games to my father, without him it would have been impossible to go to Tokyo ».
M.Sc.