With a temporary competition pool placed atop the clay tennis courts and clustered within the marbled steps and 18 sculptured statues of the famous Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium, the artistic swimming venue for the European Championships evokes the feeling of the host city itself: Rome. Here's what's to come - and already just getting underway - with the 12 artistic swimming events taking place from 11-15 August during the five first days of Roma 2022 edition of the European Championships.
By the Numbers
Twenty-six nations will compete in the famed-and-transformed tennis stadium. Two editions of the European Championships ago - Glasgow 2018, to be precise - four nations shared all the medals in nine competitions as Russia nearly swept all the golds, taking home eight European titles. Showcasing the increased depth of the artistic swimming field, when the following event rolled around three years later in Budapest, nine nations won at least one medal across the ten events contested last summer.
History is in the making here in the Italian capital. First, there will be 12 medals at stake at these European Championships. While Budapest 2021 saw the event's debut of the Highlight competition. This is again on the competition programme here in Rome, as are the LEN premieres for the Men's solo events - Free and Routine. This is genuinely trendsetting, as at the senior level this will be the first continental event including a male-only competition. Capping off the event once again will be another highly-anticipated Gala which will be stage on the Italian holiday of Ferragosto, a festival tracing its roots back to 18 BC and Emperor Agustus.
Powerhouse Medal Contenders
In the artistic swimming powerhouse department, looks for the likes of Ukraine, Italy and Greece to make frequent use of the medals podium in Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium. In particular, look out for Ukraine as they celebrated victories in four events to bring their all-time gold medal tally to seven at the European Championships. While the Spanish women are opting out of Rome 2022, the nation took home four medals (three silver, one bronze) last summer in Budapest as Greece bagged three medals (two silver, one bronze).
The Ukrainians are headed by Marta Fiedina, the most decorated athlete at the last edition in Budapest with eight medals (four golds, four silvers). With most of the Ukrainian team training in Italy since the invasion of their nation, competing here should feel like their second home. Also, keep your eye on athletes from the host country Italy.
While Spain sends a small team of three athletes, they look to be very competitive in the Men’s Solo and in the Mixed Duet. Greece is headed by Evangelia Platanioti, who claimed bronze medals in the solo events in Budapest this June.
Twinning and Seeing Triple
Much like this year's FINA Artistic Swimming Super Finals from Athens, Austria’s Alexandri triplets - Anna-Maria and Eirini in the duet and Vasiliki in the solo - should also figure prominently. Anna-Maria and Eirini are coming off breakthrough bronzes in both the Duet Free and Duet Technical routines five weeks ago at the 19th FINA World Championships.
The other top favourites in the duet events are also twins, Marina and Vasalina Aleksiiva from Ukraine. The duo returned from the most recent FINA World Championships from Budapest with silver medals in the Duet Free and Duet Technical routines. And who won both events in Budapest, the Wang twins of China which must be the first time in sports history to have such a composition of twins and triplets on one podium. Also keep an eye out for Italy’s Linda Cerrutti and Costanza Ferro, They are definitely capable of claiming a medal, too.
Male Solo makes for a historic event moment
When Bill May and Christina Jones put on an epic performance at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, their nearly-flawless technical performance started to usher in gender opportunity into artistic swimming. This movement continues forward, with Rome the site of the first-ever senior European men’s solo event.
Athletes from six nations are entered in this new event. Look to 18-year-old Fernando Diaz from Spain, who won this event at the FINA Artistic Swimming World Series Super Final this past May in Athens, Greece. Giorgio Minisini of Italy is also a strong medal contender.
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