Italy celebrates a historic triumph in fencing, thanks to the quartet of epee athletes, including Catania’s Alberta Santuccio and Rossella Fiamingo, who brought their talent and determination to the world stage. The women’s team epee final, held in the enchanting setting of the Grand Palais in Paris, saw our athletes overcome France with a heart-stopping score of 30 to 29, once again confirming Italy as one of the leading nations in world fencing.
Catanian origins and world-class talent
The Italian victory was even sweeter thanks to the significant contribution of Alberta Santuccio and Rossella Fiamingo (although not brilliant in the last act), both originally from Catania. The city of Etna can boast of being a true talent factory in fencing, and these athletes are a shining symbol of it. Alberta, with her determination and precision, and Rossella, with her experience and leadership, have shown that hard work and passion can take you to the top of the world.
Rossella Fiamingo Shares a Beautiful Friendship with Diletta Leottawell-known TV presenter. Both Sicilian, they have developed a bond based on affection and mutual support, often showing their warm relationship through social media, celebrating each other’s successes both in their respective careers and in their personal lives.
A path of successes
Rossella Fiamingo, already well known on the international circuit for her previous successes, including two world titles, was one of the pillars of the team. Her ability to handle moments of pressure and to guide her teammates made the difference on numerous occasions. Alberta Santuccio, less experienced but no less determined, showed remarkable maturity and composure, crucial elements in achieving this historic result.
Third gold for Italy? “Yes, third gold and a bronze for Greg. I just found out. I’m super happy”: after winning gold in the women’s team epee at the Grand Palais, Rossella Fiamingo celebrated the victory of the Italians, adding to the magical evening the bronze of her boyfriend, Gregorio Paltrinieri, in the 800 freestyle. “We are very happy, incredulous, but we deserved it – Fiamingo added, to ANSA – We knew we could do it but then between saying and doing, there is the…Grand Palais!”
French defeated in the final sword duel, third blue gold
At the last one thrust. At the Grand Palais, where in an infinite echo of what happens in all the venues the spectators wanted to sing the Marseillaise, instead the notes of the anthem resound Mameli. TO Paris waves the tricolour high, but that’s it white, red And greenThe French one is a little further down, in the space reserved for thesilver.
The Sword of Italy female becomes all ofgold. In the wonderful plant, a few meters from the Champs Elysees and with the Eiffel Tower with five rings in the background, Alberta Santuccio, Rossella Fiamingo, Giulia Rizzi and Mara Navarria worked magic, transforming the continuous roar of the eight thousand home spectators into a deafening silence. 30-29 in overtime (the extra minute) with the last, wonderful thrust of Santuccio.
It is the result of a final that, at dinner time on a very hot summer evening, makes Italy rejoice. medal collection blue, ever more brilliant, has risen to eleven medals: Three goldfour silver and four bronzes. In the early part of the day, the Italians, number 1 seeds in the 8-a-side draw, had first thrashed Egypt 39-26 and then 45-24 China (then defeated by Poland in the final for the bronze). In the grand finalafter the good start by Santuccio (3-2) it was the second and third assaults that pushed the French to their first consistent advantage (9-5). At that point, therefore, the Italian coach Dario Chiadò tried to mix things up, inserting the reserve Navarria in place of Fiamingo who had closed her fraction against Coraline Vitalis at 0-3: a decisive decision.
It was Rizzi who first brought the Italians close to the French with a seventh assault of 5-2 against the same Coralis (21-20). But then Navarria’s masterpiece fully proved Chiadò’s choice right, closing the eighth assault with a 24-23 lead. In the ninth and spectacular last assault, Santuccio and Auriane Mallo-Breton took the stage: in the din of the Gran Palais, the Frenchwoman brought her team back to 29-28, but Santuccio proved to be a true champion, first tying with 13 seconds to go and then putting the thrust that makes history and that made the joy of the Italian women explode, also embraced by the president of the Coni, Giovanni Malagò. For the French women, many bitter tears and, in any case, applauseat least until so many left the plant in the heart of Paris without attending the awards ceremony.
Too sad to lose such a gold. Too good to win a gold in this way. In the five-ring expedition, Italian fencing has so far also won a silver with Filippo Macchi in foil and a bronze with Luigi Samele in the sabre. There are five other team events that could make everything even more brilliant. But for sure thegold of the girls with the sword has an even sweeter taste, because it is placed around the neck at the last second, and on top of that away from home, almost as if to avenge the cursed penalties of the quarter-finals of World Cup soccer of 1998, then won by the team captained by Zinedine Zidane.
On the other hand, a France–Italyin sports, but not only, can never be banal. Trezeguet’s golden goal atEuropean of football in 2000, then in World Zidane’s headbutt on Materazzi in 2006 and the blue sky above Berlin in the 2006 World Cup. Many years earlier, in 1950, at Tour de France the assault on Gino Bartali on the Col d’Aspin. But above all, because these are the Olympic Gamesa very long rivalry on the fencing platforms, often the scene of thrusts, with foils, epees or sabres, but also verbal ones. This time, here at the Grand Palais, the winner wasItaly. Hats off.