Guilio Zorzi
2013 FINA World SC Championship medal winner
Giulio was born on January 3, 1989 in Johannesburg. He matriculated from Pretoria Boys High and studied civil engineering at the University of Pretoria. Both Giulio and Cameron swam under German coach Dirk Lange before he returned to Germany.
Gil Levy, occasional coach of the two swimmers at the time, confides: “They were constantly together, clowning around, enjoying life, seizing the smallest opportunities while working hard, very hard. They won everything! ".
Then they trained with coach Grant Kritzinger at the Northern Tigers Club and Head Coach Igor Omeltchenko at the TUKS Swimming Club at the University of Pretoria.
At the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, he won the bronze medal, swimming in lane 8 The race was won by his training partner Cameron van der Burgh, who finished in 26,77, just 0,01 seconds ahead of Australian Christian Sprenger in 26,78. Giulio was third in 27,04. The 4th-placed swimmer Damir Dugonjic was also 0,01 seconds behind Giulio! Cameron held the world record of 25,25 since 2009.
Giulio swam in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 editions of the Raia Rapida in Rio de Janeiro.
At the world student games - the Universiade - of 2013, held in Kazan, he won the 50m breaststroke, winning the only medal for South Africa. His time was 27,44.
In 2016 Giulio finished 5th in the 50m breaststroke at the FINA World Championships in Canada, where his time was a personal best time of 26,08.
He retired after this event. Today he works as a civil engineer in Pretoria.
Training partners and best friends, Giulio Zorzi and Cameron Van Der Burgh
July 31st, 2013
Cameron Van Der Burgh won the 50m breaststroke, earning his first Gold Medal of the Championships. That alone would have made it a great day for the South African’s, but Giulio Zorzi, Van Der Burgh’s South African teammate, touched third, earning the Bronze medal. It is great to see two teammates finish on the podium. Several other countries have seen both of their swimmers finish in the top 3, but this is the first of the Championships for South Africa. What makes this even more special is the Cameron and Giulio have been training partners for years.
We were able to talk with a few of their coaches who were able to share a lot about their journey.
“Cameron and Giulio how should I say it: the Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. of World Breaststroke swimming. You will see #shakeandbake everywhere on our tweets. Why? Because they are a team, inseparable like “brothers”, they are together all the time 24/7and drive and push each other to unstoppable standards. Everything they do ends up being a competition, even measuring their fat percentages lol; but man do they have fun, from ragging on Lehesta every day to playing practical jokes or continually playing soccer as a form of “stretching”. These guys just love and enjoy what they do. We have really just allowed them at Players to be given the freedom to express their swimming - like artwork.” – Grant Kritzinger, Players Swim.
Van Der Burgh and Zorzi have trained together since they were young. Grant Kritzinger told us that Van Der Burgh once referred to Zorzi as his “Seabiscuit and protégé.” Although we have seen a lot of success from Van Der Burgh, Zorzi made it very clear that he is not anybody's “Seabiscuit.”
“Giulio Zorzi after tonight isn’t the next Cameron Van Der Burgh, he is the next Giulio Zorzi, this kid will be phenomenal in years to come.” – Grant Kritzinger, Players Swim.
Cameron Van Der Burgh and Giulio Zorzi have swam together since they were young and are best friends. You could see how important that friendship was to both of them during the medal presentation, when Van Der Burgh pulled his teammate and best friend, Zorzi, to the top of the podium for the singing of their National Anthem. They stood there, arms around each other, watching the South African flag as it was raised up.
Cameron progressed to training with Dirk Lange who had become SA Head Coach and dragged Giulio with him to go and train there too.
GIl Levy wrote: While I never coached Giulio, I had the privilege of watching him grow up at Pretoria Boys High School which we both attended and I returned to – to teach English and Phys Ed. there. The two of them are inseparable, constantly clowning around with a lust for life and a zest for the opportunities they work & train so hard for – to their fullest.”
Their friendship and support has benefitted them in and out of the pool. It is great to see two best friends pushing each other to be the best they can be, supporting each others goals, and accomplishing them together.
Thank you to Gil Levy, Grant Kritzinger, Cameron Van Der Burgh, and Giulio Zorzi for contributing to these articles.
