Bortuzzo begins rehabilitation programme after Rome shooting.

Manuel Bortuzzo, the 19-year-old swimmer who lost the use of his legs after being shot in a case of mistaken identity in Rome last month, has returned to the pool as part of a rehabilitation programme.

Bortuzzo, who was shot outside a pub in the city's southern Axa suburb on 3 February, posted a video in which he describes his return to the pool as a "beautiful feeling."

Just over a month ago Bortuzzo was an innocent bystander who was shot in the back by a gunman on a scooter following a fight that took place just before he and his friends arrived in Piazza Eschilo.

He underwent a double surgery to stop a thoracic haemorrhage and to remove the bullet lodged in his spine.

A promising middle-distance swimmer with his heart set on the Olympics, Bortuzzo went on to win the heart of the nation with his unwavering positive attitude following the shooting.

His attackers Lorenzo Marinelli (24) and Daniel Bazzano (25), face prison terms ranging from seven to 20 years.