Giulia Imperio: “I’M REBORN” – The Comeback No One Fully Saw Coming [Interview 2026]

In an exclusive interview with Torokhtiy Media, Giulia Imperio reflects on the moment her European title nearly slipped away and what brought her back.

Two missed snatches.

At this level, that usually means one thing: the competition is over.

At the 2026 European Weightlifting Championships, Italy’s Giulia Imperio competing in the new 48 kg category after previously lifting at 49 kg – stood over the bar after two failed attempts, with only one lift left to stay in the fight.

Minutes later, she would become the 2026 European champion again with 176 kg (78 kg snatch, 98 kg clean & jerk).

This is what makes her comeback different.

🎥 Watch the full 48 kg session

Here’s how the entire category played out – including Imperio’s battle for gold:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs6X7P1vRcM

When everything goes wrong

77 kg. Miss.
77 kg. Miss again.

This is the moment where most competitions collapse – not physically, but mentally.

But Imperio made a different choice.

“I said to myself: you did it in the gym – show everyone who you are.”

She moved to 78 kg.

And made it.

One lift can change everything

That single attempt didn’t just keep her in the competition.

It reset it.

She went on to complete all three clean & jerks (93/ 96/ 98 kg), the only athlete in the field to stay perfect in that phase.

“Something clicked inside me that made me free… I worked so this was just the cherry on the cake.”

The comeback no one sees

What happened on the platform started long before the competition.

“I underwent 6 months of complete rehabilitation… the hardest part was being away from the gym and not being able to do anything.”

No lifting.
No progress.
Just time away from the sport.

For many athletes, that’s where confidence disappears.

For Imperio, it became something else.

Not a new lifter – a stronger one

Technically, nothing major changed.

“I went back to doing the things I did before, but with constant physical preparation behind me.”

But mentally, everything did.

“The difference was made by hunger… the hunger to get back to competing and being myself.”

“I’m reborn”

“I’m reborn… I feel different both mentally and physically.”

“An operation changes you from within and makes you face difficulties in a different way.”

That change shows up exactly when it matters most – not when everything goes right, but when it doesn’t.

No scoreboard. No pressure.

In one of the most telling details, Imperio didn’t even know where she stood during the competition.

“I couldn’t see the scoreboard… only at the end, my coaches told me that we had won.”

No calculations. Just lifting – one attempt at a time.

More than a win

On paper, it’s simple:

176 kg.
Three clean & jerks.
A European title.

But the real story is different:

• two missed snatches
• one decision under pressure
• and the ability to reset when everything is on the line

The lesson

This wasn’t a perfect competition, and that’s exactly why it matters.

Because it shows something every lifter needs to remember:

You can miss.
You can struggle.
You can feel like it’s slipping away.

And still – you can win.

“I’m reborn.”

More about Europeans 2026

If you want to follow more from the current European Weightlifting Championships 2026, watch the latest sessions and recaps on Torokhtiy Media YouTube and catch daily highlights on Torokhtiy Media Instagram. If you want to compare your own lifts with PRO athletes, check the Athletes Chart.

And if this story gives you the urge to get back to training, now is a good time to explore our 30% OFF programs sale.