Multiple foil champion Arianna Errigo (CS Carabinieri) will be the Olympic standard-bearer together with Gianmarco Tamberi at the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, scheduled for Friday 26 July. It was the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella who handed them the tricolor flag during a solemn ceremony held at the Quirinale, in the presence of a large representation of Azzurri and the highest authorities of Italian sport.
She is an honorary citizen of Condofuri, the Ionian town where her mother was born. The municipal administration, immediately after the team gold and individual silver that Errigo won at the London Olympics (2012), gave her official recognition during a fantastic evening of celebration that involved the entire community. She managed to obtain a subsequent bronze, again with the Italian team, at Tokyo 2020, but the “palmares” of this formidable fencer is full of extraordinary and memorable achievements achieved at world level (world titles and world cup), continental and in our country.
The 36-year-old left-handed foil fencer is appearing at the Olympics for the fourth time and being chosen as the flag bearer is a legitimate and deserved recognition for all that she has been able to achieve during her long and prestigious career. In Paris she will be on the platform looking for more podiums and this time she will do it as an Olympian mother of twins and, as mentioned, as a standard-bearer, even if her ambitions remain the same as always. A different Olympics, certainly “special”, compared to her three previous participations. “I go to win, but I want to enjoy this one. Without pressure” she said. In foil, the Italian national team remains, always, the “quartet” to beat. Without forgetting that her biggest dream remains that of the individual gold she missed in London, where she was defeated in the final by Di Francisca, at the end of 60” extra time and by just one point (12-11).