Massimiliano Rosolino

Already well-known for his successes, Rosolino made his Olympic debut at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Games, inaugurating a three-year period in which, in addition to garnering several national titles, he won his first world championship silver at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in Perth and, the following year, his first European title in the 400m freestyle.

Following his European gold medals in Helsinki, he made it to 5 finals during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, collecting a gold medal and setting an Olympic record in the 200m medley, a silver that set the European record in the 400m freestyle and a bronze in the 200m.

At the World Championships in Fukuoka he won another gold in the 200m medley, effectively achieving a “grand slam” in which he simultaneously became the Olympic, world and European champion.

The year 2009 marked the year of Rosolino’s last professional competitions: his desire to not retire definitively from swimming was the natural continuation of a hugely successful career where he achieved 14 European titles and 60 international medals.