Yesterday’s nine medals lit up the opening of the Paralympics for the Italian delegation, which on the second day of competitions in Paris made another haul, albeit less rich, thanks again to swimming, with three medals, and with the first historic podium obtained in taekwondo. In the swimming pool of the Defense Arena, the Lombard gave the ‘there’ Monica Boggioni who achieved the double by conquering, after yesterday’s bronze in the 200, another third place in the 100 freestyle S5, thus repeating the double bronze of Tokyo.
To shine, shortly after it arrived Stefano Raimondi’s Gold in the 100 breaststroke Sb9, confirmation of the title won in Tokyo, while Carlotta Gilli won another bronze. The 23-year-old from Turin, after the gold in the 100 butterfly, finished third in the 100 backstroke S13. At the Grand Palais, the Palermitan Antonino Bossolo made historywho won bronze in the K44-63kg taekwondo. The Italian fighter prevailed 18-13 over Israeli Adnan Milad, world number 8, coming back with a series of punches in the final seconds. An emotional result for Bossolo – who was attended by his wife and son, as well as the president of the CIP, Luca Pancalli – and a redemption after the knockout suffered at the last moment against Bolor-Endene Ganbat, world number 2, in the semi-final for the gold. Great emotions also from the pool, where the Italian team brought the medal count to three golds, two silvers and six bronzes. “Even though the two medals I have won so far are the same as those I won in Tokyo, I am happy because it is difficult to repeat the feat, and the context, the opponents, the times are all different – said Boggioni -. I am quite happy, there are still many races to go”. As for Gilli, after yesterday’s gold she said she was satisfied: “My goal was to win the bronze, I knew the first two were stronger”. Raimondi was enthusiastic about her performance: “I wanted this medal, at all costs, and I looked for it from the first meters, perhaps a little too much, in fact I had no more time in the last 25-15 meters – explained the Italian, who in the first part of the race had a world record pace -.
Anger for yesterday’s fourth place by just one hundredth? No, it gave me more awareness, today I knew I had all the means to win or at least play it out”, he concluded. In a sort of ideal relay between the two Italians, Francesco Bocciardo stopped today in fourth place in the final of the 100 freestyle S5 at the Paralympic Games. After winning gold in the 200 yesterday, the swimmer from Genoa almost made it to the podium (1:10.53) in the race where he was the reigning Olympic champion. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t mind. I knew it would be really difficult, but on the other hand I also say I’m happy, because I swam my best of the season and at 30 years old it’s not easy,” he commented. Outside the pool, it was a bitter afternoon at the Esplanade des Invalides, where Matteo Bonacina exited the scene in the Compound Open archery event, beaten by Iranian Hadi Nori in the duel to access the eighth finals: 139-141 the final result in favor of the Iranian. Not the epilogue hoped for, therefore, for the reigning world champion (gold in Pilsen, Czech Republic, in 2023). However, the Paris Paralympics do not end with the individual course. Bonacina will return to the scene again in the mixed team, together with Eleonora Sarti. (ANSA).