Donato Telesca epic: “We fight to win or we die.” He is alive, winning and champion

Donato Telesca wins European champion title

Donato Telesca conquers the title of European champion in the 80 kg category, lifting 205 kg, a measure that allows him to touch up the continental record he previously set at the WPPO St. Louis Parapan American Open Championship last July. A resounding competition for the Lucanian athlete who entered the competition with 195 kg, immediately improved with 197. In the last round, the one valid for the gold, in agreement with his coach Sandro Boraschi, Telesca tries everything, trying to improve the 200 kg lifted in the U.S. just a few months ago: so here come these stratospheric 205 kg that give him the European gold and also the gold in the open competition. A result among other things that is fundamental in view of the Olympics, since it places Donato Telesca in 2nd position in the ranking.

“We fight to win or we die,” Telesca said, “This is what we said to each other with Sandro Boraschi after securing silver with the 197. After two days with the stomach virus I never expected to be in this condition today but when I was there I gave it my all. It was the most exciting race of my life, we did the impossible, no one expected I could be so crazy. This was proof that in this discipline you don’t just need muscles, you need head and heart to be able to give 101% on difficult occasions like this. Now we have hit the target, for the competition and in Olympic perspective. Now we have to ‘just’ improve.”