The first surfing Olympics, the Inter Scudetto and that crazy desire to feel free by taming the waves of the ocean and "to make Italy fall in love".
From Cerveteri to Tokyo passing through Hawaii and Australia, Leonardo Fioravanti's dream of surfing in Japan runs ever stronger, where this sport will officially enter the history of the Games, Covid permitting.
Decisive for the ambitions of the Roman athlete, the first Italian to qualify for the World Surf League, will be the world championships in El Salvador (29 May - 06 June 2021) which will assign the last places available to participate in the Games.
A thoroughbred surfer, at the age of 6 already in the waves behind his older brother, and a respectable curriculum, Fioravanti proves to be able to overcome not only the waves.
In 2015 he risked an injury in his wheelchair but then got up and won the ISA under 18 world title, making history.
Before the stop for Covid, he achieved his biggest victory with a first place at the Sydney Pro Surf.
And now the dream of going to Tokyo: "Participating in the Olympics - admits the 23-year-old Roman surfer interviewed by Ansa - would be incredible! It would represent an opportunity for me not only to participate in the most important competition for an athlete, but also to make known even more surfing in Italy. How nice it would be if Italians became passionate about this discipline thanks to me ".
To launch the assault on the Olympics Fioravanti will train in Australia with two stops in South Wales, and then two more in Margareth River and Rottnest Island.
"I will play the chances of qualifying for the ISA World Surfing Games scheduled from May 29 to June 6 in El Salvador - recalls the blue - I'll give it my all".
Why did you choose surfing and not football?
"I started surfing at the age of 6 following my brother, a little older than me. I loved this sport right from the start. I like it because the adrenaline and the fun that you feel in riding an ocean wave gives me makes free. I support Inter. I can say that things are going very well. The team is very strong, I really like the Lukaku-Martinez duo, and the first place is deserved. "
