BODEGAS Michael Alexandre

General
FROM FRANCE TO ITALY
He previously represented France at international level, including as captain at the 2014 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary. In 2015 he switched to compete for Italy, the birth place of his grandmother. "I had an opportunity I could not miss. It was first of all a sporting choice for me, being part of the world elite. I made a lot of sacrifices for water polo, and at age 28 I was given the opportunity to play in a top team and aim for medals. Then, in France, water polo was a little recognised sport. I decided to take a risk which paid off immediately with a bronze medal at the Olympics in Rio." (mfsport.net, 12 Jul 2020; lemonde.fr, 09 Aug 2016; france-waterpolo.fr, 03 Jan 2016; wpdworld.com, 30 Dec 2015)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
From 2011 to 2013, he co-owned an art bar in Marseille, France, named 'Belle Aire', where local artists could show and sell their paintings. The bar also hosted live jazz music, fashion shows and yoga lessons. (Facebook profile, 27 May 2019; prorecco.it, 01 Aug 2016; Gazzetta dello Sport, 20 Oct 2015; Belle Aire Facebook page, 27 Jul 2015; 20minutes.fr, 14 Nov 2012)