A trip to the iconic racing track in Monza has already been marked in Agustin Vernice’s planner for this season.
While his focus will be on capturing an historic gold medal for Argentina when he arrives in Milan later this year, Vernice can’t help but get excited about fulfilling his other big passion - Formula One racing.
Two weeks after Milan stages the International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint World Championships from August 20 to 24, the neighbouring city of Monza holds the Italian Grand Prix.
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is not the only F1 track Vernice is hoping to visit this year as he looks to attend other races in between his busy kayaking schedule.
“I’m a big fan of F1,” said Vernice.
“I look at the calendar when I stay in Europe to see which races are near to where I am so I can watch some Grand Prix.
“This year, I’m looking to go to Monza after Milan because it’s very near and only two weeks after the World Championships.
“I was in Monza last year and in 2023 I was in Austria.
“If I cannot go there, the last chance is in Brazil in November.”
Growing up with brothers who are motorsport enthusiasts, it is no surprise that Vernice has a love of fast cars.
The sight of seeing drivers zooming round the track is something that excites Vernice.
But it has been understanding the psychological side of F1 that Vernice believes has benefited him most in his pursuit for kayaking success.
“You can see how difficult it is and that it is about the strategy,” said Vernice.
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“I admire a lot of these athletes who keep fighting over the years.
“You can see how powerful the mind is.
“You can do an excellent race but you can throw away everything if you are not ready mentally.
“It’s not just about entertainment.
“It’s like a challenge between your mind and you and how you can recover from difficult situations.”
Vernice is continuing to embrace the challenge of those mental battles as he strives to improve on and off the water.
One of his difficult moments came when Vernice trained alongside Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
“I remember when we had our first training camp together,” said Vernice.
“After the first few days, I wanted to cry because I couldn’t believe how hard he was training.
“But after that, I started to grow little by little and was able to have more resistance to tough training sessions so I learned a lot.”
Vernice and Pimenta both compete in the Olympic event of the kayak single 1000m but have formed a great friendship.
The Argentine paddler said the two-time Olympic medallist had become a great mentor in his career.
“I have learned a lot from Pimenta during the last four years,” said Vernice.
“He’s one of the best in the history of the sport.
“I have the possibility to train with him which is amazing.
“We have achieved a lot of good results thanks to this partnership and the opportunity to work and fight together.”
Vernice also faced a difficult situation at last year’s Olympic Games in Paris that required mental fortitude to overcome.
After years of preparation for the Games, Vernice came down with sickness at the worst possible time.
In between the heats and semi-final, Vernice suddenly felt ill.
This could have knocked him off course but Vernice used the situation to take pressure off his shoulders.
“The day after the heat I didn't paddle, but honestly in the semi final and the final, I didn't think too much about whether I was sick or not,” said Vernice.
“It was not an excuse, it's part of the challenge.
“Maybe the sickness was because of the nerves.
“I don’t know but the expectations were a little bit less so I could compete without things being too much about what I should do or what results I should get.”
Putting his sickness to the back of his mind, Vernice produced a superb race in the men’s K1 1000m final.
The 29-year-old clocked a time of 3:28.10 to finish just outside the medals in joint fourth position.
“I want to win a medal like everybody else but at the same time, in that moment, I tried to forget that and just paddled,” said Vernice.
“I was a bit surprised (to come so close to getting a medal).
“Many people have a chance to be in a final and to fight for a medal.
“Thinking back 15 years ago, I could not have imagined this result. It’s amazing.”
Having come within three seconds of a place on the podium in Paris, Vernice has now got even further fuel to drive him to greater success at LA28.
Should he achieve a medal in three years’ time, it would be a first for Argentina in canoeing.
“Maybe in a few years, I’ll be better or not and the results will be better or not, it depends on many factors,” said Vernice.
“But I’m sure that if I train, I’ll keep fighting.
“I know that Argentina has not won a medal yet, so obviously I want to be the first but we have too much to work to do before I can think about that.”
The main target this year is the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan which is a city that is close to his heart and a event that Argentina has yet to achieve gold at.
As well as having family ties to Italy, Vernice’s first appearance at the World Championships came in Milan when it last hosted the event 10 years ago.
“I’m very excited,” added Vernice.
“I love all the Italian culture and I have family there so it’s a special place for me.
“A lot has changed over the past 10 years as I was only 18 or 19 years old back then.
“Just being in the heat was like a final to me.
“I am happy to remember that time because it was not easy for me and I had to work a lot to improve.
“I'm more mature now.
“I have more experience.
“I'm in good shape, but I also know that the bag is heavier than before, so I have to deal with this.
“I have learned a lot of things, but that is not the end.”
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