/ ROMA
Technical tests of Games. Margherita Panziera takes the 200 backstroke at Settecolli in 2’08 “08, a time higher than her standards (in spring she swam 2’05’56”, Italian record and second time in the world 2021) but definitely good one month from five circles appointment, which will see the queen of the Aniene represent the Marca with the loriese Manuel Frigo, selected for the 4×100 relay (call almost in pocket by the Europeans, now there is the imprimatur of the technical director Butini). Competition centered smoothly by the European champion from Budapest, who will now be awaited by three weeks of hard work, before the trip to Japan. A completely different atmosphere compared to five years ago, when Panziera had not managed to hit the minimum time at Settecolli, but then she would have been fished for Rio anyway. Now the back of the Aniene is among the strongest in the world and at the Games she will have the advantage of not crossing the American Regan Smith, surprising gold at the 2019 World Championships but “rejected” at the American trials. «I was expecting this time, I knew I wasn’t at the top», Panziera begins at Raisport, who at Settecolli preceded the Israeli Barzelay by almost three seconds. «It would be strange if it had gone differently. Settecolli was a good opportunity to measure myself against time and test myself in terms of Games. Now there is little, I still have a few weeks of hard work ahead of me ». Compared to Rio 2016, it has completed a path of admirable growth: the five medals at the last European Championships speak for themselves, including the bis title on the 200 backstrokes. In the meantime, good news arrives on Frigo: with the fourth place on Saturday’s 100 sl, a personal best of 2/100, the call for the Games in the 4x100m is official. Already fourth at the 2019 World Championships and bronze at the recent European Championships in the fast relay, he will be in the team with Thomas Ceccon, Alessandro Miressi, Santo Condorelli and Lorenzo Zazzeri. No Games, on the other hand, for Mattia Zuin: he touches in 1’49 ”05 (the time limit was 1’47” 39), seventh of the Italians (eighth of the last series) out of the 200 style that assigned the passes for the relay. Gone are the times of the bronze obtained by the Cordignano in the 4×200 at the European Championships in Glasgow 2018. –