lunedì 24 giugno 2019

Swimming Seven Hills Trophy (23-06-2019)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana I arrive around 6.30 pm: this time it seems to be no problem for parking, but I have no trust and still leave the car at the first available place, behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at 900 meters from the entrance of the venue: for at least the first 500 you don't see anyone, so I can be sure that this time there are no concerts at the Olympic Stadium. After seeing the stands in the other two days, I was also afraid to find a queue at the ticket office, instead I immediately enter. I choose the Tribuna Tevere, because it is the closest.

I enter a little after 6.45 pm, which according to the program on the site should be the start time. It is hard to find a place, also because many are also occupied for absent people. I find one perfectly in line with the finish: I have never been in such a good position, I can understand the placings very well. Of course, on the other hand I can't see very well when they arrive at the other side of the pool and, given that time can only be seen on the board, which is on the opposite side, either you look at the finish line or look at time.

When I arrive, a final B is in progress, so I think it is still the preliminary program: the first final A will be around 7 pm. For the 200 backstroke I will notice for the first time that the handle for the backstroke start is added to the blocks, it is no longer part of them (yet I had swum in the London Olympic pool ...). Except for a bit in the 50 meter races, swimmers always give the impression of not forcing, but then I imagine myself next to them. In the B finals there are some big Italians, like Bianchi and Rivolta.

At about 7 pm, the finals A begin: there is a strange Italy-Hungary match in women's200 butterfly, with 4 Hungarians arriving before 4 Italians. We take our revenge in 200 backstroke, with the first Italian star, Panziera, who beats Hoszu. In backstroke you can hear the sound of strokes, much more than in the other styles. There is a group that always scream after the starting signal. The public seems on average more competent than in athletics: I hear also many accents, there are many people coming from outside.

After 4 finals A, the B finals resume, and from then on one A final and one B will alternate. In the 200 mixed men the two races will be almost at the same level: Ceccon wins the final B going below 2 minutes, with the Italian junior record , a time with which he would have come second in the A. Many Italians unknown to me  (for my ignorance, of course) do well, like Ciampi, who ties for first in the 200 freestyle, and Fangio, second in women's 200 breaststroke.

At a certain point I notice that from my position we can also see part of the call room, with the swimmers who finish to dress up. Some say they saw Pellegrini. Fede competes just before 8pm: I don't think I've ever seen her so closely, she looks more stringy than on TV. Incredibly, she is already in the lead in the first length, but this time she does not change pace in the third one. She still holds on until the end, and wins with a time that when she started it would have been a world record by over a second, and today is the fifth time of the year. After her race, the grandstand is emptied out quite a bit: then someone will come back, but most won't.

Around 8.30 pm, with a little delay, there is the other highlight competition: the men's 1500. Paltrinieri is third after the first 100, and I think the others have started too fast and he will catch them, then he makes a couple of 100 over one minute, and I think they are an exception, then the 100 over one minute become the rule and he loses contact, until it finds himself sixth. Then he closes fourth, while the other Italian Acerenza rallies until second aplace nd towards the 1200 gives the impression of being able to catch the first, then closes third. A Brazilian wins just under 15 ', with Paltrinieri at 15'11 ".

At the end they show a general ranking of the performances, based on a score table, and announce that there will be a victory ceremonyg for this ranking too: Pellegrini is 6 ^, Panziera 8 ^. I think it would be a good idea for athletics too. Once the competitions are over, some victory ceremonies remain: I stop until Pellegrini's, then I go.










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