At one time there was talk of dualism, now they change and make the difference: so Velasco managed to transform two champions into a single lethal weapon
Perhaps in yesterday’s final he did not always work perfectly (although in the decisive moment he made the difference), but it is certain that one of the keys to the success of the blue and their 36 consecutive victories is the rotation of the opposites, Paola Egonu and Ekaterina Anthropova. What once seemed to everyone a dualism difficult to manage has become thanks to Julio Velasco a strength, so much so that it makes the blue practically invincible. He of dualism, or even worse than rivalry between the two champions, never wanted to hear. “I will not allow this controversy to enter the locker room. If you ask me, I won’t answer you,” he said even before the Olympiad.
Paola’s applause
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Yet, when in January 2024 he took the team, the situation was rather incandescent. The relationship between Egonu and the former coach Mazzanti was compromised, so much so that he pushed the blue star to give up the Pre -Cholimpico. “He could no longer accept this initial reserve situation. He told me that he would no longer want to work with me,” will then say Mazzanti to the Gazzetta. Two eras seem to pass: in Thailand, as a year ago in Paris, Paola’s enthusiasm on the bench was contagious, an injection of courage for the others, an example of a group and union spirit. And at every point of Kate they were smiles, applause and exultations even little composed. Not only that. Egonu learned to wait without losing even a gram of concentration. And when your turn arrives, she gets ready and makes the difference. It happened against Brazil in the semifinal (28 points of Ekaterina and 11 by Paola, but many determinants in the fifth set) and partly yesterday against Turkey: 21 points of Egonu, 14 those of Anthropova. What really matters is that both decisive, allies, accomplices. How did Velasco succeeded in finding the perfect interlocking? With clarity, first of all. Upon his arrival, the CT immediately explained to Egonu that there is a difference between character and person, he was interested in the person. And with the empathy that characterizes (also) his work, seasoned with a good dose of victories that obviously help, led Paola to totally put himself, sincerely, at the service of the team.
Kate’s smiles
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And anthropova? We are talking about a player who would be unwatchable practically in any other team, including Brazil. Yet she, Italian-Russian who took our citizenship in 2023, never let himself go to a word or a gesture out of place. He recently spoke of the alternation with Egonu: “It was an intuition and a role well defined by Velasco already by the first workouts. We form a complementary relay to make Italy dream. It is a privilege to be able to train and play with Paola, I hope it is an enrichment for her too. I admire a lot what she can do, perhaps it is the strongest opposite of the world. When it happens I can only say ‘wow’ “. Here, Wow is what all the fans of Italy say in front of this magical understanding. Egonu and Anthropova must be seen as a couple, the best in the world by detachment. A couple playing for Italy. Wow.
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