At the age of 30, he is about to experience his fourth Olympics in the same event, the 400m medley, trying to improve on the fifth place in Beijing, his best Olympic performance to date. He took up swimming to help with his scoliosis, but, during the first few years, he was so afraid of the water that he only swam on his back as not to get his face wet. He boasts three consecutive European silvers, interspersed with one silver and one bronze at the World Championships, as well as great results in short-course events. But the Sicilian not only wins in the water: he is also known for his troubled love affairs with famous colleagues such as Laure Manaudou and Federica Pellegrini, as well as several television appearances and talent shows.