Federico Bicelli extraordinary: immediate victory in the World Cup
Perfect debut for Federico Bicelli in open water: the Brescian swimmer of the Fiamme Azzurre won his first ever competition in the specialty, at the Italian leg of the World Para Swimming Open Water Cup in Alghero.
As announced on the eve of the event, the one in Alghero represented for Bicelli the beginning of a new adventure on the path to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. And the response came immediately, with a first place that opens up important scenarios: “On a technical level it was my first experience. I tried to follow the more experienced open water athletes, such as the Belgian athletes, and that helped me get a great result. It was a race of guile: two one-mile laps, the first one more cautious, the second one I tackled by pushing harder. It’s a new experience that marks a new beginning. I will continue on this path, participating in other World Cup open water stages”.
After a year of transition following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he won a gold and a bronze, Federico Bicelli has officially started the path to Los Angeles 2028. 2025 will be a season of strategic building, between open water, pool and the big goal of the World Championships in September.
The first leg was precisely the absolute debut in open water, in Alghero, with a 3-km race valid for the World Para Swimming Open Water Cup. An absolute novelty in the athlete’s competitive path, made possible thanks to the trust of the National Team, which involved some of its most representative swimmers in a multidisciplinary growth project. “This is my first time in the sea,” he said before the race, “a completely different context from the pool, but we are ready to get involved. Something very nice could be born”.
Bicelli will star in the prestigious Sette Colli Trophy at the Foro Italico. He will participate in the 50 freestyle (June 26) and 100 freestyle (June 27), with heats in the morning and finals in the afternoon: “We have chosen to focus on two races to better manage our energy after Alghero but the goal remains high: we want to aim for the podium”.
The next week will be the week of the Sette Colli Trophy.
The following week will be the turn of the Italian Absolute Summer Championships in Naples. This will be a crucial opportunity to check the course taken and to complete the definition of the convocations for the World Championships in Singapore. The highlight of the season will be the World Championships in Singapore, scheduled for September 21-27. Federico Bicelli will be competing in seven individual events (including the new distance of the 200 medley, already in preparation for the next four-year Olympic Games), as well as possible relays and batteries.
The 2025 season represents a crucial bridge between Paris and Los Angeles. Each race is a building block, not only technically but also mentally, in preparation for the Olympic event: “We are preparing to be protagonists in 2028. Every race, every day of work is part of a path that will take us to Los Angeles. It will not be easy, but we will have fun and give everything”.
