The 2017 World Champion in the 800 free Gabriele Detti of Italy will have to sit out his team’s training camp in Sierra Nevada that is scheduled for May 17 to June 9. The Italian Swimming Federation reported that Detti will “undergo a further consultation to check the physical conditions and plan the rest of the season.”
It is still unclear whether Detti will participate in the European Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain at the end of the summer. The championships are set to take place August 3-9.
Detti is the defending European Champion in the 400 free where he won the gold in 2016 in London. Detti also claimed two silvers in the 2016 European Championships in the 800 and 1500 free finals behind teammate Gregorio Paltrinieri.
Detti is the reigning World Champion in the 800 free and was the winner of the bronze in the 400 free in Budapest last summer.
Detti is one of the favorites in the newly added 800 free for the 2020 Olympics and is considered one of the best distance swimmers in the world today alongside the likes of fellow Italian Paltrinieri, China’s Sun Yang and Australia’s Mack Horton. He is only 23 years of age and will turn 24 later this year August 29.
In a recent interview with Italy’s Virgilio Sport, Detti said, “It’s a fairly slow recovery, very slow, but the situation would seem to slowly improve. It takes some more time.”
Detti expressed waning optimism about his chances of swimming at the European Championships in August.
“Yes, it should be that. My idea would be going there and doing everything but then you have to see the situation. In case I was not 100%, I’ll make sure the 400 and for the rest, at least for the moment, I do not know. The long distance would be a bit complicated but we see day after day and evaluate the situation.”
Detti was the first Italian to win the 400 free gold at the European Championships in 2016 since Emiliano Brembilla won his third straight in 2004.