Ukraine, Italy, Greece and Austria are expected to be among the strongest nations contesting for the medals during five days of competition in Rome.
- Artistic swimming will run from 11-15 August.
- Men’s solo events will debut at senior Europeans.
- Click here for a detailed looked at the ‘ones-to-watch’.
- Click here to visit the official Roma 2022 website.
EVENT BACKGROUND:
At the European Championships in Glasgow 2018 four federations shared the medals in nine competitions, two – Russia (8) and Ukraine (1) – swept the golds.
Three years later, at the following edition in Budapest 2021, altogether nine different nations won at least one medal across ten events. This is an indication that the landscape of Artistic Swimming – although and until now still dominated by Russian athletes – is changing.
And in Rome more changes are due – first of all, a total of 12 titles will be at stake at the upcoming European Championships. Since 2016, three titles were added in the Technical Routines (Solo, Duet and Team), additionally, since the Europeans in London, the Mixed Duet has become a constant feature of the programme.
Budapest 2021 celebrated the debut of the Highlight competition while Rome 2022 will witness the première of the Men’s solo events (Free and Routine).
This is history in the making: at senior level no major international meet included a male-only competition. The contests will be concluded with a spectacular and highly attractive Gala, to be staged on the day of a special Italian holiday, Ferragosto (Monday, August 15).
VENUE BACKGROUND:
A total of 26 LEN Member Federations will participate in the 12 events, to be staged in the temporary pool in the famous Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium.
This is one of the well-known tennis courts of the top-tier “Italian International Open” that bears the name of one of the greatest Italian tennis players of all times, world No. 3 in the 1959 and 1960 rankings as well as Roland Garros winner in both years.
Indeed, using a temporary pool while hosting a major aquatic event started here in Rome – back in 1994, at the 7th FINA World Championships, the Italians amazed many by setting up a temporary infrastructure at one of the tennis courts to stage the games of the women’s water polo tournaments.
This launched a new era in aquatics as major events could become more compact – fifteen years later, at the 2009 edition of the Worlds, the Pietrangeli Stadium was the site of the synchro events while the giant centre court hosted the water polo tournaments.
TEAM BACKGROUNDS – EYES ON UKRAINE AND ITALY:
As Russia is not competing, the other powerhouses like Ukraine, Italy, Greece will battle for the medals this time. Spain has opted to skip the women events.
In Budapest 2021, Ukraine celebrated victories in four events as well as their seventh ever gold medal in the European Championships’ history. With four gold and four silver medals, they finished second in the medal table behind Russia (6-0-0). Four medals went to Spain (three silver, one bronze) and three to Greece (two silver, one bronze).
Headed by Marta Fiedina, the most decorated athlete at the last edition in Budapest with eight medals (four golds, four silvers), the Ukrainians are set to achieve something big in Rome. Most of the team are training in Italy since the war broke out so they could feel themselves at home in the Foro Italico.
Host Italy could be considered number two behind Ukraine.
The Italians bagged five medals at the World Championships, including two titles delivered by their brilliant mixed duet of Giorgio Minisini and Lucrezia Ruggiero.
Spain sends a small team of three, though they will be very competitive in the Men’s Solo and in the Mixed Duet. Team Greece is headed by Evangelia Platanioti, who claimed bronze medals in the solo events in Budapest this June.
The participating 26 Federations in Rome: AUT – Austria, BEL – Belgium, BUL – Bulgaria, CZE – Czech Republic, DEN – Denmark, ESP – Spain, FIN – Finland, FRA – France, GBR – Great Britain, GEO – Georgia, GER – Germany, GRE – Greece, HUN- Hungary, ISR – Israel, ITA – Italy, MLT – Malta, NED – Netherlands, POR – Portugal, SMR – San Marino, SLO – Slovenia, SRB – Serbia, SUI – Switzerland, SVK – Slovakia, SWE – Sweden, TUR – Turkey, UKR – Ukraine.
FULL SCHEDULE:
