Silver bow. A splendid Mauro Nespoli hit the medal number 23 of Italy at the Tokyo Olympics at Yumenoshima Park, finishing second in the individual race: this is the third medal in his career (first individual) for the thirty-three year old from Voghera after the two won as a team between Beijing 2008 (silver) and London 2012 (gold).
The Olympic title was very close for Nespoli in a thrilling final against Turkish Mete Gazoz, who won 6-4. The blue starts strong and wins the first set (29-26), then great balance in the second and fourth sets, both finished in a draw (28-28 and 29-29), while the third is the prerogative of the Turkish ( 26-27). The fifth set was decisive, in which the Lombard’s first 8 cost him the medal because then the rival did not allow space, inserting two consecutive 10s that gave him success (26-29) with an advance arrow.
For archery this is the second medal of the expedition to Japan after the historic bronze of Lucilla Boari (first female medal in the discipline at the Games).
«It was a very long day, I pulled as I know how to do from start to finish, so there may be some mistakes. The emotion was great but, meeting after meeting I was able to find myself again. I had more anxiety in the first clash this morning, compared to the semifinal and the final – says Nespoli playing with the medal hanging from his neck and thanking the Ferrari who collaborated in the realization of the arrows -. I looked at it and I enjoyed this medal, it repays the sacrifices made in these 24 years. It is not a lost gold, but a won silver. It is a springboard to be able to continue. In Beijing there was silver, in London there was gold, then a pause in Rio to settle down, then here again the individual silver. Paris is only three years away and Aldo Montano’s result has shown that we can still go a long way in fencing, let alone in archery, there is no limit. I’ve never been to Australia, 2032 is still far away but let’s try, one arrow at a time ».
