CONI Unveils Eight New Plaques on Italian Sport’s Walk of Fame

Eight new plaques for 12 great champions: the Walk of Fame of Italian sport is growing. At the Foro Italico, CONI President Giovanni Malagò unveiled the new tiles dedicated to Flavia Pennetta (tennis), Amedeo Pomilio (water polo), Giulia Quintavalle (judo), Marco Galiazzo (archery), Daniele Molmenti (canoe), Antonio Tartaglia and Gunther Huber (bob), Carlo Molfetta (taekwondo) and the 4×10 km cross-country Olympians in Lillehammer 1994, Marco Albarello, Maurilio De Zolt, Silvio Fauner and Giorgio Vanzetta.

“This is a wonderful recognition from CONI and the Italian sports movement,” observed an excited Flavia Pennetta, queen of the US Open in 2015 and today the first to unveil her plaque positioned a few meters from the Stadio dei Marmi. “In my career I have always tried to give my best for Italy, a small country that offers enormous satisfaction in sport and for this we must be proud”.

“In the year in which Parliament included sport in the Constitution – underlined Amedeo Pomilio, gold medal with the Settebello at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games – receiving this recognition is the height of pride. Representing an example for the new generations is an honor and a burden.”

“It’s truly an amazing moment. I made the history of my sport, the first woman to win an Olympic gold in judo, and today I thank the federation and president Malagò for this splendid recognition”, declared Giulia Quintavalle, Olympian at Beijing 2008.

“I have few words to express the joy of this plaque. Thank you so much, it’s an honor,” added Marco Galiazzo, the first Olympic champion in the history of Italian archery in Athens 2004, a success then repeated with the team in London 2012.

“On this walk there are the great names of Italian sport, an example of athleticism and fairness”, remarked Daniele Molmenti, Olympic champion in K1 in London 2012 and today technical director of the Italian national canoe slalom team. “I would really like to continue to be an example: with this Walk of Fame, young people can remember what we have done for Italian sport”.

Great emotion also for Antonio Tartaglia and Gunther Huber, Olympians in the 2-man bobsleigh in Nagano 1998. “We are truly honoured,” admitted Huber. “Two years ago at the Foro Italico I read the names on the Walk of Fame – added Tartaglia – Today I’m there too and I hope to be able to continue to lend a hand to our kids”.

Marco Albarello and Silvio Fauner spoke to represent the cross-country skiing relay, protagonist at Lillehammer 1994 of “one of the greatest feats in the history of sport in front of 200 thousand people” as President Malagò recalled. “We have written an indelible page and today I want to thank you for this splendid memory which I hope remains in everyone’s hearts”. “A special thank you to the President, it is an honor to be among great champions in this Walk of Fame. Sport has given me so much and I hope to be able to convey the same values”, declared Fauner.

Closing the ceremony was Carlo Molfetta, Olympic champion in taekwondo in London 2012. “You realize what you have done thanks to these awards, which allow you to remain in history forever. Today I’m really happy,” admitted the current team manager of the national taekwondo team.

2023-10-26 15:06:54
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