Emanuele Merisi
Encyclopedia
Emanuele Merisi is an Italian
former professional swimmer, specialized in backstroke, who won a bronze medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics
.
, province of Bergamo
(Lombardy
).
He began to swim at the age of 8, becoming a member of the Italian national team in 1989. His first important medal was at the European LC Championships 1993
in Sheffield, where he won a bronze medal in his favourite race, the 200 m backstroke. He repeated the result in the European LC Championships 1995
, this time as a member of the 4×200 m freestyle relay.
Merisi presented at the 1996 Summer Olympics
with the best time of the year in the 200 m backstroke, 1:57.70. This is still today the Italian record. In the race, however, he was not able to repeat this outstanding result: he gained only a bronze medal after Americans Brad Bridgewater
and Tripp Schwenk
, both with times largely superior to that time.
A talented and long-career swimmer, captain of Italian team in his last years, Merisi took part to two more editions of Summer Olympics, including 2000, in which he was ranked again amongst the favourites in 200 m backstroke and arrived 5th. His results include two more silver (1997 and 2000) and a bronze medal (1999) at the European Championships, all in the 200 m backstroke.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
former professional swimmer, specialized in backstroke, who won a bronze medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
.
Career
Merisi was born in TreviglioTreviglio
Treviglio is a town and comune in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, northern Italy. It lies 20 km south of the capital city, in the lower territory called "Bassa" marked by the Adda and the Serio rivers....
, province of Bergamo
Province of Bergamo
The Province of Bergamo is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of 1,098,740 , an area of 2,722.86 square km, and contains 244 comuni...
(Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
).
He began to swim at the age of 8, becoming a member of the Italian national team in 1989. His first important medal was at the European LC Championships 1993
European LC Championships 1993
The 1993 European Aquatics Championships were held in Sheffield, United Kingdom from Tuesday 3 August to Sunday 8 August, in the 50 m pool of the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre. The 21st edition of the event was organised by the LEN....
in Sheffield, where he won a bronze medal in his favourite race, the 200 m backstroke. He repeated the result in the European LC Championships 1995
European LC Championships 1995
The European LC Championships 1995 in aquatics were staged in Vienna, Austria from 22–27 August. The competition, organised by the LEN, was held in a temporary pool in the Prater Stadium. The aquatics championships featured contests in swimming, open water swimming, diving, synchronized...
, this time as a member of the 4×200 m freestyle relay.
Merisi presented at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
with the best time of the year in the 200 m backstroke, 1:57.70. This is still today the Italian record. In the race, however, he was not able to repeat this outstanding result: he gained only a bronze medal after Americans Brad Bridgewater
Brad Bridgewater
Brad Michael Bridgewater is an American swimmer, who won the gold medal in men's 200 meter backstroke at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics....
and Tripp Schwenk
Tripp Schwenk
William Douglas Schwenk is a former backstroke swimmer from the United States, who won the silver medal in the 200m Backstroke at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He also competed for his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.-References:* *...
, both with times largely superior to that time.
A talented and long-career swimmer, captain of Italian team in his last years, Merisi took part to two more editions of Summer Olympics, including 2000, in which he was ranked again amongst the favourites in 200 m backstroke and arrived 5th. His results include two more silver (1997 and 2000) and a bronze medal (1999) at the European Championships, all in the 200 m backstroke.