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The live auction of the goggles worn by Federica Pellegrini when she raced to Olympic gold over 200m freestyle at Beijing 2008 and other items, including a collection of giant photos, raised 66,050 Euros for a hospital in Bergamo, Italy, at the centre of that country’s coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
The goggles, worth around €25 new, fetched €4,550 ($4,991). Four signed, photographic canvases of around a metre-square, of Pellegrini in various poses and action and shot by Giorgio Scala and his Deepbluemedia photography team, fetched €9,900, while a bomber jacket worn by the World 200m freestyle champion when she was a judge on the Italia’s Got Talent TV show raised €3,400.
Swim kit worn at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju last year, when Pellegrini took gold and made it a record eight global-showcase 200m free podiums since 2005, fetched €6,200, while the Italy team shoes she worn during the Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2016 fetched €3,100 while other kit topped €15,000 on total.
The auction coincided with the beginning of what may be a flattening of the curve in Italy’s battle against coronavirus. While the Italian Sports Minister indicated that May could see a steady opening of national sports training facilities, experts urged caution at a time when there is no vaccine and no medication to fight a resurgence and a second wave that could be bigger than the first if mistakes are made.
As of today, Italy has suffered more than 162,000 cases of infection, while 21,607 people have died from COVID-19 and related complications.
Among other swimmers who have raised or donated money for charity are Britain’s Adam Peaty, who raised money by selling the suit he wore on the way to Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke at the Rio 2016 Games, and triple Olympic champion of Hungary, Katinka Hosszu and her Team Iron mates who donated $4,500 to healthcare efforts in the coronavirus battle. American sprinter Nathan Adrian’s fundraiser is still open.
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