European swimming championships, from Thursday it gets serious. Pellegrini: “Italy will win more than ten golds”

It starts on Thursday. Rome and the Foro Italico are ready to host the European swimming championships. There are important numbers for the capital. Thirty thousand tickets already sold, 14 televisions and three radios connected from all over Europe, 49 nations and a thousand registered athletes, of which 102 from Italy, the largest ever. Today the presentation of the blue team, ennobled by the presence of Federica Pellegrini, godmother of the event, who cut the ribbon together with the president of Federnuoto Paolo Barelli. “It will be an incredible show – says the Divine – and the blue team will be the protagonist in many races. For me it will win more than ten golds. What if I have any regrets for leaving the competitions and losing this last act? No, no regrets, I had decided to quit and that’s okay ”.

Champions and medals

–

Meanwhile, Paolo Barelli swells his chest. “We have nine Olympic medals, ten world champions, two world records. An important national team that underlines the level that you athletes have reached, thanks to the clubs that are able to obtain wonderful results in a difficult time, for us in particular, which in addition to the problems due to the pandemic are also experiencing the energy crisis. Each energy bill costs four times more, let’s not forget that ”. The protagonists pass by, from Paltrinieri (“I have been swimming in this pool since I was 13-14 years old, Ostia (where the bottom swimming competitions will be held) then it is my home: it will be a wonderful feeling”), to Martinenghi (” Peaty’s absence? I didn’t take it very well, I’m so sorry. I haven’t competed with him for almost a year, since the Tokyo Olympics, challenging him here would have been very exciting for me “), passing through baby Pilato ( “I can’t wait to compete, it will be a wonderful feeling”) and the awaited Quadarella (“Happy to compete at home, I don’t feel pressure”). But now the words give way to the pool: from Thursday it gets serious, with Rome as the capital of European swimming.