The men’s solo as a European championship first with world champion MINISINI (ITA) as favourite 

The European championships will be a historic edition for artistic swimming. At Roma 2022 the men's solo event is an absolute novelty in the discipline’s competition programme with Italy’s mixet duet world champion Giorgio Minisini being the favourite to win at home. Minisini’s technical solo routine, scheduled on 12 August, will be accompanied by the music A Plastic Sea, inspired by the words of David Attenborough, the British science populariser and naturalist. A composition aimed at drawing attention to the impact that human activity has on marine ecosystems and the link they have with life on our planet. In the free solo, on 14 August, the routine will have as its musical reference 'Deus ti salvet Maria', or Ave Maria in Sardinian by Fabrizio de André, with the voice of Mark Harris. A routine that will represent man's continuous search for meaning, who, alone on earth, turns to divinities and saints to shed light on a reality that is sometimes too big to understand.

Athletes from six nations will aim for the podium, with 18-year-old Spaniard Fernando Diaz, who won the Super Final of the Fina Artistic Swimming World Series in Athens last May who could be a medal contender. Everyone's eyes will be on Minisini who, in his home pool, wants to give and receive unforgettable moments. It is no coincidence that on his Instagram profile he has been counting down the days to the big event in Rome. "I remember very well the 2009 world championships in Rome,” the Italian athlete said, “and I'm really looking forward to these European championships at home. For me it is a dream come true”. And Rome is ready to dream with him.

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