By Erika Primavera and Marco Melli
TOKYO – Positive day in Tokyo for the Italian delegation: in addition to the bronze medals of Simona Quadarella in the 800m and Irma Testa in boxing, silver for Mauro Nespoli in the individual archery test, a bronze for Antonino Pizzolato in weightlifting and further bronze ‘late’ in rowing for Bruno Rosetti, stopped by Covid just before the race in which the four without blue finished in third place.
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THE TRIO OF MEDALS OF NESPOLI
Let’s start from Mauro Nespoli and his silver medal in the individual archery test at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The blue was beaten 6-4 by the Turkish athlete Mete Gazoz. “It was a very long day, I shot as I know how to do from start to finish, although obviously there were some mistakes because the emotion was great on this stage, which I fought really hard to achieve and I am really very happy with this result “, declared Nespoli, who does not want to hear about a missed gold:”No, it is not a lost gold but a won silver: I’m very happy with how I pulled and how I was able to manage emotions. This repays all the sacrifices made in these 24 years and is a springboard to continue ”.
For Nespoli this is the third medal at the Games but the first won in the individual, after the silver obtained in the team event in Beijing 2008 and the gold, again in the team, in London 2012. “The next step is Paris, I am only three years old and honestly after Aldo Montano’s test I really believe that there is no age limit for archery – explained Nespoli – so why not, let’s go forward one arrow at a time. I’ve never been to Australia… 2032 is far away (with the Games assigned in Brisbane, ed), we will soon start training again ”.
The blue, who yesterday cheered for Lucilla Boari, engaged in her individual competition, explained that the bronze medal of her national teammate “was important for her but for the whole movement: yesterday I tasted what today’s tension would be. Surely when she got on the podium she greatly eased the sense of responsibility as spokesperson for the Italian archery movement and allowed me to be more lucid in my battles ”.
All sportsmen have their idol, an example to inspire them but in the case of Mauro Nespoli, silver medalist in individual archery at Tokyo 2020, it is a special inspiration: he who has his animal in the fox. favorite, after watching the cartoon of Robin Hood he had no doubts about what his sport would be. For the 34-year-old Lombard, born in Voghera on November 22, 1987, the road to Tokyo was a crescendo of results even in adverse conditions. Like last year in Minsk when, during the European Games, he won individual and mixed team gold despite the rain and strong wind.
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THE BRONZE ‘INVOCATO’ BY NINO PIZZOLATO
Antonino Pizzolato is bronze medal in weightlifting category -81 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The blue has lifted 165 kg at the jerk and 200 at the momentum, for a total of 365 kg. Gold to the Chinese Xiaojun Lyu, silver to the Dominican Zacarias Michel Bonnat. Before the Olympics he had said he was competing for a medal. And the medal has arrived. Originally from Salaparuta, a small town in Belice, Pizzolato has climbed the roof of Europe twice: the first in 2019 then, this year, it granted an encore in Moscow, complete with an Italian record. There is also on his showcase a world bronze won in the United States in 2017, 32 years after Norberto Oberburger last world podium. His passion for weights was born at school, thanks to a video projected during the hour of Physical Education and seen in preparation for the Youth Games. Sports science student, he is a lover of speed, thanks to his father, a former rally driver.
ROSETTI AND THAT MEDAL IN DIFFERITY
Bruno Rosetti gets on the podium together with ‘his’ four without. To blue, stopped by positivity to Covid a few hours after the final won together with his teammates, the bronze medal will be awarded. This was decided by the International Olympic Committee, accepting the request made by the president of Coni, Giovanni Malagò, immediately after the third place obtained by Matteo Castaldo, Marco Di Costanzo, Matteo Lodo and Giuseppe Vicino. The official status came through the Sport Director of the IOC, Kit McConnell, which acknowledged the request, considering it well founded, due to the complexity of the moment lived and the contribution offered by the rower to reach the final by the boat.
“I am very happy to have received the news from President Malagò of this decision of the IOC which, in some way, it repays me for an event that involved me in spite of myself and I still cannot understand how it could have happened“, Explained Rosetti after the official awarding of the bronze. “In recent days I have read a lot and I want to say immediately that I have not closed myself in silence, but I have respected everyone’s work and I needed to process the disappointment for not being able to compete with my boat mates ”. After being detained for testing positive, Rosetti is currently isolated in the ‘covid hotel’. “I congratulate all the Italian rowing team – continues the blue – who made a great Olympics and Marco Di Costanzo in particular who sat in my seat and guaranteed Matteo Castaldo, Matteo Lodo and Giuseppe Vicino to crown the dream of the Olympic podium. Now I continue in my quarantine and I hope to be able to receive this medal before I return to Italy. Thanks to all those who have been close to me ”, concludes Rosetti.
JACOBS FLIES IN THE SEMIFINAL WITH THE ITALIAN RECORD IN THE 100 METERS
Great result in his battery of 100 meters for Marcell Jacobs: the blue won with a time of 9 ″ 94, new Italian record (improved the record of 9 ″ 95 that already belonged to him) and qualified for the semifinals, scheduled for tomorrow. Semifinal goal also centered for Filippo Tortu, who qualified with a time of 10 ″ 10.
ITALY A BREATH FROM THE PODIUM IN THE MIXED RELAY, ZAZZERI IN THE FINAL
Italy is fourth in the mixed 4 × 100 relay at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The formation consists of Thomas Ceccon, Nicolò Martinenghi, Elena di Liddo and Federica Pellegrini he finished in 3’39 ″ 28. Gold to Great Britain with the world record of 3’37 ″ 58, silver to China and bronze to Australia. Lorenzo Zazzeri qualifies in the final of the 50 style at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The blue swam 21 ″ 75, seventh time of entry.
NO MEDAL FROM THE FEMALE SABER TEAM
The bronze medal for Italy also fades in the team trial of the women’s saber at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Rossella Gregorio, Irene Vecchi and Michela Battiston they were defeated 45-42 by South Korea. In the semifinals, however, the Italians had lost 45-39 against France.
OSAKUE CONQUERS THE FINAL IN THE DISC WITH RECORD
Daisy Osakue has qualified for the final of the discus throw at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, scheduled for tomorrow. For the blue 63.66 meters: equaled the record of Agnese Maffeis which dates back to 1996. “I walked onto the platform and said ‘either it goes or breaks it’, and I led. I wanted to do well, but I didn’t imagine going to the final at my first Olympics and equaling the Italian record. I am trembling and I am very happy, after a very hard work all year, all the sacrifices made“, Declared the blue Osakue. “I was afraid that the injury at the end of March would prevent me from coming here prepared, but sometimes not only the body is enough but also the heart is needed“, he added. As for the possibility of breaking the Italian record, the intention is to do it “as soon as possible, but today I’m only thinking about the final. Anyway it makes you shiver, I’m very proud of it. It has always been there in the anteroom of the brain, I am very superstitious and I think we must always demonstrate on the platform ”.
IN GOLF MIGLIOZZI KEEP THE DREAM OF A MEDAL ALIVE
At the Tokyo 2020 Games the dream medal for Guido Migliozzi it is 3 shots away. At the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, in the men’s golf competition, at the end of the third and penultimate round, the Vicenza player confirmed his 11th place after a partial finished in 68 (-3) out of a total of 204 (71 65 68, – 9) shots. Great challenge at the top of the standings where the American Xander Schauffele (already in the lead at the end of the second lap), remained in the lead with a score of 199 (68 63 68, -14). Following him, in second position with 200 (-13), is the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama. While the Mexican Carlos Ortiz shares third place (201, -12) with Paul Casey (Great Britain). Happy ‘moving day’ for Renato Paratore, 32nd with 208 (71 70 67, -5) and author of a growing race. The last lap is scheduled for tomorrow 1st August from 00.30 to 9.00, Italian time.
ITALBASKET, MISSION COMPLETED: IT’S IN QUARTER
Goal centered for Italy of basketball, which beats Nigeria 80-71 and enters the quarter-finals of the tournament, scheduled for Tuesday. “It was a different game, with ups and downs, we did well to recover at the beginning of the fourth quarter even with some players off the bench who put in great intensity ”. Like this Meo Sacchetti, coach of Italbasket. “Today we did not shoot well from three points because they are very aggressive and have taken away the space to make these clean shots, but this time we won not only for the attack but also for the defense, much more important”, concluded Sacchetti. .
While for Simone Fontecchio “It was an incredible match: we got off to a great start, spring loaded, then they are an excellent team, they recovered and put us in difficulty but we we never gave up, tooth and nail until the end we took her home and this is the most important thing ”. For Alessandro Pajola it was “a very difficult, very physical game. We have been good at continuing to pass the ball but above all at keeping in defense, we have limited an excellent team full of talents to 71 points. Now we have to improve our mistakes even more as we move forward. Let’s recharge our energies because we have to be ready ”.
ZAYTSEV PULLS A RELIEF SOSPIRE: NO FRACTURES IN HAND
The captain of the men’s national volleyball team, Ivan Zaytsev, injured the fourth finger of his left hand in the July 26 match with Poland, was immediately subjected to instrumental tests which revealed a Capsulo-ligamentous trauma of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the fourth finger of the left hand excluding fractures. As for instead Simone Giannelli, his conditions, constantly monitored by the health staff, are constantly improving.
THE SETTEBELLO BEATS JAPAN AND STAYS AT THE HEAD OF THE GROUP
With the third victory in four games Italy, already qualified for the quarter-finals, remains at the top of the classification of group A. Japan beaten 16-8 and also scored on the scoreboard Francesco Di Fulvio which reaches 200 games with the cap of the national team. Seven points for the world champions and Olympic bronze in Rio 2016 who on Monday 2 August at 3 am Italian time face Hungary in the final match of the group stage. The European champions, after their bad debut with Greece, have obtained three consecutive victories, relaunching themselves to third place; the last with the United States 11-8, pushed by Manhercz’s hat-trick in the third and fourth time. Japan is among the most successful national teams on the Asian continent, having won gold four times at the Asian Games and being on the podium 13 times out of 14 participations in the event. The best Olympic result is the fourth place in the tournament of 1932, in which however only five teams took part.
