NEWS

Road to Budapest...

With the 50-meter butterfly race held Saturday at the Castello Meeting in Bellinzona, the period of competitions in preparation for the World Championships in Budapest comes to an end. After Marseille in March and the Swiss Championships in April, the most intense time of competitions was at the end of May, at the Mare Nostrum Tour, which this year, given its placement in the seasonal calendar of competitions, was attended, even more than usual, by many top athletes from all over the world. For my part, I am satisfied with the results obtained and the times I swam, considering that I was in the midst of a period of intense training, which I did not suspend even inbetween Mare Nostrum races. Now, after the beautiful local interlude in Bellinzona, my focus is turned toward the World Championships, which will take place June 18-25 at the Duna Arena in Budapest. I look to this appointment, the first of two seasonal goals (the other will be the European Championships in Rome in August), with confidence and with the knowledge that I will once again have to compete against all the strongest swimmers in the world. After the 50 butterfly, which I will swim right at the beginning of the Championships to break the ice, my goals will be first the 200 butterfly and then the 100 butterfly; I will also tackle these races step by step: I will try to have a good qualification in the morning to reach the semifinals in the afternoon, where I will give my all to gain the access to the finals the next day. Nothing is a given, but it is fair to aim for the two finals without fear. Then, should I make it to the finals, at that time there will be eight of us going for the podium. Our RSI television will also be following these world championships. Stay tuned!