Barbara and the podium: “Seeing Paltrinieri helps, he gives his best and doesn’t complain” Manuel sprinted with the 4×100 Italian relay: “I forced myself for the medal”
/ TREVISO
Like cherries: one bronze leads to another. From Barbara Pozzobon to Manuel Frigo. From strokes in open water to those in the pool. And with a common point of no small importance: the first medal “of weight” at the European Championships in Budapest. The 24-year-old from Loria participates in the 4×100 freestyle party, climbing on the podium with Miressi, Ceccon and Zazzeri. A young and cheeky relay, which is already looking to the Tokyo Games. They close in 3’11 “87, not far from the Italian record and with the extra satisfaction of giving the Italian swimming expedition in the race the first medal of the Hungarian review: title to Russia, the last fractionist Frigo (47” 85) accuses the comeback of Great Britain. “Maybe I forced a little too much, the condition is not at its best,” Frigo told Rai, “but it is the first international medal”.
Barbara, as we said, spends the day-after between flights and waiting at the airport. The tiredness that is intertwined with a new awareness. The relaxed soul and the joy for having filled an empty box of the palmarès: the bronze in the 25 km at the European cross-country as the first medal with the national team in a great event. Barbara Pozzobon talks to us just before the Budapest-Amsterdam flight: she will arrive in Rome with the blue group in the late evening, in “her” Maserada only today. The caimana del Piave tells of the boarding school in Piombino with Gregorio Paltrinieri and makes an appeal for the pools, it focuses on the emotions of Lupa Lake. We start from the emulation effect that the Carpi ace may have generated in the retreats and in the week of the Continentali with his three golds. «Yes, being able to train with Paltrinieri was of great help», he begins, «Seeing a champion of his level in your own lane gives a strong motivation. Because he never gives up and never complains, he always gives 100%. Undoubtedly a stimulus to improve and always give something more. You know that in times of trouble, there is a champion who suffers with you. Sure, with different rhythms from yours ».
But, in these days, the alarm of the pool managers is also ringing, who are trembling for the reopening of the indoor facilities. Last night, in correspondence with the first finals of swimming in the lane in Budapest with Frigo as protagonist, the social campaign of Federnuoto was launched to raise awareness on the suffering of swimming facilities. «The indoor pools must be reopened as soon as possible», the appeal, «I was lucky enough to always be able to train at the Natatorium: without this possibility, I would have had to move to a federal center. The survival of grassroots sport is at stake ». Then with Pozzobon we return to the magical Hungarian strokes: «Now I’m tired and a bit full of pain, but also very happy. On the eve, I felt a little anxiety, but then I said to myself: “I did everything I had to do to prepare myself. I only have to think about competing ”. I was hoping for a medal of another color, but I have no regrets. I gave 100%, I’m happy like this ». But it is likely that the vibrant final with the French Grangeon has mentally relived it several times (surpassed by 3/10 for the silver): «She was good, she managed to annoy me until the end. To make me nervous ». He has no doubts about the dedications: «To the family, the coach Barbara Bertelli, my company Hydros and the Fiamme Oro. And to all those who have allowed me to get here ». That is to the medal that can change the face of the career.
For the Marca it does not end here: Margherita Panziera made her debut in the pink 4×100: sixth and the hunt for the Olympic pass postponed to Settecolli. You, of course, bet on the 200 back. –