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Margherita PANZIERA
Sport Swimming
NOC Italy   
GenderWomen
Born12 Aug 1995 in Montebelluna, ITA
Height1.80 m
 Human Interest 
Further Personal Information
Residence
Rome, ITA
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team
CC Aniene [ITA] / GS Fiamme Oro [ITA]:
Name of coach
Gianluca Belfiore [CC Aniene], ITA
When and where did you begin this sport?
She began swimming at age four.
International Debut
Year
2015
Competing for
Italy
Further Personal Information
Occupation
Police Athlete, Student
Languages
English, Italian
General Interest
Hobbies
Singing, watching films. (gazzetta.it, 05 Nov 2021; video.repubblica.it, 15 Mar 2019)
Hero / Idol
Italian swimmers Federica Pellegrini and Alessia Filippi. (swimswam.com, 03 Apr 2020; corriere.it, 10 Dec 2018)
Other information
DEALING WITH ANXIETY
She admits that she has suffered from anxiety during her swimming career and that she also developed an eating disorder after the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. "I would get anxious. I would hyperventilate. Then, after Rio, I also began to suffer from eating disorders. I worked with a psychologist for a year, focusing on reducing anxiety. But the click came from within me. After that, good times arrived naturally." In 2021, she said she meets weekly with a mental coach at her club CC Aniene. "He is often at the edge of the pool, he sees how it goes. For me it was a great help, because I am introverted and emotional, and it was not easy to find a balance. With the work on myself, I understood that the secret is to find serenity in everyday life and in small things, not to get involved with negative people or discussions on abstract issues, and not to pay attention to how others perceive you." (iodonna.it, 25 Jul 2021; corriere.it, 10 Dec 2018; ilmessaggero.it, 06 Dec 2018)

ILLNESS
She missed the 2020 national championships in Italy while recovering from COVID-19. From June to September in 2019, she also suffered from a virus [cytomegalovirus] which caused fatigue and affected her performance at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. (oasport.it, 28 Dec 2020; swimmingworldmagazine.com, 07 Jan 2020; ilmessaggero.it, 06 Dec 2018)

FURTHER STUDIES
She has studied for a master's degree in business administration and marketing at the Luiss Guido Carli university in Rome, Italy. During her bachelor's degree in business administration, she wrote a thesis on the impact of the Olympic Games on the host city with references to Rome's bid for the 2024 Olympic Games. (ilmessaggero.it, 06 Dec 2018; iodonna.it, 25 Jul 2021)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Outside of sport, she aspires to join the police after she retires from competition. (iodonna.it, 25 Jul 2021; fanpage.it, 21 Jul 2021)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"I never skip a day. Even if I'm sick I always try to go to the pool. I prefer to train below expectations but still give 100%, rather than stay in my room and relax. My daily commitment is to go beyond myself. I like the idea of having to sweat more than my opponents to be able to keep ahead of them." (rivistaundici.com, 12 Apr 2021)
Memorable sporting achievement
Setting a national record in the 200m backstroke at the 2018 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, Italy. (swimswam.com, 03 Apr 2020)
Famous relatives
Her partner Alessandro Baffi has competed in swimming at national club level in Italy. (Alessandro Baffi Instagram profile, 08 May 2021; swimcloud.com, 03 Apr 2021)
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
She was encouraged to take up swimming by her mother, who was advised by a doctor that it would help with her daughter's recurring back problems. "At the age of 14 I preferred volleyball. All my friends did it and it was less demanding. But I was doing well in swimming, and my parents encouraged me to continue with the sport."
Training Regime
She does 10 training sessions per week and two more at the gym. She covers around 13 kilometres in the pool each day.
Further Personal Information
Family
Partner Alessandro Baffi

 Competition Highlights
Olympic Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
11 2021 Tokyo, JPN 100m Backstroke 59.75
9 2021 Tokyo, JPN 200m Backstroke 2:09.54
6 2021 Tokyo, JPN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:56.68
Heats 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 200m Backstroke 2:10.92
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
10 2023 Fukuoka, JPN 200m Backstroke 2:10.65
Semifinal 2023 Fukuoka, JPN 100m Backstroke 1:01.31
25 2023 Fukuoka, JPN 50m Backstroke 28.61
Heats 2023 Fukuoka, JPN 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
4 2022 Budapest, HUN 200m Backstroke 2:07.27
Semifinal 2022 Budapest, HUN 100m Backstroke 1:00.26
7 2022 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:58.86
4 2019 Gwangju, KOR 200m Backstroke 2:06.67
Semifinal 2019 Gwangju, KOR 100m Backstroke 59.83
4 2019 Gwangju, KOR 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:56.50
6 2019 Gwangju, KOR 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
Heats 2017 Budapest, HUN 100m Backstroke 1:01.03
Semifinal 2017 Budapest, HUN 200m Backstroke 2:10.95
8 2017 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:59.98
8 2017 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
Semifinal 2015 Kazan, RUS 200m Backstroke 2:09.54
Heats 2015 Kazan, RUS 100m Backstroke 1:02.17
World Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Heats 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 50m Backstroke 27.30
5 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 200m Backstroke 2:02.18
Heats 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 100m Backstroke 57.72
5 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 200m Backstroke 2:03.20
Semifinal 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 100m Backstroke 58.13
5 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 200m Backstroke 2:02.50
Semifinal 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 100m Backstroke 58.31
8 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:46.44
6 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:43.18
3 2018 Hangzhou, CHN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:51.38
European Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
1 2022 Rome, ITA 200m Backstroke 2:07.13
1 2022 Rome, ITA 100m Backstroke 59.40
4 2022 Rome, ITA 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:57.23
2 2021 Budapest, HUN 100m Backstroke 59.01
1 2021 Budapest, HUN 200m Backstroke 2:06.08
Semifinal 2021 Budapest, HUN 50m Backstroke 28.04
3 2021 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:42.30
2 2021 Budapest, HUN 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:29.35
3 2021 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:56.30
6 2021 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:39.08
1 2018 Glasgow, SCO 200m Backstroke 2:06.18
5 2018 Glasgow, SCO 100m Backstroke 59.71
5 2018 Glasgow, SCO 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:32.37
3 2018 Glasgow, SCO 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:44.85
Semifinal 2016 London, ENG 200m Backstroke 2:11.80
Heats 2016 London, ENG 100m Backstroke 1:01.45
Heats 2016 London, ENG 50m Backstroke 29.21
European Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
4 2023 Otopeni, ROU 200m Backstroke 2:04.35
8 2023 Otopeni, ROU 100m Backstroke 58.25
7 2021 Kazan, RUS 100m Backstroke 57.53
2 2021 Kazan, RUS 200m Backstroke 2:02.05
1 2019 Glasgow, SCO 200m Backstroke 2:01.45
6 2019 Glasgow, SCO 100m Backstroke 57.45
8 2019 Glasgow, SCO 200m Freestyle 1:55.49
5 2019 Glasgow, SCO 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay  
3 2017 Copenhagen, DEN 200m Backstroke 2:02.43
Heats 2017 Copenhagen, DEN 100m Backstroke 58.19
7 2015 Netanya, ISR 200m Backstroke 2:05.60
Semifinal 2015 Netanya, ISR 100m Backstroke 59.24
Heats 2015 Netanya, ISR 50m Backstroke 28.49