Since calling time to his professional athletic career, after a final gold-medal-winning performance at the Italian nationals last year, the history-making World champion has been combining coaching with psychology studies in Rome, preparing for the next phase of his life.

Once he was assured that the month-long project in Australia would be a trial, based around a broader project to transform the sport ahead of their home Olympics in 2032, Minisini was sold and needed little additional persuasion.

“They have the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032 and they really want to promote the sport and the inclusive side, so with men and women,” reveals the Italian with a beaming smile.

“So, it's not about only the medals, it's not about only the mixed (element of the sport with women and men), it's about getting both.

Minisini continues: “It’s also not about getting the inclusivity for the sake of inclusivity; it's about getting it because this can give you more opportunities, and that’s something all nations should do.

“So, they (ASA) have this vision. I have this vision, and now we will ‘touch the water’ to feel the temperature this month, and we'll see if we want to dive in (full-time).”

After initial time with athletes in Perth, on Australia’s west coast, Minisini will conclude this initial stint down under in Melbourne before they “talk about the future” and a potential on-going partnership en-route to LA2028, as well as potentially Brisbane 2032.

Rediscovering Olympic Optimism After Olympic Omission

Stepping away from individual competition has hardly dulled Minisini’s competitive drive, if anything it has revitalised the Italian, who is now embracing this new era.

Finding fun, positivity and passion is something he was desperate to discover after a challenging final few year of his career, which included the ‘devastating’ news that he would not be selected for Paris 2024.

When the Mixed Duet programme was left out of the schedule for Paris 2024, most felt that was the end of the road, at least until Los Angeles 2028, for male artistic swimmers to reach the Olympics.

Then, in December 2022 it was revealed that up to two men would be eligible to compete as part of a team line-up and Minisini (Italy) and Bill May (USA) were seen as lead contenders.

However, both nations, together with each of the other eight countries who qualified teams for the Games, opted against including a male athlete, with most fearful the scoring system made it a tactical ‘risk’ in an otherwise all-female line-up.

Minisini, like May, has been reluctant to speak too openly about the disappointment he felt, but now as a former athlete he is more open and reflective about the journey.

“It hurts, but I can live without it (being an Olympian),” he tells World Aquatics.

“It wasn't the easiest period, of course, the Olympics meant a lot to me because I knew that if I have gone to hundreds if not thousands of young guys would have received the idea that they can do it also.

“I really felt that I had this kind of responsibility."

The four-time World champion continues: “I understand this is risky for a team because you have the years and years of traditions of swimming with eight women.

“You have to change everything; you must try to innovate your choreographies, even the training style, because men and women don't have to train the same.

“I was too optimistic, and when the national team chose to go safe, for me it was sad, but also I felt for the sport because I really wanted men’s artistic swimming to show something special.”

Time to reflect, returning home, working with his psychologist and finding new targets has helped reignite Minisini’s desire to transform the future of the sport he loves.

“Right now, I can help them by promoting the sport, by traveling to places, by speaking with people, by trying to be the best ambassador possible for the discipline, so that the future generations can see themselves at the Olympics, this is right now my goal,” he says.

Feeling The ‘Olympic Vibes’ At Paris Fashion Week

While Minisini was unable to sample life as an Olympic athlete in Paris, he was invited to perform in the French capital two months later as the city united athleticism with art.

For 2024’s edition of Paris Fashion Week though there was a very unique twist to French designer Christian Louboutin’s ‘Spring / Summer 2025’ show, which was presented at the iconic Piscine Molitor, which first opened in 1929.

There, Minisini – initially dressed in a firefighter outfit before disrobing – joined the French Olympic team and performed a series of dazzling routines, while wearing striking ‘Miss Z’ stilettos.

The fashion show was created by film director and photographer David LaChapelle together with choreographer Blanca Li and was entitled ‘Paris is Louboutining’.

“Speaking about marketing, it was very clever, but speaking about the art, it was even more because I was working with the French Olympic team and I have to say, it was so, so exciting,” recalls the five-time European gold medallist.

“When I came in, it was in September and I could still feel the Olympic spirit, even in the girls, in the city, in the people and it was so magic for me. 

“It was like, yes things could have been different (if selected for Paris 2024), but after everything that happened, I still felt it, enjoyed it and I still love the Olympics.”

Although Minisini was performing in the show, he was also taking his first steps beyond focusing solely on his pool performances.

“I was already thinking about going to the coaching side, and I think to be a good coach, you really have to know the athletes, so they (the French team) were my first lived experience of that, and it was very special to be part of.

“There were also a lot of people in the crowd who did not know artistic swimming was a thing, or that there were men, but this was awesome to promote the sport and uniting the technical with the artistic side really brought value.”

Mixed Duet Olympic Inclusion Would ‘Benefit Everyone’

On 31^st March the Olympic Programme Commission (OPO) will meet to discuss the sports programme for the LA 2028 Olympic Games, with the decision due to be announced on 9 April.

While there will be no further new sports, with the addition of baseball / softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash approved back in October 2023, there is still the opportunity for new disciplines.

Artistic swimmers hope the Mixed Duet event can be added to the sport’s existing and pre-approved Women’s Duet and Team discipline line-up.

“Things, they don't happen because they are right, they happen because people make things happen,” Minisini tells World Aquatics.

“What you have to remember is that we have only had Mixed Duet from 2015 to 2025 and that means probably only 10% of people coaching in artistic swimming have worked with men, for the other 90% it’s something unknown and unknown is scary.

“We will see mixed teams at the Olympics if we as a whole (sport) manage to work on letting the teams, the coaches, the parents feel safe to take a risk and enter this new age.

“So, yeah, we have to change the culture, but I think that integrating the two genders is something that the whole sport needs, not only for the men, but to the whole community, coaches, artists, judges, stakeholders, as everyone will gain from this inclusion.”