Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
The Foro Italico continues to renew itself, expanding its spaces and strengthening its ability to meet the needs of sport today and tomorrow. As part of the extensive redevelopment project for the Sports Park, the swimming pool at the Swimming Stadium is being re-covered twenty years after its last renovation: a project that restores a new dimension to one of the world's most beautiful facilities, making it accessible year-round.
Starting at the end of October, thanks to a pressure-supported structure installed by Sport e Salute, the Swimming Stadium will once again be usable during the winter season. The roof, measuring 37 meters wide, 66 meters long, and 7 meters high, represents a concrete investment in enhancing the existing assets and expanding sports opportunities.
The goal is to give sports clubs a strategic waterfront space, ensuring continuity of activities and training throughout the year. From swimming to water polo, from lifeguarding to swimming lessons, the facility will be able to accommodate a variety of disciplines and activities, offering new opportunities to the athletes and clubs that bring the Foro Italico to life every day.
The availability of the covered swimming stadium also represents a concrete response to the management needs of water spaces, also in view of the 2027 Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
Having a facility available for twelve months will ensure the continuity of sports clubs' activities even during the major tennis event, thus better reconciling the needs of international events with those of everyday sport.
"We strongly supported this project because we believe the Foro Italico must continue to evolve, anticipating the needs of tomorrow's sports. This new roof is much more than an infrastructure project: it is an investment in people, because it will allow an ever-increasing number of athletes and citizens to train and enjoy sports in every season, with even more functional and versatile spaces," said Diego Nepi Molineris, CEO of Sport e Salute. "Our vision is for the Foro Italico to be increasingly multidisciplinary, modern, and forward-looking, capable of hosting major international events while simultaneously generating new opportunities for sports every day. Because the success of sport is measured not only in the medals won at major events, but also in every person we introduce to physical activity, in every young person who finds their path in sport, in every citizen who discovers the well-being of movement. This is the most important challenge: to ensure that sport has no boundaries, that it is increasingly accessible, and that every space can be transformed into an opportunity for growth, well-being, and a future." We would like to thank the Italian Swimming Federation for their collaboration, which made it possible to achieve this important goal.
Paolo Barelli, President of the Italian Swimming Federation, added: "The covering of the Swimming Stadium represents a strategic step for the city and the entire aquatics movement. Thanks to the collaboration agreement between the Italian Swimming Federation and Sport e Salute, Rome has been given back an infrastructure of excellence that is operational even during the winter months after 20 years. This project concretely responds to the needs of local sports clubs, a true social and educational resource, offering citizens more water spaces dedicated to health, wellness, and physical activity. In a historically challenging time for pool management costs, ensuring continuity and sustainability for sports facilities is a sign of great institutional responsibility and genuine support for the sector. Furthermore, the covering of the Swimming Stadium is part of a strategic program shared with Sport e Salute to further make the Foro Italico Park a center of interest for citizens for daily recreational and sporting activities, as well as for major events organized together, such as the Internazionali di Nuoto/Trofeo Settecolli IP, which will last four days from 2027, increasing the number of events organized in the area. the finals program will be one day, and will host two Settebello friendlies to meet the ever-increasing demand from swimming and water polo enthusiasts."
Finally, Alessia Filippi, gold medalist in the women's 1500m freestyle at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, concluded: "The Stadio del Nuoto in Rome represented a fundamental step for me: the transition from amateur to professional athlete. I know what it means to be able to swim year-round in a facility of this caliber and how much of a difference it can make for an athlete. For years, during the winter months, this opportunity had been missing. Finally, thanks to the intervention of Sport e Salute, it will be possible again. Returning such an important facility to the community and ensuring athletes can train in suitable conditions was a must, but by no means a given. Thank you to Sport e Salute for making all this possible."
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