Federica Pellegrini celebrates after winning the gold medal (photo Ansa)
ROME – "I still don't believe it, I never imagined I could win a gold medal. If I feel infinite? Yup!". During an interview with Rai at the end of the 200 freestyle victory at the Gwangju World Cup (in South Korea), Federica Pellegrini failed to hold back her tears for the extraordinary victory.
La Pellegrini – who will turn 31 on August 5th next – won swimming in 1'54 "22 ahead of the 19 year old Australian Ariane Titmus, 1'54" 66 and the 26 year old Swedish Sarah Sjoestrem 1'54 "78. The latter, after the race, suffered a poolside illness.
The infinite Federica Pellegrini is – sportingly speaking – more long-lived even than Roger Federer. To guarantee it is the most titled man in Italy to talk about lifespan and maintaining the competitiveness of athletes, Professor Francesco Landi, head of geriatrics at the Policlinico Gemelli as well as a recent member of the board of directors of "Sport e Salute" , the company that replaced Coni Servizi. "To conquer the world swimming gold in a sprint race like the 200 meters at 31 years – he explains to ANSA – it's a bit like getting to 40 years in the final at Wimbledon (and the 38-year-old Federer played the game a few days ago losing to Djokovic), or winning a world cycling event at the age of 45. Or maybe for a skier to impose himself in a giant slalom descent at 40. In fact, the 200 sl is indeed aerobic activity, but it is sprinting, explosive: so to speak is more a sensation than a success in the 1500 meters, and much more than a sporting activity in which the technique comes into play: as it is precisely the tennis ".
Source: Ansa
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