Federica Pellegrini Resets Focus To Fifth Olympics 17 Years After Debut At Athens 2004

Federica Pellegrini: Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer / MAGICPBK)

Federica Pellegrini has reset her sights following the postponement of Tokyo 2020 and is now looking to her fifth Olympics, 17 years after her debut at Athens 2004.

Pellegrini won gold and silver in the 200 free at Beijing 2008 and in Athens where she stood on the podium just 12 days after turning 16.

There was double disappointment in London in 2012 with two fifth places in the 200 and 400 before desolation in Rio de Janiero four years later when she was locked out of the medals by one place over four lengths.

‘La Divina’ had qualified for Tokyo 2020 but the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic meant it was moved back a year to July 2021 when she will be days from her 33^rd birthday.

With 17 years separating her first and final Olympics, it would be astonishing should Pellegrini reach the podium.

The ‘Lioness of Verona’ has shown no signs of slowing down in desire or achievement and last year claimed a 200 free medal for the eighth consecutive World Championships when she won gold in Gwangju, South Korea

Federica Pellegrini of Italy celebrates after winning in the women’s 200m Freestyle Final during the Swimming events at the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships, Gwangju, South Korea, 24 July 2019.

Federica Pellegrini. Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer

Her’s is a career to pore over but it still has some way to run starting with Tokyo 2020 in 2021.

And what of the European Championships the following year? The Foro Italico the stage where Pellegrini reigned supreme at the 2009 worlds. Who knows? Hard to imagine the court without its queen but for now the 31-year-old is resetting her focus to Japan.

Pellegrini appeared on the Tutto Convocati show on Radio 24 where she said:

“The dream is to chase the fifth Olympiad, I’m on board.

“I set myself the goal of the fifth Olympiad, I have had a career of really many years.

“I’m not worried about the reasons, but in a year in swimming many things change, maybe in a year a new girl comes out.”

Photo Courtesy: Reuters / Swimming World Archive

Neither did Pellegrini want to look too far ahead, saying:

“Ready for 2021? Wait a minute, let’s get out of this quarantine and get back on track. We professionals are losing a lot of work, we lose a lot.”

Italy has been in lockdown since 9 March because of the pandemic which has seen the death toll in the country exceed 20,000.

Some measures are now being relaxed but it is hard to see when life will get back to normal – whatever that means given the impact of the coronavirus across all levels of society.

Pellegrini has raised 66,050 euros for a hospital in Bergamo – the epicentre of COVID-19 in Italy – by auctioning off 59 items of memorabilia including the goggles she wore en-route to 200 gold in Beijing.

Pellegrini will welcome sport’s return when it does eventually happen and she hopes all sports will be recognised not only football.

“Sport is secondary to health, but secondary to nothing else, when sport can be restarted.

“I am sorry to hear only football these days, football brings money and the sales, but all other sports also exist.

“Health comes first, but when you start to open certain activities again, one of the first must be sport, at least for athletes of national interest.”

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