Pier Davide Romani is coming back!
The Italian skater Pier Davide Romani recently announced his return on the circuit of the World Inline Cup (World Cup of Marathons). After three long years of break, the challenge will be difficult for the former member of the Salomon World Team ...
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Data sheet
Name: Pier Davide
First name : Romani
Nickname: Black Magic
Date of birth: 3 June 1980
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Born in: Addis Abeba -Ethiopa
Lives in: Bologna – Italy
Begins to skate in: 1986
Category: senior Elite
Job: Sales Advisor for Startup Business
Strengths: Endurance
Points to improve: Memory… He always forgets points in points race!
Other sports: Running
The last film he saw: Mission Impossible 3
Favorite music: Lenny Kravitz
Video games: He hates videogames
Readings: Poalo Coehlo
Like: Hang out with friends
Dislike: Crash on skates
Qualities: Funny
Faults: He never says no!
Club: Bononia Fini Sport Bologna
Team: Ferrara World Team
Best memory: 2003, his World title on 20km elimination road in Venezuela
Worst memory: In 2003, the week before the 20km elimination race on road, he was always sit out watching other skaters do the competition.
Languages: Italiano, English, Ethiopian
Alcohol or fruit juice? Alcohol… let’s be honest!
Ice-skating or roller-skating? roller for sure.. ice is too cold
Road or track? Track if have huge corners… or road
Sprint or marathon? Marathon… What is sprint? (laughs)
Hard or soft wheels? Hard
Beach or montain? Beach is the only place where you can admire beautiful girl as they really are! (laughs)
Morning or evening? evening… morning is too hard…
Cheese or dessert? Cheese
Rap or techno? Rap
Soccer or rugby? football
Simple or double push? Triple… when he is tired, he also use his arms!
Prize list: He is a perfect rookie now, even if he won World, European, National, world cup stages in the past. He is starting again from zero!
Interview…
Hello Pier, It’s been a while since the last time we saw you in a pro team… could you remind us when you left the professional circuit?
In 2007, I created TNT Korea World Team by myself. I left it after one season. I was team manager and athlete. It was my personal bet before stop skating at pro level.
Can you sum up your professional career?
I started when I was 6, but I started to win competition only when I was 20. I won two World Championships, 15 European titles, 13 Italian titles and 2 World Cups (Zurich, Switzeland and Shuzhou, China)
What’s your job? occupation?
I have a little consulting company that help to find the best way to optimize sales for startup business.
What are you best memories from this period?
My second World title in Venezuela… All skaters came to congratulate me after the race, and I realized how beautiful is this sport and friendship between athletes.
What motivated you to come back?
Since I quit I never even skated one time… So for 3 years, no Sport at all! Now the situation in Italy is quite bad, no skaters, no motivation… and the World Championship will be held in Italy in 2012.
To try to be ready for 2012 World Championship is a big bet… I ended up boring me in competition because I already won World titles, World Cup stages, European Championships… so I lost interest in competition. For now… Be ready for 2012 is almost impossible! And this bet makes my spirit waking up and ready to fight again. At least I will show to the new Italian skaters that everything is possible if you really want.
Is it not too hard to train again and reach the top level ?
Yes, it will be…level is higher compare when I left, and I never raced on this monster wheels… But who cares? If it’s easy, it’s not funny.
Do you have some partners to train?
Yes, I’m pretty lucky with Mauro Casu, Nicola Canella and other friends… they are really important to me at the moment. Without them, It would be really hard to skate alone.
Do you have a team for 2012?
Yes, Akademica World Team. This team is composed with some skaters from my club and other top Italian skaters. This is exactly the same combination as in my very first team.
I hope good things from this new life, this is a second life in speed-skating for me…
Sponsors?
Officialy, for the moment, we have Powerslide Italy as technical sponsor and Vitamine&Co (a supply shop). I’m still looking for others to support me and my team for the World Cup.
The diameter of wheels increased since you left the circuit… How do you feel with 110mm wheels?
Fast! Since I started to skate on 110mm wheels, the feeling is really cool. I’m working hard in gym to have the right power to optimize my technique on this size.
What are your goals for 2012 ?
2012 World Championships in Italy. It is not a mystery even if seems a huge goal. I will plan all my season to be in shape for that goal. We will see how it will end…
In which races will we see you in 2012?
In Lagos (Portugal), 18-20 February 2012, 1st May in Ferrara (Italy), 1st April in Bologna Euro Cup (Italy). I’ll try to be in all the competitions in Europe and out there if I can. I need to put kilometers in my legs.
Anything to add ?
Yes! I decided to make a diary. I would like to share this adventure with all the skaters, friends, fans, coaches, and also people not involved in skating world. I would love to show the road between an idea to be back on sport and the realization of a dream. I don’t know if I will be ready for the World championships, but this will be a good experience and something inspiring to see all i will do to reach my goal. You can find it on my Facebook fan page!
Many thanks to all the people that shared with me my twenty years on skates : skaters, friends, parents… All of them made my world complete.
Links
Facebook page of Pier Davide Romani
Photos: All rights reserved
