Paris Olympics: Who is Thomas Ceccon, the golden shark of the 100m backstroke?

Thomas CeconIn 2001, from Thiene (Vicenza) had already won a medal at these Olympic Games: the bronze medal in the 4×100 freestyle relay with his teammates Alessandro Miressi, Paolo Conte Bonin and Manuel Frigo behind the United States and Australia. Now that he beats everyone, alone, with an exceptional performance, the Italian has climbed for the first time to the Olympus in the specialty that, for two years, has also seen him as world record holder, leaving China and the United States at his feet.

For Italy, it is the second gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Ceccon first let the Chinese Xu Jiayu, first in touch at 50 years old, let off steam, then introduced the turbo with a deadly progression to triumph in 52''00 (26″90 the partial in the second group).

Nicknamed “the shark”for his speed in the water, his determination and for his height of 1.97 meters, he has also distinguished himself over the years in butterfly, freestyle and mixed. And for the always ready joke. “You have to be good, so your ass counts too”, commented the Martinenghi gold medalist who replied: “In the meantime, I became Olympic champion before him!”. And it was always Ceccon the blue who, when the President of the Republic, visiting the Olympic Village, apologized for having kept the athletes waiting, replied: “Actually, a little yes”.

In short, little fuss and a direct approach, as he has always demonstrated in racing. Son of athletes – his father is a pentathlete and his mother a roller-skating champion -, he is a big fan of tennis, a sport he practiced as a child.

“When I was a kid, I would go by car to train with Alberto (the coach, editor's note). He asked me what my dream was, I said to win the Olympics and he said 'Calm down, one thing at a time'. When I was a kid, I knew I could have won.” He confessed to Rai that he was “emotional on the podium. Something very strong. It hadn't happened to me at the World Championships, but here there is a race every 4 years, if you make a mistake you lose everything. You play for tenths, I did the race that had to be done in mixed, I will try to manage it differently.” In the last few meters in fact, “I was on the limit, but it was necessary to do it like that. I am proud of what I did, the problem is that I have the 200 in two days…”.

Tonight he said again: “I'm enjoying it, but tomorrow I wake up knowing that I have done nothing. Those who compete the most do not rest. How to celebrate? Tonight we will play cards with the Tonight I will enjoy it, tomorrow is another day. In swimming we are strong and that's it. We have won a lot in recent years. Let's hope that the other sports do the same. with a good medal table.”

His international swimming career began in 2016 when he was called up for the first time by the Italian youth national team for the Euro Juniors. In 2018, at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, he won his first international medals. In 2020, he improved the Italian record in the 100m backstroke, becoming the fastest Italian of all time. At his first Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, he managed to win a silver medal (4×100 freestyle) and a bronze (4×100 men's medley). At the World Championships in Budapest in 2022, he won again, setting the new world record in the 100m backstroke. In the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly, however, he set a new Italian record. He also collected medals at the European Championships in Rome (4 gold and 2 silver) and at the World Championships in Fukuoka (1 gold, 2 silver).