Gianni Cucchi and Cosimo Maravita with a Marcell Jacobs scalp in 2015
The rehabilitation at the Aquae Campus with Cucchi and Maravita of the two Olympic gold medal athletes. “They were determined to rise again, never even a complaint”
PAVIA. The “lucky” plaster that Gianmarco Tamberi brought to the Olympic stadium in Tokyo and to the historic gold above, had been applied to him in Pavia, at the end of the Achilles tendon operation which he had undergone in 2016, after the injury at the meeting in Montecarlo. “Gimbo” took it off before going to the Aquae Campus and starting rehabilitation with Gianni Cucchi and Cosimo Maravita, who collaborate with Federatletica doctors Franco Combi and Antonella Ferrario, now in Tokyo following the Azzurri.
For his part, Marcell Jacobs, the new king of Olympic speed and another hero of the extraordinary blue Sunday, passed under the hands of Cucchi and Maravita twice, once in 2015 and another three years ago.
Finally, Vanessa Ferrari, silver in the free body, faced every day the journey from Brescia to Pavia and back to recover after the umpteenth operation. And we stop here because it would be a long list of athletes who started recovery at the Campus with Cucchi and Maravita after ending up under the ferric (the first also has a degree in physiotherapy, Cosimo a diploma in osteopathy).
The rebirth started from Pavia
“The foundations for the competitive resumption of the three great Tamberi champions have been laid in Pavia, where the perfect environment for recovery is found and there are structures that allow them to stay for the whole day – explains Cucchi, master’s degree in physical activity preventive – we started collaborating with professors Benazzo and Zanon. Tamberi came to us on his return from Rio in 2016 as a commentator. He did not even go home, at the San Matteo hospital they removed the plaster and then he went to the Campus to start working. Humble boy, determined hard worker. Jacobs? He’s been here twice, with a knee patella cartilage problem in 2015 and then three years later. An anecdote? When Marcell first came to Pavia, he confessed that he loved the long jump. After the surgery, however, in agreement with the coach Camossi, he aimed to develop the speed for the run-up, only that he went so fast that his coach convinced him to give up the long run to aim for 100 ». So Vanessa Ferrari. «When she showed up in 2017, she said that her goal was Tokyo – continues Cucchi – accompanied by her boyfriend, Vanessa went back and forth with Brescia every day to train after the Achilles tendon surgery. There is a characteristic that unites these three athletes: they are determined and hard workers. Every day they took two long recovery sessions without ever complaining. We work in collaboration with their athletes’ coaches, informing them about what we do and goals ».
Cucchi and Maravita remained in contact with Tamberi and Jacobs: «We can hear from each other both by phone and by text message or via Instagram. It was incredible because Gimbo and Marcel won gold within 10 minutes of each other, we had the videos of the gym tuned to 100 meters high, making a great cheer ». –