With Marcell Jacobs standard-bearer for Italy, it is the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. In the presence of the crown prince Akishino, first in the line of succession to the emperor Naruhito who instead attended the opening one. Next to the member of the Chrysanthemum House sat IOC President Thomas Bach, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Tokyo Governor Yurike Koike.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics, record-breaking Italy
That of Italy of sport at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was a record, unique expedition that brought to life magical moments, at times even legendary. The medals won by the Italians and the Italians were 40, surpassing the previous record of 36 in Los Angeles ’32 and the home edition of Rome ’60.
The first record had been beaten even before leaving for the land of the Rising Sun, that of the number of qualified Italians, 384 with almost reached gender equality, 197 men and 187 women, which has never happened before. With 40 medals – 10 gold, 10 silver and 20 bronze – Italy remains among the top ten nations in world sport.
The great exploit, definitely unexpected and therefore magical, for the ‘Queen of the Olympics’, athletics who won five medals, all gold. On a statistical level, from Seoul 1988 to Rio 2016 – between seven editions of the Games – athletics had collected four gold medals. After 37 years, a woman, Antonella Palmisano, returned to win a gold in athletics: the last was Gabriela Dorio in 1984 in Los Angeles.
In Tokyo 2020 the first medal was Luigi Samele’s silver in the fencing saber on 24 July, the last one today, the 40th, the bronze of rhythmic gymnastics butterflies. In between, many exciting, historical and legendary moments, such as the double Olympic gold medal of Marcell Jacobs, ‘God’ of speed for wearing the gold of the 100 meters and 4×100 meters around his neck. The medals in weightlifting are also historic, three in a single edition, the bronze one of Irma Testa in boxing (no woman had ever won an Olympic medal) and the gold one in sailing with Caterina Banti and Ruggero Tita.
Confirmations from swimming that greeted Federica Pellegrini, the ‘Divine’ now an effective member of the International Olympic Committee, and found Gregorio Paltrinieri who proved to have defeated mononucleosis with silver in 800 freestyle and bronze in 10 km of swimming in open water.
THESE THE MEDALS OF THE ITALY TEAM IN Tokyo:
– Bronze: rhythmic gymnastics (Alessia Maurelli, Martina Centofanti, Agnese Duranti, Daniela Mogurean and Martina Santandrea). – Bronze: Abraham Conyedo Ruano (wrestling / freestyle 97 kg). – Gold: 4×100 meters (athletics / Eseosa Desalu, Marcell Jacobs, Lorenzo Patta, Filippo Tortu); – Gold: Luigi Busa ‘(Karate / Kumite 75 kg). – Gold: Antonella Palmisano (athletics / 20 km walk).
– Bronze: Viviana Bottaro (Karate / Kata). – Bronze: Elia Viviani (track cycling / Omnium). – Gold: Massimo Stano (athletics / 20 km walk). – Silver: Manfredi Rizza (canoe / K1 200 meters). – Bronze: Gregorio Paltrinieri (cross-country swim 10 km). – Gold: Team pursuit (track cycling / Simone Consonni, Filippo Ganna, Francesco Lamon, Jonathan Milan).
– Gold: Caterina Banti – Ruggero Tita (sail / Nacra 17 Foiling). – Silver: Vanessa Ferrari (artistic gymnastics / free body). – Gold: Marcell Jacobs (athletics / 100 meters). – Gold: Gianmarco Tamberi (athletics / high jump). – Bronze: 4×100 medley (swimming / Federico Burdisso, Thomas Ceccon, Nicolo ‘Martinenghi, Alessandro Miressi).
Bronze: Antonino Pizzolato (weightlifting / 81 kg). – Silver: Mauro Nespoli (individual archery). – Bronze: Irma Testa (boxing / 57 kg). – Bronze: Simona Quadarella (swim / 800 freestyle). – Bronze: Lucilla Boari (individual archery). – Bronze: team foil (fencing / Martina Batini, Erica Cipressa, Arianna Errigo, Alice Volpi). – Silver: Gregorio Paltrinieri (swim / 800 freestyle). – Gold: Federica Cesarini – Valentina Rodini (rowing / two sculls Lightweights).
– Bronze: Stefano Oppo – Pietro Willy Ruta (rowing / two sculls Lightweights). – Silver: team saber (fencing / Enrico Berre ‘, Luca Curatoli, Aldo Montano, Luigi Samele). – Bronze: Federico Burdisso (swimming / 200 butterfly) – Bronze: Matteo Castaldo, Marco Di Costanzo, Matteo Lodo, Bruno Rosetti, Giuseppe Vicino (rowing / four without). – Silver: Giorgia Bordignon (weightlifting / 64 kg). – Bronze: team sword (fencing / Rossella Fiamingo, Federica Isola, Mara Navarria, Alberta Santuccio).
– Bronze: Maria Centracchio (judo / 63 kg). – Silver: Daniele Garozzo (fencing / individual foil). – Silver: Diana Bacosi (clay pigeon shooting / skeet). – Silver: 4×100 freestyle (swimming / Thomas Ceccon, Santo Condorelli, Manuel Frigo, Alessandro Miressi, Lorenzo Zazzeri). – Bronze: Nicolo ‘Martinenghi (swim / 100 breaststroke). – Bronze: Mirko Zanni (weightlifting / 67 kg). – Bronze: Odette Giuffrida (judo / 52 kg). – Bronze: Elisa Longo Borghini (road cycling / road test). – Gold: Vito Dell’Aquila (Taekwondo / 58 kg). – Silver: Luigi Samele (fencing / saber).