Defending World Champion and current World Record holder in the 200 freestyle Federica Pellegrini has said that she might retire if Italy goes back into strict lockdown on Sunday.
Pellegrini is currently under a personal quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus prior to her departure for Budapest to participate in the ISL, which included showing symptoms of the COVID-19 disease. She has been posting a ‘quarantine diary’ on her Instagram page for more than 1.2 million followers.
Italy has reduced its quarantine period for a positive test to 10 days, and with one negative test sufficient to exit quarantine instead of 2, but with the cases rising, as they are in most of the world, the country’s government has declared that it will issue new measures on Sunday to deal with the spike.
If those measures prevent Pellegrini from training, as happened early in the pandemic where Italy was among the hardest-hit nations, she questions her motivation to continue. In fact, she expressed doubts at the Tokyo Olympics even happening.
Pellegrini has battled with her emotions throughout the pandemic, as have many athletes and non-athletes. A celebrity in her native country beyond swimming, including as a judge on the Italy’s Got Talent television show, she has shown those emotions publicly on several occasions. That includes infamously early in the pandemic where she urged authorities to ‘think of the athletes’ at a time when bodies were literally having to be piled up outside in Italy because the morgues were over capacity.
Italy recorded 19,143 cases of coronavirus on Friday, which is roughly triple their peak from early in the pandemic where the country was among the worst on earth.
Through the summer, Italy effectively quashed the pandemic within their borders, averaging under 200 new daily cases for several weeks, but with winter coming numbers have surged to new highs.
Deaths have begun to climb as well, but with an October high of 136 recorded on Thursday so far, are still not close to their March peak of over 900 deaths in a day.
The 32-year old Pellegrini has hinted that Tokyo will probably be her last Olympic Games. She has 1 Olympic gold medal in the 200 free from Beijing in 2008 and a silver in the same event from Athens in 2004. She is also a 6 time World Champion in long course, including having won the last 2 titles in the 200 free, and the current World Record holder in that event.
Great swimmer, but kinda whiney.
I see there are still people discussing about lethality of the virus.
It is NOT about lethality. It is all about pressure on the health service.
Around 5% of people who test positive need some form of hospitalisation, and a tenth of those (I.e. 0,5%) need ICU. That is, respectively, 500 and 50 every 10.000.
After a while, if you have enough people testing positive, you just can’t keep up.
Reminds me of the boy who cried wolf. When she announces her retirement and actually means it no one will believe her.
I see this as a great sign for Tokyo. Every time she threatens retirement, she follows it up by winning World Champs in the 200.
Politicians who believe a “dark winter” is coming will try to lift your freedoms and shut things down again. They are peddling fear. If you believe them, stay home and “shelter in place.” Do this and most likely you’ll be fine.
Those who believe we can “learn to live with a virus that kills less than 0.02% of its victims under the age of 65,” and take appropriate measures will find a way keep on living, keep their economies open, and push on. If FP is serious about training for the Tokyo Olympics, I’m sure she can find a place to train. Her call. I wish her well. Best wishes!
She’s good at making drama. She has her own pool to swim in
We do not consent
I’m not sure that the Italian government is seeking your consent.
@Braden Keith Quick question: is business better at SwimSwam (site visits, advertising revenues) when the economy is open (Including pools)?
If I remember correctly, Coleman or Mel said in a podcast that it’s about the same.
We as in humanity.
lol if humanity gets one spokesperson to speak for all of us I’m not voting for hiswimcoach
CEO of Pfizer a better choice?
Actually, approximately 0.05% of those under 70. https://www.who.int/bulletin/online_first/BLT.20.265892.pdf
I get your point, but please be accurate.
Or, they can take the alternative tack, put one of their closest advisors (Christie) in the ICU for a week, kill another (Cain), and infect their Vice President’s inner circle. Go watch the new Borat and come back with a review.
Borat is a racist, vile character… surprised you like him
She probably saw how her team was getting on at ISL…
I doubt she even cares about ISL. She is a huge celebrity in italy, she doesn’t need ISL to make big money.
The only reason she would care would be if she were a part owner of a team (we know some bits and pieces of who owns what, but don’t have a good idea of the full structure) and expects the franchise to appreciate dramatically in value.
Right now, I think you’d have trouble giving away the liability of franchise ownership in the ISL, but of course in the future, the league hopes that franchises will be worth tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, of dollars.
that’s interesting, i didn’t know there was an ownership structure.. i thought it was just a billionaire playing with his expensive toy
Quando il gioco si fa duro, i duri cominciano a giocare..
(when the going gets tough..)
Stay with us, Fede.
Andiamo.
Cap