Luca is from Messina, he is 25, 78 kilos for 184 centimetres of height, he trains with the Fiamme Gialle in Genova. Viola is from Varese, she is 29, 60 kilos for 165 centimetres, she swims for the Società Sportiva Metanopoli. On the Momochi beach, in Japan, they have conquered the most important title in their carreer: the gold medal for the World Swimming Championships.

Their speciality is little known: the 5 km long distance. Five kilometres swimming, in open sea, in the river or lake, without lanes; a very tough speciality, which is practiced in Italy at professional level by no more than 50-60 people.

Athletes that look down on the race in the swimming pool, considering it fake, too limiting. They are used too tremendous efforts: 5-6 kilometres of sea every day to train. More than six thousand, a head, in a year.

A speciality that had never given any medals to Italy. Also for this reason their venture is historical. A victory that has arrived unexpected. Certainly not for them, who have, for mere passion, practiced this sport for years (the federal prize for the gold is 30 million), already first players at the Perth World Championships in '98 even in the Grand Long-distance, where the distance to be covered is of 25 kilometres!!

A victory which has passed over dozens of jellyfish which infested the Momochi sea on the last day of the race..."I moved them away with my arm" Luca said.

Viola, a lover of 500’s painting and with a degree in Humanities has dedicated the victory to herself: "I gave up too many things in my life...".

Luca, on the other hand, has dedicated his gold to his family, even if his music band, the "Sea from Green", for whom he is the drummer, would have appreciated a dedication...