Pellegrini: right to postpone Tokyo, but it's tough without races

    It was among the first to return to sporting 'normality' but continues to live in the uncertainty of a return to racing, the goal remains the same even if postponed for a year: "The decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 was absolutely right. In terms of longevity, I am the boss: I would have preferred to compete this year, but that's okay and we'll wait another year. "
    And to live up to his eternal youth, Federica Pellegrini has chosen to associate her name with Michelin ("made to last" the partnership claim). Who better than the Divine, Olympian of the 200 style in Beijing 2008, world record holder in the 200m and European in the 400m and capable of 31 years of repeating himself at the World Championships in Gwangju 2019. "Psychologically it is difficult to train so many months without a short-term goal", Pellegrini admits as soon as he exits his wet training.
    "Since the lockdown started, I have seen the most united country ..." he acknowledges.
    Someone compares it to Ferrari as a symbol of Italy starting again: "It scares me a little, but I am honored by it. I hope to be able to go fast in the next few years as the Red one, this surely", he admits at the announcement videoconference of the new partnership with the well-known multinational tire company: "We hope that these tires hold up ...", smiles Divina. Less cheerful, however, when we talk about returning to the races: "For now we only have one date, the most important, next year's Olympics. But we are missing all the intermediate stages.
    We are waiting for the intermediate dates," he says.
    "Unfortunately - he adds quoting the memory of the Foro Italico swimming pool full of public - public support will be lacking for a while and unofficial sources say that we will return to swimming not earlier than next year". The hypothesis at the moment is that Fin can organize a national championship for Italians by the summer: "If all the health protocols are there, it would be a good thing for us to start competing.
    From here to Tokyo there is a year and a half away , it's only long to go through training. " A problem that affects everyone even if at the moment there is only football as a forerunner: "I think that for football fans it is essential that the championship resume - admits the Venetian - but the same is true for volleyball and other fans team sports. And I'm seeing that all team sports are struggling. "
    As for the Tokyo 2021 objectives, someone asks her if there is also the idea of ​​going beyond the Olympic Games: "In my mind Tokyo I set it as the final goal of my career, so far I have managed and delayed it for me a year is certainly not a problem ". That head that is currently focused on the only official goal, Tokyo: "In fact, the sponsorship lasts two years, until 2021 - he sentences - They are two years of sponsorship for the moment. This does not necessarily mean moving forward together only with the swimming.
    I would like to do more later. " (HANDLE).