Federica Pellegrini strikes again: “On the surface, everyone’s friends, but then…”

During the latest episode of Giulia Salemi’s podcast, Federica Pellegrini once again lashed out at some of her former teammates: “On the surface, they all seem like friends, but then they turn their backs on you. I may come across as a bitch, but at least I’ll always be honest with you. It’s true, though, that not everyone can be friends in this world.”

Ceccon and Rosolino—following the verbal clashes of recent months—were never mentioned by name, but to many, the reference seemed clear: “I have this power—I can cut people off, in the sense that, as far as I’m concerned, you no longer exist; the problem is gone too. But I think it’s a defense mechanism that’s kicked in over the years. There are many people, however, with whom I’ve mended fences—both friends and colleagues—who’ve told me, ‘Look, that came out wrong; that’s not what I meant in the interview.’ But they came to me directly.”

And again: “Sometimes I’ve been too blunt; swimming isn’t a team sport, and maybe sometimes I didn’t fully understand the dynamics. After races, we interact with journalists, and it’s definitely a mistake to air our dirty laundry in front of a reporter, especially when it comes to the relay. It happened once, and I think my teammates were upset by it, so I haven’t done it again.”