Paralympics, the blue arrows sign yet another feat

Italy closed the Tokyo Paralympic Games with fireworks. And Italian archery rejoices, in the hope that, apart from the pandemic, the results obtained between the Olympics and Paralympics will lead many new archers to reinforce the shooting lines of the Italian Robin Hoods. Yes, because after Lucilla Boari’s bronze and Mauro Nespoli’s silver at the Olympic Games (first edition in the history of blue archery with 2 medals), the Italian archers signed another feat at the Paralympic Games: after the bronze in the open compound of the newcomer Maria Andrea Virgilio, the Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo was the stage for two other silver laurels with tricolor reflections.

Petrilli on the podium at his debut

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On the day dedicated to the women’s open recurve, the Calabrian Enza Petrilli achieved a silver medal that earned her a real crowd-pleaser on her return to Taurianova. Vincenza Petrilli, for all Enza, born in ’90, the final was played – ended 6-5 (10-9) after a play-off and at the end of an incredible recovery – with the undisputed Iranian champion Zahra Nemati, an athlete who, to make the he idea, he came to win the third consecutive gold after those of London 2012 (where he beat Elisabetta Mijno in the final) and that of Rio 2016. At the Rio Nemati Sambodromo he also competed as a starter at the Olympic Games – as did the Italian Paralympic champion Paola Fantasized in Atlanta ’96 to demonstrate that archery is the most integrated sport among the Olympic ones – parading with his national team also as standard-bearer. Petrilli’s unexpected medal, which arrived under the sparkling eyes of CIP President Luca Pancalli, was a way to alleviate the disappointment of Elisabetta Mijno, who was instead eliminated in the play-off in the quarter-finals, after she had more than one opportunity to enter the semifinal and above all after a path with excellent scores that foreshadowed something else. The one of the Calabrian athlete, who grew up in the ASD Aida company, is instead an unimaginable success if we consider that in Tokyo he only played his second international competition. A silver arrived after a comeback that left everyone with bated breath: after the first 3 sets Petrilli was down 1-5 (21-27, 28-28, 20-25). Then Nemati also made mistakes and Enza was very good at exploiting them, winning the fourth and fifth sets 22-21 and 25-23 which earned him the 5-5 and the shoot off. Petrilli’s last arrow hit 9, while the Iranian champion placed a winning X that does not detract from the great result obtained by the blue who is still submerged by the celebrations after her return to Calabria.

A silver that shines more than a gold

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“It is a silver that shines more than a gold, absolutely unexpected – he said immediately after the playoff arrow – It is my second international competition and for this reason I enjoy it even more. An indescribable joy, I still have to metabolize because it is a ‘ emotion too strong. Even when I was 5-1 down, when my opponent made some mistakes I tried and I believed until the end. When I was at the playoff arrow I told myself it goes as it goes, I have already won. I never imagined coming to Tokyo and winning a medal. I’ve been archery for just under 4 years, so I arrived without expectations. I dedicate the medal to my family, my boyfriend and my coach, who believes in it the most. of me…”. At this point, it is imperative to calibrate the viewfinder on Paris 2024: “I do not know French but I will study”.

The scream of Mijno and Travisani

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Over here? Not at all, because Italy in the last day of competitions dedicated to the curved open mixed exulted loudly and brought the silver of Stefano Travisani and Elisabetta Mijno as a dowry to the CIP, who took a well-deserved revenge after the disappointment in the individual, reaching the third medal in 4 disputed editions. Also in this case the medal came at the end of a challenge that ended with a play-off not very favorable to Italy: the Russian duo made up of Sidorenko and Smirnov won 5-4 (18-17). But certainly it is a victory, considering also that the medal of the two Italians is the blue podium n.200 at the Paralympic Games and the medal n.30 of the Italian archery at the Paralympics. The first, obtained in 1964 at the Tokyo Games, was Raimondo Longhi’s silver and now, with those won in 2021, our archers have reached a new record: for 10 consecutive editions they have won at least one podium. Thus, in a rain that never stopped coming down on the field of play, Elisabetta Mijno and Stefano Travisani, followed by coach Willy Fuchsova, carried on an excellent path, overcoming Mongolia 6-0 in the round of 16, Japan 6 in the quarterfinals. -2 and in the semifinals Iran 5-3. In the final, Italy found Russia again, re-proposing the match of the last world championship (even if the opponents’ interpreters were not the same). The Russian athletes won the first set 36-34, Italy first equalized the score by winning the second 33-39 and then moved on to 4-2 winning the third fraction 32-31. In the fourth set the blues would need a point to win the gold, but the opponents earn the shoot off with a 35-33. In the play-off, Italy scores a 9 and an 8, while the Russians place two 9s that are worth the Paralympic title and the third blue medal that improves the bronze in the mixed obtained in Rio 2016 by Mijno and Airoldi. For the duo of the Blue Flames, yet another international achievement after the 2017 world championship gold and silver at the 2019 World Cup.

Paris around the corner

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Stefano Travisani, born in ’85, after the medal on his debut said: “For me silver is usually a lost medal – declared the Milanese athlete, but residing in Correzzola, in the province of Padua – but these were the my first Paralympics where I experienced a lot of emotions, so that’s okay. I’m at the beginning, Paris 2024 is only three years from now, now I enjoy this moment and this medal and then I’ll think about future commitments. Who do I dedicate the medal to? To my family , to my partner, to the staff, to my friends who have supported and supported me in this path that lasted 6 years “. Elisabetta Mijno celebrated her third medal at her fourth participation: “We both put our hearts into it and we made a beautiful journey – said the Piedmontese athlete who in life is a surgeon at the CTO of Turin -. I leave with my head held high from the Turin CTO. field with this medal after the disappointment in the individual. I owed it to everyone, to my team and to myself. The future? I am used to preparing one match at a time. Next year there is the world championship which is valid for the Paralympic qualification. Paris is in 3 years and it’s also close to home, why not … “.