Rigamonti aims to create waves in Beijing
Flavia Rigamonti is the shining star of Swiss swimming and one of the country's best bets for a medal in the Beijing Olympics.
“This is my third Olympiad, but each time it feels like the first,” says the 27-year-old Ticinese excitedly. “My objective is to win a medal in the 800 metres freestyle, and I am going all out to achieve it!”
In Beijing Rigamonti will also be competing in the 400 metres, in which she set a new Swiss record of 4’09″29 in June.
Born in Breganzona in 1981, Rigamonti took up swimming aged ten. Her swimming career was unplanned but undoubtedly facilitated by her physique: she now stands 1.85m.
Rigamonti’s first loves were in fact ballet, then horse-riding – surprising perhaps for a girl so obviously born to excel in the water!
She was soon noticed for her elegance and power, and her pleasure in clocking up the lengths, which enabled her to train exceptionally hard even as a junior.
At the age of 16, she was training on alternate days from six in the morning, before school. In the evening she would put in another session at the pool before settling down to her homework.
“She has always been ambitious, committed 200 per cent to achieving her goals,” says her long-time coach, Christophe Pellandini. “She knew she was more gifted than others in her age group and had what it took to break through in this sport.”
He adds: “Sometimes it was she who had to urge me on. If I was not at the pool side on time, she would tell me off, and often kept me there until late to complete the full schedule.”
Determination
Rigamonti has lived in Dallas, in the United States, for several years. In Texas she has achieved degrees in advertising and finance and a Masters in accountancy.
As well as furthering her academic career, she has continued to train under the guidance of Steve Collins and to collect medals.
A series of successes was crowned last year at the World Championships in Melbourne, where she set a European record in the 1500 metres freestyle of 15:55.38, the fifth-fastest performance ever. Rigamonti became the first European swimmer to break the 16-minute barrier.
Her career is back on track after falling from her bicycle in 2003 and breaking an arm. Following that accident, Rigamonti couldn’t train for several months and failed to qualify for the 800 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
“It will take time to get back to the highest level, but I know I can do it, partly because I have learnt from my mistakes,” she said shortly after that failure. She kept her promise.
Experience
In Beijing Rigamonti will have to contend with younger rivals, possibly less familiar with the pressure, but whose potential is in many cases unpredictable.
“The up-and-coming athletes are like a pack of young wolves closing in for the kill,” says Pellandini. “At the age of 18, it is easy to swim miles in training and improve one’s times. It’s not quite so easy at 26… At this level it is the little details that make the difference, because every athlete is in a class of their own”.
He believes Rigamonti’s trump card is her experience, a great asset when the adrenalin is flowing, and the fact that she is stubborn, ambitious and not afraid of the competition.
“Some people avoid competition, but she thrives on it,” he says. “There were 50,000 people at the Sydney Olympics, but she didn’t feel intimidated. On the contrary, the crowds gave her the boost she needed to fight it out to the end.”
A boost of adrenalin, then, that in Beijing will drive the young swimmer to seek the perfect wave, the race that will ensure her name is written in the annals of world swimming.
swissinfo, Stefania Summermatter
Flavia Rigamonti was born in Breganzona, canton Ticino, in July 1981.
She took up swimming at the age of ten and in 1997 won her first major title: the European junior championship.
During her career she has won many medals over long distances, in the 800 and 1500 metres freestyle events.
They include gold at the European Championships in Helsinki (2000), in the 800 metres, and Eindhoven (2008), 1500 metres, and silver in the World Championships in Fukuoka (2001), Montreal (2007) and Melbourne (2007), all in the 1500 metres.
Last year Rigamonti recorded a time of 15:55.38, setting a new European record for the 1500 metres. The world record also dates from 2007 and is held by the American swimmer Kate Ziegler at 15:42.54.
For the Beijing Olympics, Rigamonti has qualified for the 400 and 800 metres freestyle events. The 1500 metres is not an Olympic discipline.
The 2008 Olympic Games will be hosted by China from August 8-24. The Paralympic Games will take place from September 6-17.
The Games will be centred in the Chinese capital, Beijing, with six other venues hosting certain events, including Hong Kong (equestrian) and Shanghai (football).
Some 10,708 athletes will compete in 302 events in 28 different sports. In the Paralympics 4,000 athletes will take part in 471 events encompassing 20 sports.
The swimming events will be held at the National Aquatics Center in the Olympic Green from August 9-24. The 10km marathon for men and women will be held at Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.
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