1.- In three weeks three athletes trained by you have won the Italian title. Explain the reasons for these successes.
I think it's just a coincidence between calendar, planning and objectives. When I program the athletic activity of athletes I try to match the technical objectives, the federal directives, the activity of sports clubs on the basis of competitive calendars, without paying particular attention to the media feedback that may derive from them. In this case, then, participation in the Italian Indoor Championships was at the discretion of the athletes.
2.- The athletes trained by you show in the race a walking technique very similar to the one defined as "classic" compared to that which some of your colleagues, even foreigners, call "modern". Tell us your thoughts about it.
First of all, there is the RTI rule 230. Only in respect of this rule can one have different technical applications, but it is difficult to have much "extended" interpretations. I would like to teach a technical model that deviates from misunderstandings and that is as clear as possible. A long time ago, a great champion of the past told me that having a good technique is an advantage in the tipic hot moments of the competitions. I add that seeing a clearly clean gesture is always a good advertisement for our specialty.
3.- An old adagio in race walk said: "It is not enough to win, we must also see how we win". Do you agree or do you think that a victory is worth any compromise because afterwards nobody remembers anything?
As far as I am concerned, the peasant wisdom is a source of ethical and behavioral inspiration, so my coaching philosophy is strongly linked to daily work and respect for the man behind the athlete. In my opinion, sport is one of the few bulwarks of a pedagogy free from conditioning and compromise. So I prefer a defeat that respects my principles to a victory to be ashamed of.
4.- Some already call you the "new guru" of race walk in Italy, approaching your person to the initial stage of the successes of Sandro Damilano. What the Piedmontese coach has taught you over the years and what you envy.
Envy is a feeling that fortunately does not belong to me and to be a guru I miss my hair and beard. Seriously, I do not think I can be compared to a coach like Sandro Damilano, for whom I respect and to whom I tried to inspire myself for the attention to details and dedication to the athletes. In the early years of my coaching profession I was lucky enough to attend coaches like Sandro, but also like La Torre, Pastorini, Visini and from each of them I tried to learn as much as possible. Not everything is learned from books, some aspects can only be learned through dialogue and confrontation with others. I will never forget the convivial "chats" made with prof. Carlo Vittori ....
5.- We come to the relationship between middle distance and race walk. To direct the mid-distance runners to race walk you have tried in two coaches (you and Gianni Perricelli) with three athletes, all women, (Adelina De Soccio, Margherita Crosta and Fatima Lotfi). Describe the difficulties of this possible choice.
Race walk and the middle-distance are specialties that may have some physiological aspects in common, but that the mechanical differences make different from a muscular and methodological point of view. Unfortunately, my experience with athletes and former middle-distance runners can not lead me to provide a working protocol or unique difficulties, especially because we talk about athletes who are anthropometric from an anthropometric point of view. However, I must say that both were stimulating experiences through which I learned the importance of having continuous feedback with the athlete.
6.- Once in Sesto San Giovanni, in a technical examination, you were the shadow judge of a foreign international judge to compare your evaluation of the race with his and then discuss it. In your opinion the judge's view is different from that of the coach or is only complementary.
As said race walk is a specialty of athletics whose technical gesture is governed by a rule and the respect of which must be evaluated by judges. I think it's a very simple concept, so any misunderstanding is the result of bad interpretations.
I remember very well the experience of Sesto San Giovanni and I remember that I made an incredible effort to evaluate "all" the athletes in the race, knowing that my judgment could undermine the work that is behind every athlete. I think it is formative to be able to live different experiences from those that judges and technicians live normally.
7.- What do you think of the 50km reserved for women. It's a dream to have soon a time under 4 hours?
I believe that the introduction of the 50km is a full application of the sixth principle of the Olympic principle, with regard to gender equality. By character attitude women are carried to endure great efforts, so I think that on this distance we will soon see performances far below the fateful 4-hour wall.
8.- After the success of Antonella Palmisano last year at the "Four days of Around Taihu in China" when you think of sending a male team of the "ParceTeam" to compete there in China?
It would be very nice even if I do not know when. Certainly not for this year ... in fact in the same period the ParceTeam will have another commitment, even if the "invitations" by the Captain (edn: wedding) have yet to arrive.