The 4×100 freestyle relay climbs to the Olympic podium for the first time, with the silver obtained by the quartet formed by Alessandro Miressi, Thomas Ceccon, Lorenzo Zazzeri and Manuel Frigo. It is the second medal at the Games of a blue relay after the bronze in the 4×200 freestyle in Athens 2004
THE LIVE DAY – RESULTS
Stuff to rub your eyes for hours. Four Italians in their twenties drag our home swimming into the World gotha. We had never won an Olympic medal in the fast relay, a feat. The only five-circle podium of a blue quartet dates back to the bronze of the 4×200 Athens style 2004 with Emiliano Brembilla, Massimiliano Rosolino, Filippo Magnini and Simone Cercato. A distinction is needed between the two relays, so as to better convey the idea of how powerful what happened in the Tokyo Aquatics Center swimming pool was. The 4×200 freestyle is a power relay, as coach Alberto Castagnetti loved to repeat, indicates the strength and depth of the movement swimming pool of a nation. The 4×100 freestyle relay represents the nobility of swimming, the queen specialty of chlorine. Alessandro Miressi, Thomas Ceccon, Lorenzo Zazzeri and Manuel Frigo have given our country an aristocratic coat of arms. Behind the Usa (gold) and in front all’Australia (bronze) from today there is Italy. In the midst of the oceans of the superpowers we are there with our “small” seas. Do you want to put, what satisfaction?
Silver, the result of long and tiring work
deepening
Bronze Martineng: a ‘granite self-denial
It wasn’t an exploit, this silver is the fruit of a work of decades, stubbornly wanted by the president’s Italian Swimming Federation Paolo Barelli that relays has in his heart: as a competitor he won the bronze medal at the 1972 World Championships in Calì swimming in the second fraction, together with Roberto Pangaro, Claudio Zei, Marcello Guarducci. In 2004 it was decided to give life to the “fast relay project” and to entrust it to Claudio Rossetto, historic coach of the two world champion of the 100 style Filippo Magnini. It has been a troubled journey, a job that has brought some disappointments very bitter fourth places, the last one at the 2019 Gwanju World Championships. It took 17 years to get to harvest this fruit, the most luxuriant.
The dream quartet of the Italian relay
Alessandro Miressi, 22 year old from Moncalieri, he is the jet man, the Italian record holder (47 ”45), two meters tall and broad enough to assume the responsibility of being the leader. Antonio Satta’s pupil opens the way in the first fraction, he finds himself battling with the Californian champion Caeleb Dressel (47 “26) but keeps the pace, touches the plate in fourth place (47” 72) passing the baton to Thomas Ceccon who works overtime. The 20-year-old predestined from Vicenza 50 minutes earlier he swam in the semifinal of his beloved 100 backstroke (he hit the final with the fourth fastest time), he also loves mixed, but for more than a year he has started to wink at 100 style, it is safe to bet that in a few months he will hit an individual level. Ceccon is thrilled in the second fraction, in front of the French Florent Manadou (47 ”62) and almost catches him (47” 45) bringing the Azzurri to second place. Then the Florentine artist, the 26-year-old, takes care of painting the masterpiece Lorenzo Zazzeri who exhibits his portraits at the Florence Biennale. Trained by Paolo Palchetti, he arrived in Tokyo in an amazing state of form, he is a splinter, 47 ”31 is the third best fraction launched of the whole final, a scream. The USA put the turbo with the last fractionist Apple Zach (an unreal 46 “69) but in lane 4 Italy ranks the 24-year-old from Padua Manual Fridge, concrete representative of the industrious Northeast. Tignoso the blue, who trains in Rome under the guidance of Claudio Rossetto, blocks the way to the Olympic gold medalist Kyle Chalmers (Aus), defends second place with his teeth (47 ”63). It’s the new Italian record (3’10 “11), it goes without saying. But above all it is a silver medal. Too good to dream of it, let alone make it happen.
Miressi: “We made a piece of history”
“This is a great group, we made a piece of history”, Underlines Miressi, who first of all compliments Thomas Ceccon:“ I was fine, I felt it; an Olympic silverico is not every day. The double commitment with the 100 backstroke did not weigh on me, I set my best time as a pitcher. Now I will also try it in the 100 backstroke where everything is possible “, announces the Vicenza coach trained by Antonio Burlina.” I always dreamed of it as a child, holding this medal is something unique. It is a dream that becomes reality “, the enthusiasm of Lorenzo Zazzeri. Manuel Frigo closes, who had also made a vow of superstition:” Unthinkable, this medal repays me for everything. I cut everything, even the mustache for this podium”. Thanks guys, wonderfully historical.
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