Ricky Petrucciani Interview
1. What was your experience like at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
I remember watching the 2016 Olympics on television and telling my father that I wanted to be there at the next ones. Tokyo was my goal and I achieved my dream!
At first we were an hour away from Tokyo and it was strange because we were locked in the hotel in quarantine, they could only go out to train us. Later we moved to the village, a mini-city where you can see the flags of all the countries on the buildings. The village is a unique experience.
Tokyo is huge, modern, with gigantic buildings. From the village to the stadium took about 25 minutes by bus, entering the stadium for the first time gave me a strange feeling, it was huge but empty, although it seemed full because of the seats with different colors only you couldn't hear the audience.
2. Pressure managed or different from other races?
In the qualifiers I felt a lot of pressure, the Olympics is a totally different context, you are competing together with the best in the world!
I tried to think about it as little as possible but the pressure was a lot, plus the heat was crazy, it was about 39-40 °C, you could feel it a lot when you went from the shade to the sun.
In the Semifinals, I had already broken the ice so the experience was different. I enjoyed it much more also because it was at 8 p.m. and it was less hot, in fact, the time improved by half a second doing 4:10 for temperature and stress management.
3. How should the four 100-meter pieces be run in the perfect race? Equal or accelerating?
It depends on the athlete and how he wants to run the race. I start strong the first 50-100m, then I try to keep the pace by struggling as little as possible, the turn I try to keep it at the same speed, then the last 120-100m I give it my all.
4. Do the bottom and shoes play an important role?
Shoes are important, even if you are the one who has to run, but the spike can give you a little help.
5. Was there, in Tokyo, an athlete who surprised you that you didn't expect?
I was amazed by Kasrsten Warholm, the Norwegian who won the 400m hurdles. I am amazed by the way he runs, he is elegant, it almost looks as if he does not struggle, and the race technique he uses: the first 100m is practically nonexistent, then he crosses the 300m line and starts running.
Of course, I was also amazed by the two Swiss women, Ajla Del Ponte and Mujinga Kambudji in the 100m. Athletics is a sport that is growing so much in Switzerland.
6. How do you reconcile the life of a 20-year-old boy with all these commitments and pressures?
It's kind of hard to deal with, especially when you're training and you don't grow, you start asking yourself a lot of questions and wondering why you're still at the same time all the time. It's all mental.
The sacrifices are many, life hardly exists. The anti-doping people hammer you, they always want to know where you are.
7. At what age did you start with athletics?
When I was 12-13 years old I did an even year of soccer, I loved it. In athletics I had come second in the 60m and the kilometer in Switzerland. Whoever won qualified for the Swiss finals, and I came second. Despite this good result I decided to quit because I was asked to choose between athletics and soccer, and at that moment I chose soccer. I did 2 years in the Ticino team, but during the under 15 to 16 selections I was not chosen, so I started again with athletics in 2015.