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13/03/2009Barelli: “World Championships will leave their sign”
FINA: innovative technologies from RAI
FINA’s Bureau, today in Dubai, said: “13th FINA World Championships are going to be superlative”. Paolo Barelli, the president of the Italian Swimming Federation, underlined that: “They’ll be extraordinary for two particular reasons: for the innovative technology together with High-Definition TV and for the heritage that they’ll bequeath to Rome. They won’t be disposable World Championships: they’ll leave a tangible sign in Rome’s plant, in its province and in Lazio region. This was the main effort – confirms Barelli – which the Italian Federation made, according with local and national Government, when it presented its candidacy in July 2005 in Montreal, and this is the project that we’re realizing”.
These are the contents of the presentation of the works for the organization of the World Championships to the FINA’s Bureau. Roma ’09 was present at the meeting with Gianni Minervini, responsible for the sportive area of the Organizing Committee, Italian champion, European record-holder in the 100 m Breaststroke in 1985, silver medallist in Madrid’s World Championships in 1986 and bronze medallist in Perth in 1991.
At the moment there are 155 accredited countries, but over 180 are expected; there are 2.100 received registrations but 2.500 are the expected ones; in the first month of presale, 18.000 bookings – tickets or subscriptions – have been made to the Organizing Committee.
The program prepared by RAI to cover the whole event in high-definition quality (first time for World Championships), the great number of cameras and other technical supports generated great interest. Mustapha Larfaoui expressed his official congratulations to the Italian Federation and the Organizing Committee.
President Barelli also confirmed 25.000 available seats for spectators and insiders in the four plants assigned for swimming, diving, water polo and synchro; the installation of two temporary swimming-pools in the two central tennis fields and the notification of the paths for open-water races in Ostia (5, 10 and 25 km).
FINA confirmed its appreciation for World Championships organizing philosophy, which will leave public and private plants available to clubs, members and citizens. Rome commune, province and region allowed the building of the swimming plants in Rome, Anzio, Tivoli, Anguillara, Monterotondo and Frosinone. The opening ceremony was confirmed for July 18th, while the diving contest will take place in July 17th.