Swimming, Federico Burdisso tells his story on Italia Team TV: "Dreams always come true"

What is behind an Olympic medal? How does one become a champion? What steps must you take to arrive in the best possible shape for an Olympic event? The answers to these and many other questions can be found on Italia Team TV, CONI's OTT platform, distributed completely free of charge and providing a streaming service of sports-dedicated content. The Italian Olympic Committee shows how the athletes are preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games through the voices of the protagonists. They range from the sailor Caterina Banti, gold medallist at Tokyo 2020 in the Nacra 17 together with Ruggero Tita, to the high jump star Gianmarco Tamberi, with contributions from the fencer Rossella Fiamingo, the archer Mauro Nespoli, the gymnast Matteo Levantesi, the wrestler Abraham Conyedo Ruano and more. The interviews are intimate and personal, and what emerges is the human aspect of young men and women who are experiencing the dream of wearing the Italian colours and making the country proud. The latest “one-to-one” posted features Federico Burdisso, bronze medallist in Tokyo 2020 in the 200 metres butterfly and in the 4x100 metres medley. He talks of the origins of his passion for swimming, the values he has learned from sport and his college experience in the United States, and the spirit of sacrifice that leads you to experience what you do in a different light: “I didn't think swimming was such an amazing sport.” He then recounts the emotions of his greatest victory and the pain of the most bitter defeat, his relationship with the public, the pride of being part of the Italy Team and the goal of Paris 2024. On coming to terms with the typical ups and downs of competitive racing, he says: “I have woken up in the morning thinking 'I don't even want to do this race', but I remain convinced that dreams always come true.” The road to Paris has begun: let’s join hands with the heroes of Italian sport as they lead us towards the event.