«I have always kept beautiful moments of Rockever since I went down to Calabria as a child with my parents”. For Andrea Carlino, Turin judoka originally from Roccella Jonica qualified for the Paris Olympic Games in the -60 kg categorythere is no shortage of good memories and emotions linked to the Ionian town: «Here I saw relatives and breathed a different air. It has always been my favorite stop, because it allowed me to disconnect from the routine. As the years went by, unfortunately, my commitments and training did not allow me to go down as in the past, but already this year after the Olympics I am thinking of returning and relaxing».
Carlino qualified for the Paris Olympics thanks to the reallocation of a quota and his placings in the Olympic race, including the bronze medal in the Grand Slam in Astana which alone earned 500 points. “I have great expectations for the Olympics,” Carlino said, “and this qualification obtained late also allowed me not to feel a certain amount of tension. I feel good and clearly, since it is a race like all the others, I am aiming high, for the gold medal. I started to believe in qualifying for the Olympic Games already from the seventh place at the European Championships last year.”
Carlino will debut in Paris on July 27. «What will I feel before stepping onto the tatami? My first sensation will be that of giving my all, with a free mind and absolute tranquility».