A childhood dream to wear his country's cap with his name on it finally paid off as former Florida Southern College national champion Ludovico Viberti secured his ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics, representing Italy.
 
A bold leap from his home in Torino, Italy to pursue an education in the United States was a difficult but worthwhile experience for Ludo. "I made a lot of sacrifices to reach this dream of mine, and now it is here." 
 
Ludo joined the Moccasins in the 2021-22 season and quickly adapted to the collegiate swimming demands in the US. In his freshman year, Ludo went on to win the 100 breaststroke in a time of 52.35 (an FSC record) at the 2022 NCAA National Championships, the 27^th NCAA Individual National Championship for Florida Southern. He was also named the Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year.
 
"I learned so much and grew so much as a person in my time at Florida Southern. I was able to improve my training and technique while being able to race against so many different nationalities at conference and national meets."
 
The decision to move to Lakeland for an opportunity to swim year-round and study was the culmination of a childhood dream to improve in a sport that he had been competing in since he was seven years old.
 
"I started sports with my brother when we were young with swimming and basketball. At the age of 12, I decided to keep swimming because the sport depends on the individual performance and is a direct factor in winning."
 
The desire to win fueled Ludo to compete in America from 2021-22 in one of the best seasons in the pool for the men's team in recent history. Once he finished his freshman year with a national championship, Ludo had a difficult decision to make if he wanted to take part in the upcoming Olympics.
 
Differences in pool length and the required events to make a national roster of a team that boasts 19 Olympic medals required time and dedication only available in Italy. Ludo counted on his dream and talents to reach that goal and returned home to Italy, a decision that eventually paid off.
 
"After I left Florida Southern, the first year was tough to readjust to a new routine and training. Through that adversity though, I had the best year of my career this year with lots of great surprises."
 
Ludo's win at the Italian Open Swimming Championships where he took gold, top-10 finishes at the World Aquatics Championships earlier this year, and his most recent success in the 100m breaststroke at the 60^th International Trophy Sette Colli in Rome, Italy earned his spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
 
"After some initial success, it motivated me to want more. I knew I had this potential; I knew I was in shape, and I knew that I was better than everyone. That motivation led to a great appearance at the World Championships in Doha and eventually representing Italy in the Olympics. I made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point, but I will get to represent Italy in the Olympics. That will never get old."
 
The dream to wear a swim cap with his name under Italy's flag is now a reality for Ludo, swimming alongside legends of the Italian team. "I grew up watching these guys on TV swim and I used to message them congratulations on being the best. They used to never respond, but now they are messaging me after a meet and how great I did."
 
It was important for Ludo to spend the last two years with some of the world's best swimmers and compete every day. "The team is amazing. There are a lot of really fast athletes and have a united team. I have had the chance to interact with the elite Italian swimmers, and it serves as motivation to be the best to stay in this environment."
 
His time at Florida Southern served as a great catalyst in his training routines and techniques learned from head coach Andy Robins and will now be displayed for the world in Paris.
 
Ludo will compete on the first day of events in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Heats will run on Saturday, July 27, with finals on Sunday, July 28.

 

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