From the Doha crisis to bronze on the Seine. Taddeucci tells his story

Her first rival – almost her own worst enemy – is none other than herself, so much so that her coach (Giovanni Pistelli, ed.) often prefers not to press the point. Ginevra Taddeucci is just that sort of person; she doesn’t allow herself to make mistakes and when she does, “I beat myself up”, she says jokingly. You can recognise top athletes by this mindset – the only one capable of achieving such results, or when you’re dealing with the physical strain, as in her case, given that she swims in open water. “I compete against myself, and if I don’t do what I want, I torment myself. It’s inconceivable not to be at the top; I have to be at least close to my standards – I berate myself.”

From 4 August, ahead of the 2026 European Championships, she will be back in the water in the Seine, where she won Olympic bronze in the 10 km event. “It’s been a lacklustre season compared to previous ones, but no two years are the same. 2025 brought plenty of satisfaction: I’m heading into the European Championships without any major expectations, hoping to compete with the very best.” In open water, as we know, anything can happen. You’re competing against your own limits, against your opponents, but also against the sea conditions. This is a subject very close to the hearts of all swimmers, who faced several problems at the World Cup stage in Setúbal, Portugal. “Ten athletes fell ill: we’re trying to avoid competing in situations that could cause us discomfort. I ended up in A&E myself because of the polluted water; I hope they don’t put us in such unpleasant conditions again. We always have issues with the water, whether the temperature is too low or too high. They’ve made us compete all season in water between 17 and 18 degrees, with athletes falling ill. For months, we’ve been preparing for World Cup events in vain, because certain temperatures are simply unbearable. Last year in Singapore, they rang us the night before – the race was at 7 am – and the water was dirty. They made us get into the water the next day, with a temperature of 30.9, and the limit is 31. We go from one extreme to the other; it seems nothing ever changes.”

In Paris, provided my physical condition allows it, I might even do the 1,500m: “I don’t mind it; it’s a bit of a break. I swam it at the Italian Championships and at the Games; it’s a different kind of race, so we’ll see. I’ve got four open-water races; if I were to do them all, it would be quite a challenge.” Her mindset has, however, changed since that 22nd-place finish at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, when she thought about giving it all up: “There were lots of people close to me, like my boyfriend (Matteo Furlan, a timekeeper, ed.) or my coach, who believed in the time I could achieve in the 1,500. They gave me a real boost and Matteo convinced me that there’d be another chance, that it wasn’t all over: I clung to their convictions more than my own. I had to put a past relationship behind me and get my head 100 per cent back on track. I built up my confidence and mental calm even in my day-to-day life.” No small achievement for someone who, after the Seine, had admitted to always swimming against the tide, with the determination of someone who feels compelled to constantly prove something. “In Singapore, a year ago, I found peace of mind by winning that individual World Championship medal (silver in the 10 km) that I’d been missing. I can be very satisfied with what I’ve achieved. I think whatever comes in the future will simply be a bonus. I’m no longer obsessed with proving anything; I’ve already shown who I am or who I’ve been.” And yet, there’s always a hint of pessimism she still can’t quite shake off. “I’m very stubborn; even when I win, I don’t give myself a break because I might think I haven’t done enough – it’s a character trait that’s hard to change. After the Olympics, I ‘calmed down’.” I’ve been training at a more relaxed pace; the pre-Olympic sessions were particularly gruelling and I hit a mental low. I told myself I didn’t want to go through that again. In my sport, hard work and commitment are essential, but now I’m trying to manage myself better.”

The turning point, particularly mentally, came with the 1,500 at the 2024 Settecolli: “I thought that time was impossible (16’08”65, ed.): I got almost more satisfaction from achieving it than from winning the Olympic medal; it seemed like an impossible goal to reach in a race that wasn’t really mine”. Between one stroke and the next, he hums to himself, thinks about melodies and seeks a connection with the waters around him. “We form a bond with the place where we swim; we travel the world and truly experience that place instead of being cooped up in a swimming pool. I think of the colours of Sardinia or the fish of the Red Sea.” A sentiment that ties in with her deep-seated passion for travel: “I love seeing the world, discovering the diversity of people, cultures and food; I love exploring. I refuse to leave this life without seeing more. After the European Championships, I’m planning to go to Japan.” Perhaps there she’ll try all the culinary delights: “I don’t follow a diet – I’m standing in front of an ice-cream parlour (she says as we speak, ed.). The only time I stuck to one, I finished 22nd, so I said, ‘I’ll do as I please’ for as long as my body lets me.”