"In the water I am really myself" - a Noè Ponti interview We caught up with the Swiss swimmer, the new 50 meter butterfly recordman

Noè Ponti has always had water in his name. Or at least the ability to cut through it at supersonic speed, almost giving the impression that he doesn't even get wet as he crosses the lane with his strokes towering over the surface and his powerful, darting legs underscoring the watery movement. Yesterday, December 11, 2024, will be remembered as a historic date for swimming: Noè Ponti was crowned world champion in the 50-meter butterfly at the World Championships in Budapest, once again breaking his own world record with an astonishing 21"32 time. Just a few days ago, we had the chance to speak with him to hear his thoughts ahead of such a highly anticipated event. He also shared insights about his life in the pool, his friendships with Ceccon and Martinenghi, the importance of mental health, and, of course, his relationship with his technical sponsor, arena.

First, tell us how your passion for swimming came about. When was your first experience in the water and when did you first realize that you wanted to follow this path in your life?

Then it's hard to remember the absolute first one. Let's say at about the age of two and a half I started swimming without floaters and I was doing a style, maybe a little bit similar to dolphin. That is, dolphin legs, because I was still not able to use my arms. And then from there I started doing various swimming courses, both in summer and winter, also thanks to my sister who is three years older than me and in 2006 she started competitive swimming. And I wanted to try what my sister was doing the following year. I started and after a month and a half, I stopped because I was the smallest in the group and she was teasing me a little bit. But after that we went on vacation to the Red Sea and I was in the water so much and when I came back I wanted to try again. From there I haven't stopped until now.

How did the relationship with arena come about and what was the reason you chose them as a sponsor?

I think arena is the leading brand in swimming and also because of its proximity to Italy, it was always one of the brands I used as a child. But the best racing suit is the one they made for the Olympics. I really like the brand, I like the people, it's like a family. After Tokyo, my coach knew a few people in the arena and asked if he knew anyone who could get me on the team. So it started straight after Tokyo, after the medal in December I sat down with arena and they took me into their family. I think that's the most important thing: the relationships you build not only with the sponsor, but also with the people you work with.

Tell us why the arena costume you wore at the last Olympic Games is the best possible one. What qualities are more important for a swimmer than for a non-professional?

I like costumes that are comfortable, that I can move around in sufficiently and that allow me to be mobile in the water. I have good mobility, especially in the pelvic area, and the most important thing is that it is comfortable and gives me a wide range of movement when swimming. Also, the compression is very good and it's like your legs float more than with other costumes, it just pulls your legs up a bit more and that obviously helps when swimming.

The Powerskin Primo also has a revolutionary structure that combines the best of arena technology. It combines the flexibility of the Powerskin Carbon Glide with the compression of the Powerskin Carbon Core FX. The carbon fibres give you the ability to be agile without losing speed and power. In June 2023 we had a first test and I immediately felt comfortable with it. Then I used it at the last European Championships and swam really fast, and when a swimmer is fast in a suit, they don't want to change it. It's also a mental thing, but at the moment I would never do without it.