Anthony Ervin “gives himself” the swim meeting for his anniversary

Ervin is the oldest Olympic swimming champion in history, triumphing in Rio 16 years after his success in Sydney in 2000. But it won't be easy for the US oldie in the Albert Pircher Hall at the rectory. Italy's star Marco Orsi will also be featured in the 50 and 100 m freestyle.

“Of course it's not easy to bring stars to Bolzano just a few months after the Olympics, but I think we've managed to sign an attractive field again. Of course Anthony Ervin is the big star. Winning Olympic gold at the age of 35 is something special, just like the story of this athlete,” says meeting boss Christian Mattivi, who is of course particularly looking forward to the duel between Ervin and Orsi.

Ervin won his first Olympic gold in the 2000m freestyle at the 50 Summer Games in Sydney. In Sydney he also won silver with the USA freestyle relay team. This was followed by the World Championship double in the 50 and 100 m freestyle at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. In 2003, at just 22, Ervin ended his career and auctioned off his Olympic gold medal on E-Bay to help the 2004 tsunami victims.

Looking forward to the duel Orsi - Ervin

In 2011, at the age of 30, Ervin began training seriously again. Fifth place at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, followed by two gold medals with the US relay team in the 4 x 100 m freestyle and 4 x 100 m medley at the Short Course World Championships in Istanbul. At the Pan Pacific Championships in Gold Coast, Australia, Ervin captured silver twice. Then August 12, 2016, the day Ervin's lifelong dream came true. 16 years after Sydney, he won his second Olympic gold in the 50m freestyle and becomes the oldest Olympic champion in history.

Marco Orsi needs no presentation. The 25-year-old from Budrio near Bologna has been one of the stars and crowd favorites at the rectory for years. After a difficult year in 2016, in which a virus put him out of action, the powerhouse wants to attack again. Orsi has won five World Championship medals on the long course and 20 at European Championships (18 of them on the short course, the last three titles were last December in Netanya in Israel). He currently holds four Italian records (50 and 100 m freestyle as well as 100 m medley in the short course and 50 m freestyle in the long pool).

But as always in Bolzano, top talent comes from many nations. Like the Brit Jacob Pebley, fifth in the 200 m backstroke in 1.55,2:400 minutes at the Olympic Games in London, or David Verraszto. The Hungarian was runner-up world champion in the 2014 m medley on the long track in Kazan last year, and was also European long track champion in 2016 in Berlin and 400 in London. He is also a three-time short course European champion on his parade course, the XNUMX m medley. Dolphin specialist Marius Kusch from Germany came eighth, ninth and fourth at the European Short Course Championships last year.

Laura Letrari and Lisa Fissneider are South Tyrol's aces

For Laura Letrari, South Tyrol's currently best swimmer, the South Tyrol Swim Meeting has been a must for many years. The 27-year-old from Brixen, who trains at Bolzano Nuoto and swims for the army sports group, narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympic Games in London. On the beloved short track, Letrari wants to try to qualify for the World Cup in December in Canada. She has the best chances in the 100 m individual medley. The Brixen native has already recorded four victories in Bolzano. In addition to the meeting in Bolzano, Letrari only has the competition in Massarosa in mid-November to get his World Cup ticket.

South Tyrol's second professional swimmer, Lisa Fissneider, will also be able to be admired at the rectory. The two-time junior world champion from 2011 has been training with the financial sports group under coach Christian Galenda in Rome for a year. The 22-year-old from Kaltern won the 2010 m breaststroke in Bolzano in 2011 and 100. Fissneider has been playing for SSV Bozen again since last year.

Nothing has changed in the proven program. True to the motto “Short, fast and explosive”, the stars of the scene can, as always, be seen in concentrated form on Saturday and Sunday: the three best series in each race (as always, all styles over 50 and 100 m will be swum as well as the 100 m individual medley) will be presented to the spectators in the Albert Pircher Hall separately from the rest of the program. On Saturday the stars can be admired between 16 p.m. and 18 p.m., on Sunday between 13 p.m. and 15 p.m.

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Anthony Ervin “gives himself” the swim meeting for his anniversary

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