SchermaOnline.com - Videointervista a Valentina Vezzali

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Uno scoop di schermaonline: il giorno dopo la sua quinta, strepitosa vittoria ai Mondiali di Scherma, Valentina Vezzali si è prestata a rispondere a qualche domanda.

Schermaonline
We are here with the Olympic champion and new world champion Valentina Vezzali who returned this morning to the venue and received more congratulations for her extraordinary performance which is her 5th individual world championship, like Pozdniakov, even though Pozdniakov has one Olympic gold less than her. Valentina, tell us about yesterday's competition.

Vezzali
In all honesty I came back here this morning to support my saber women teammates who have achieved an excellent result which was very important for them to earn points for the Olympic qualification. Too bad that they did not clinch a medal but I'm extremely happy that they made a great step forward and today [for me] it is a beautiful day and I can say that all my stress and tension I've been under in the days preceding the competition have simply disappeared, I feel calm and relaxed and can't wait to return on the strip the day after tomorrow [for the team event].

Schermaonline
Tell us also a bit on how did you "live" this event with all the problems you've had to overcome in order to be back in an acceptable physical condition after a year which was quite difficult for you. Can you remind our listeners what you went through?

Vezzali
No question that after my ACL surgery it was extremely hard to come back. I went through 2 months of physical rehabilitation at Villa Stuart [a private clinic in Rome, Italy, which offers its specialized services to top athletes [www.ims.roma.it ] and then in Jesi [where she usually trains] and I started competing again. I went through a tidal wave of results, of losses, making top 64, top 32, top 16, more than I care to remember. But what I'm most happy about is that in June, i.e., 8 months after my surgery, I started again to feel OK, to feel that my my body was almost responding to what I was ordering it to do, and this allowed me in July and August to find again that calm which is necessary to experience when you are in training. In fact I felt really good, I was happy to be with my son at the training sessions, and everything came out the best way possible.

Schermaonline
Tell me, did you expect to run again in Margherita Granbassi in the final [of the championship]?

Vezzali
You know, when I put on my mask, I don't really think what athlete I will face, with whom I must compete. In a competition you never know who you'll have as an opponent. Furthermore world and Olympic championships are very peculiar competitions. But it was quite odd that two years in a row this foursome of semifinalist athletes was exactly the same as last year in Torino, and I'd say that maybe this is a demonstration that at this point in time, possibly the strongest 4 in the world are us, and I'm obviously happy about it. Let's hope that next year we are again all 4 together to "talk business" in Beijing.

Schermaonline
Tell us, how did you prepare yourself for this event with your Maestro Giulio Tomassini, who, let's not forget, is also the Maestro of Margherita [Granbassi], and even more how did you analyze yesterday's competition with him, if you've done it already?

Vezzali
Well we have not done it yet. But we can say that yesterday I was very serene and calm and I tried to apply what Giulio has done with me in these past months. I believe that now after 27 years --I almost lost count of how many years I've been fencing-- after so many years of fencing, I believe that I have, that I have "it" inside of me, and Giulio in these past two months has summoned this "it" back from the foundation. I'm still just 60-70% back, and I can still improve, and we have time, and I hope that comes August [next year] I'll be able to be at my best.

Schermaonline
Which is the... with which sporting group are you affiliated?

Vezzali
I'm with the "Fiamme Oro" the State Police and I'm very proud to be part of them also because I can see my future career with the police and I always like to recognize them. Yesterday it was Italy v/s Italy, but Police v/s Carabinieri [Italy is a country with various types of police organizations plus armed forces. They all have a sport department which recruits and fully sponsors elite athletes of various Olympic sports. Given the incredible loot of medals Italian fencers have amassed over the years, this "minor" sport receives considerable attention on the part of these military or paramilitary organization. The rivalry between Police and Carabinieri is like one between Army and Navy in collegiate football. Granbassi is with the Carabinieri.]

Schermaonline
We all found you in top physical form. Do you follow a special dietetic regime? Do you follow special nutritional principles? Is anyone working with you in this regard?

Vezzali
Yes I work with the staff of Enervit since 2005, after my pregnancy with my son Pietro when I gained 20 kg [45 lbs] in 4 months and I had to get back to a normal "standard" to be able to compete again in the world championship [Leipzig] and I've been with them ever since. Also, after the surgery [last year] it was quite hard because I found myself having lost several kilos. I continued to follow this regime and in my opinion an athlete cannot afford to ignore anything from the nutritional point of view. In my opinion the "zone" diet is not a diet but a nutritional regime: ditto from the point of view of rest, of the daily program, of the consistency of the routine because all these factors in the end make a difference.

Schermaonline
Now the team competition which is an important event is coming up. How do you see this team event at these world championships which is so important for the future...

Vezzali
I believe that a gold medal could translate into an automatic qualification for the Olympics. Now we must be good to forge together, I, Giovanna, Margherita and Ilaria [Salvatori], our individualities and we must concentrate our strengths towards one single objective, that of winning. I believe that we have experience in team competitions and that I and Giovanna will be capable to pull Margherita and Ilaria because we have a bit more experience. If we stay calm we can handle it, but nothing is ever granted even if we won first and second or if we won three medals. As a matter of fact, last year we lost [under the same circumstances] therefore we must be careful, stay calm and serene.

Schermaonline
Can you confirm that you won also the World Cup [for this season]?

Vezzali
Yes, I can confirm that I won my ninth World Cup and I believe this is also a record, and I'm extremely happy...

Schermaonline
Do you have any comment on some protests raised during the final bout about the refereeing, the use of the video replay, this sort of things?

Vezzali
I believe that there is a referee who decides whether or not to award a touch. I'm convinced that we had a good refereeing, I'm sure about it,

therefore no recriminations on my part.

Schermaonline
In closing, what can you tell me of Giovanna [Trillini] your eternal rival who for the n-th time managed to scare you for the qualification because you had quite a hard bout. How ....

Vezzali
Giovanna is a phenomenal athlete and it is beautiful to fence her because you fight against an honest, correct athlete. I believe that it makes also for a beautiful performance for those who are watching, for the spectators. Certainly I had fun, she had fun, and for sure everybody was happy to watch our bout.

Schermaonline
What will you do after these world championships?

Vezzali
After these world championships I'll spend a week with my husband and son in Campobasso (Italy) because this year he plays in Campobasso [her husband is a professional soccer player with the team of that city] and I'll have a bit of fun with my family.

Schermaonline
And this victory to whom do you dedicate? I heard that you are dedicating it to your son Pietro. Do you want to say few words to Pietro?

Vezzali
Pietro is my love and I can't wait to go back home with the medals I had promised him.

Schermaonline
OK, That's all from St. Petersburg with the champion Valentina Vezzali. Big kiss to everyone! Arrivederci!

Translated by g-man, alias Gladius

Dottor Antonio Fiore [schermaonline] & Valentina Vezzali

Nota: Schermaonline video-interview english translation "