CHENGDU, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Italy's Lamberti brothers, Matteo and Michele, wrapped up their stint at the Chengdu Universiade on Sunday with a total of two golds, two silvers and one bronze.
Matteo, 24, clinched a silver in the men's 4x200 freestyle relay on Sunday, after he secured his initial gold in Chengdu during the men's 400m freestyle on Tuesday. His sibling Michele, 22, earned a silver in the men's 100m backstroke the following day.
The Lamberti brothers maintained momentum. After Michele's bronze in the men's 50m backstroke, Matteo nabbed another gold in the men's 800m freestyle.
"I'm very happy. I want to show how much I love swimming," Matteo commented. "My forte is freestyle, and my brother Michele excels in backstroke and butterfly. We've competed together many times. We're really close and often head home on weekends."
Their passion and aptitude for swimming appear to run in the family. Their father and coach, Giorgio Lamberti, was the inaugural Italian to clinch a World Championships title in 1991 and once held world records in the short-course 400m freestyle and long-course 200m freestyle.
Their mother Tanya Vannini and sister Noemi have also made waves in international swimming. "Every member of my family, including my parents and sister, is a swimmer," Michele noted.
"I'm really happy about the results we got. Our father didn't come with us this time, but he's at home watching us on TV. I think he will be very satisfied and proud of us," Matteo reflected post his concluding race.
After retiring from professional swimming in 1993, Giorgio took on coaching roles, including mentoring his children, and held prominent positions within the Italian Swimming Federation.
Both brothers have consistently been featured on Italy's team roster. They each secured three silver medals at the Italian National Championships 2023, with Michele setting the national record in the short-course 50m backstroke.
Despite their shared zeal for swimming, they have distinct academic pursuits. "I study economics and Michele studies languages including Chinese in University of Brescia," Matteo shared. ■
