Maicol Verzotto: “An inspector makes sure we stay in the room”

Last Monday the “Azzurri” flew to Tokyo with Captain Verzotto. The World Cup, i.e. the Olympic qualification, is now taking place at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, three weeks later than originally planned. The calculation for Verzotto is very simple: He has to reach the semi-finals of the best 18 jumpers on Monday, then he will be at the Games in Tokyo. The top 12 will compete in the final on Tuesday at 11 a.m. CEST.

The Olympic Games in Tokyo will be the end of a long career for the 32-year-old. “The competition is finally upon us. Physically I'm fine. I'm ready and I'm happy to be in this condition. The jumps in training are good. But everything is a bit strange here. We are in lockdown. We are only allowed to leave the hotel for training. We have an inspector on every floor of our hotel who makes sure we stay comfortably in our rooms. Lunch, dinner, breakfast, all of this is available exclusively in the room. We are only allowed out to go to the swimming pool and train there. Then it goes back straight away. Such is the situation. It takes a little getting used to, but that’s how it is.”

Maicol Verzotto wants to go to the Olympics. © Giorgio Perottino

Verzotto is also thinking about how the Summer Games will take place here in Tokyo in less than three months. “We are the first sport to compete in Tokyo before the Games. It is the first test competition since the outbreak of the pandemic over a year ago. But mentally you just have to prepare for the competition. Almost 50 jumpers are registered in the preliminary fight from the tower. That's a lot, more than ever before. But I am confident and know that if I compete well I can do it.”

48 jumpers from all over the world will take part on Monday. Verzotto (he turns 24 on May 33th) is the oldest in the field. He has start number 38 and the following 6 jumps in his program:

1. Handstand double somersault backwards with one and a half twists 2. Three and a half dolphin somersault 3. Three and a half back flips 4. Three and a half forward somersault 5. Two and a half Auerbach somersault 6. Two and a half somersault backwards with one and a half twists

A second jumper, Andreas Sargent Larsen, who was born in Denmark, has registered from Italy and wants to get his ticket to the Olympics.

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Maicol Verzotto: “An inspector makes sure we stay in the room”

Maicol Verzotto had to wait more than a year for this competition. On Monday at 5.30 a.m. (12.30 p.m. in Tokyo) the most important competition in a long time is on the program for the Bolzano diver, after all, he wants to qualify for the Olympic Games for the second time after 2016.

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