“We won 40 medals like Tokyo, we wanted to get 40 or more, we also managed to do it with a higher quality: 2 more golds, 3 more silvers and the confirmation of leading roles in the world sports scenario. I was convinced that it happened because we knew very well how many medal possibilities we had. When you have many, you lose many along the way in dramatic ways but you have the possibility of winning them where perhaps it was not expected at the beginning. You have to have a high quality in the athletes who have qualified. We are went from 67 to 79 finalists compared to Tokyoso athletes in the first 8 places. We won the fourth place ranking, there were 20 and 5 similar. The fifth places were 27. This makes you understand how qualitative this expedition was. There were 80 medalists. One thing I am very proud of is that compared to a few editions ago we are a very multidisciplinary country and we were not like that. In gold medals (12 total, ed.), the women won their competition with the men, two in the mixed events, in skeet with Bacosi-Rossetti and in the sailing Nacra with Banti-Tita, 7 golds for women and 3 for men”. This was stated by the president of Coni, John Malagoin the end-of-Olympic press conference at Casa Italia in Paris.
It was “out of place” that five days before the end of the Olympics, the Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi, “emphasized” in an interview that the cycle of the president of Coni, Giovanni Malagò, is coming to an end. “It’s not just a question of style. I would never have done it,” added Malagò.
“The CONI is part of the sports system, I represent the CONI and I am a member of the IOC. I have to stick to some evaluations, some aspects that were very clearly expressed by the IOC. Politics has another role, it does another job. It is part of the game of roles. I, between Angela Carini who I know much better and much earlier than a series of people who have expressed considerations, and an athlete from another country, which side am I on? It is obvious. But I do not appreciate those who act like know-it-alls” said Malagò. “Everyone expresses the opinion they consider most correct, but the IBA is no longer the International Boxing Federation, it has been discredited, and it has an enemy in the IOC and in the new Federation that is being formed. Which side should I be on? Khelif has been fighting for 8 years”.
“The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, called me a little while ago to congratulate the volleyball girls. He was very proud of what they did. Congratulations extended to the entire expedition,” continued Giovanni Malagò. Mattarella will receive the Italian delegation for the return of the flag on September 23, at 11:00, at the Quirinale.