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Brentwood Press - AntiochPress_10.10.08 - Index

8A | BRENTWOODPRESS.COM COMMUNITY OCTOBER 10, 2008
Immortality denied by 1/100th second
by Marianne Foglia
Correspondent
Della Lorenzetti might have shared
a disappointing moment with her client,
sprint swimmer Milorad Cavic, at the 2004
Summer Olympics in Athens, but that
memory was washed away last month in
Beijing as she watched him torpedo into
second place – just a 100th of a second behind
gold medalist Michael Phelps – in the
men’s 100m fl y.
Lorenzetti, an Antioch resident and
owner of Touch of Health massage and
nutrition clinic at Antioch’s In-Shape Sport
club, traveled to Beijing for the summer
games and was extremely pleased with
Cavic’s performance. Lorenzetti said the
sentiment is shared by Cavic’s coach Mike
Bottom. “He (Bottom) is thrilled whenever
his swimmers excel beyond their own capacity,
and so am I.”
Cavic did more than excel at the games;
he broke an Olympic record, swimming the
100m fl y semi-fi nals in 50:76. “And then,”
Lorenzetti said, “Michael Phelps broke that
record in the fi nals.”
When Cavic and Phelps squared off in
the 100m fl y fi nals, each knew how much
the other wanted gold. The adrenaline, tension
and competitive spirit was never more
alive than in the Beijing Water Cube during
that race, where in the end, Phelps’ time of
50:58 beat Cavic’s by 1/100th second.
“Both of them have a story about over-
coming obstacles, and they have many similarities,”
said Lorenzetti. “Milorad Cavic
has a story and Michael Phelps has a story
– both came to an apex in a race. You will
never meet two fi ner people in your life than
them. I have seen their glory and their disappointments.
“I went to the Athens games with him
and have seen Milorad pull through some
tough times. He had a disastrous situation
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Photo courtesy of Della Lorenzetti
Trainer Della Lorenzetti sits with her client, Czech swimmer Milorad Cavic, at
this year’s Olympics in Bejing. Cavic won silver in the men’s 100 fl y, beaten by
1/100th of a second by Michael Phelps.
when his suit buckled and fi lled with water,
causing him to lose a race,” she recalled, remembering
when Cavic had decided to retire
after acquiring a painful lower back condition.
“But I found so many qualities and talents
in him and encouraged him to believe in
himself and know that he could accomplish
anything in his life. I believe in him.
“I admire him so much. I truly believe
that Mike (Milorad) has so much passion
that he could accomplish anything in life.
When he identifi es a goal, he does everything
in his power to get it and keep it. It’s that kind
of integrity that I so much admire.”
According to Lorenzetti, China also
showed its integrity as host of the summer
games. “It was amazing to see everything.
The fi tness room in the Village was
equipped with the most up-to-the-minute
equipment,” she said. “China really seemed
to want to show the world that they could
have the best Olympics ever.”
The massive Bird Nest stadium was an
architectural wonder, she said, as was the
Water Cube. “Everyone was saying it was a
very fast pool,” Lorenzetti said, noting that
lanes zero and nine were not used in order
to allow more free fl owing water for the
competitors.
The Olympic Village, surrounded by
coiled barbed wire and armed guards, was
enormous. Nine-story buildings housed athletes
from around the world. “Each country
would hang their fl ag from the top fl oor,”
Lorenzetti recalled. “It reminded me of
China’s vision: One World, One Dream.”
Lorenzetti said she met an Iranian
weightlifter at the fi tness center. “We talked
and joked, despite the differences in our cultures,”
she said. “I so much enjoyed hearing
about his life and laughing with him.”
In Lorenzetti’s opinion, the Olympics
have a unique power to bring countries together
and help foster an understanding of
tolerance and peace throughout the world.