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Federica Isola: «Fencing? Let’s start from the head “

Can you also be friends? Is it a fundamental condition or just an important one?
«For me it is not essential because in the end you have to give your best regardless. Then, of course, if you are a friend you have a trust that goes beyond it. With the two of them there is a lot of trust and sympathy as there is with all the girls of the national team. I, on my own, am a person who gets along well with everyone ».

In your opinion, what worked in your threesome?
«The fact that we complemented each other and together we create an excellent balance: Mara is the technique, Ros the coldness and clarity, Alberta and I the arm. Schermistically speaking, until a few years ago it was mainly focused on technique, while now the aspect of physical and mental preparation is also important. But these three voices must go hand in hand ».

Where does Italian fencing start after Tokyo?
«I think precisely from the balance of these three points; the more one manages to work on all three aspects, the more he will be a complete athlete ».

Are you followed by a mental coach?
“Yes, we’ve been working together for seven years. When they proposed it to me for the first time, I was absolutely against it, I absolutely didn’t want to go there, it seemed like a waste of time. Then Luigi Mazzone changed my way of seeing this aspect as well. We have achieved all the goals we had set for ourselves from the European Under 20s, to the World Cups and the Olympics. It was so fundamental that I also wanted it at the bottom of the platform in Tokyo. The more I grow, the more I realize that a good result gives you the head ».

So, rather than changing the technical aspect, do you suggest focusing more on the mental aspect?
«It takes something else to change a sector and a sport. We need to focus on young people and on a new culture, where we must not be afraid to deal with our own frailties. The change of mentality is a process that needs time, but we could start by talking more about it among ourselves first of all ».

Why did you choose fencing?
«They premise that I like all sports, but I chose fencing for its strategic aspect, the reasoning it leads you to do. Each assault is like a game of chess. I just wish that even those who watch from home could understand the beauty of this sport. Maybe more technology could be introduced, playing with colors and lasers to simplify the movements of the blade which often escape to less experienced eyes ».

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