Italy wins silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay, second in the final with the new Italian record (3’10 “11). The blue quartet (Alessandro Miressi, Thomas Ceccon, Lorenzo Zazzeri and Manuel Frigo) closes behind the United States who won gold in 3’08 ” 97. Bronze to Australia in 3’10 ” 22.
Silver is a historic achievement. It is the second medal in a swimming relay after the bronze in the 4×200 freestyle by Massimiliano Rosolino, Filippo Magnini, Simone Cercato and Emiliano Brembilla in Athens 2004.
“It’s an incredible joy”, they say in chorus in 4 blues. “There are no words, I can’t describe this moment, we have written a beautiful page in the history of Italian sport”, the words of Zazzeri. “I am very happy to be part of this group: we are united, we hugged each other even before leaving, we were very convinced that we could have a great race”. “We are very happy, we have been really good, a great relay – he says to Rai Miressi – We are really happy and happy with this silver”.
“We knew we had a good chance of a medal – adds Ceccon -. I made the choice to do both races, since I had done well in the backstroke I could only do the same in the relay. The Olympic silver is not something for everyone. days”. “For me – concludes Frigo – it was unthinkable just three years ago to be here and now there is even a medal”.
MARTINENGHI
Swimming also gives Italy the bronze of Nicolò Martinenghi in the 100 breaststroke. The athlete from Varese is third with a time of 58 “33. Gold went to the British Adam Peaty in 57” 37 and silver to the Dutch Arno Kamminga in 58 “00. Martinenghi brings the frog back to the Olympic podium twenty-one years after Sydney 2000, when Domenico Fioravanti and Davide Rummolo won gold and silver. “I still don’t realize what happened – says the swimmer trained by Marco Pedoja -. It is a cascade of emotions I didn’t believe it too much before the race, but I have been looking for and wanting this medal for a long time. I have dreamed of the last 15 meters many times in training. It’s fabulous”.
“I dedicate this medal to my first coach Franco who is going through a difficult period. They are strong emotions, one day I will understand it but now I am on a very high wave and I want to surf it to the end. Yesterday I struggled to fall asleep. I had so many thoughts because today I can understand the emotions that Fioravanti and Rummolo experienced 21 years ago. I also thank very much my coach Marco Pedoja because we both knew where we were starting from and what our goal was “, he adds.
MALAGO’
“Two very heavy medals. If we could expect Nicolò Martinenghi’s one, the silver one of the 4×100 freestyle is legendary”, says the president of Coni, Giovanni Malagò, from the Tokyo Aquatics Center. “The boys were all very good, even Santo Condorelli who gave his contribution in the drums. The clarity and strength with which they have always remained there is impressive. Congratulations to all of them and to the Fin”, adds Malagò.
BARELLI
“Today is a beautiful day, the silver of the 4×100 relay is historic and not at all obvious, like the bronze of Martinenghi. All the guys have been good. As far as the relays are concerned, it is the first time that we have reached the top of the podium. We were aiming high and the silver is fine, the Americans were not approachable. ” These are the words of the president of Federnuoto Paolo Barelli, after the silver in the blue freestyle 4×100 relay and the bronze in the 100 breaststroke of Nicolò Martinenghi.