The Italian haul includes silver from Giuffrida and three bronzes from Manzi, Russo and Pirelli. But the placings weigh above all on the ranking with a view to qualifying for the Games: Italy already has 9 Olympic passes, here’s who will go to Paris and who is still in the game
Enzo De Denaro
29 April 2024 (change at 8.19pm) – MILAN
Once the curtain has fallen on the European Championships in Zagreb, the Italian judo team takes stock in view of Paris 2024. The Italian team has 4 medals: silver by Odette Giuffrida in the 52 kg and three bronzes won by Elios Manzi in the 66 kg, Savita Russo in the 63 kg and Gennaro Pirelli in the 100 kg. A haul numerically equal to Israel and inferior only to Georgia (7) and France (6). From an Olympic perspective, however, the points obtained based on placement count more than the medals: the continental event in Croatia was the first major event of the season from a qualifying perspective and the Azzurri succeeded in their objective of enriching their ranking.
PASSES TO PARIS
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Eight Italians have already obtained individual passes for Italy: Assunta Scutto, Odette Giuffrida, Veronica Toniolo, Manuel Lombardo, Alice Bellandi, Christian Parlati, Asya Tavano and Antonio Esposito. Added to these is the pass obtained thanks to the naturalization of Kim Polling: the Dutchman, former world number 1 with four European golds and a world bronze in his palmares, on 18 April in fact obtained the green light from the international federation (IJF) to represent Italy. Polling chose the Bel Paese for love (he married the former judoka Andrea Regis) eight years ago now and, thanks to his new passport, the Italian national team can therefore boast a safe place in Paris in the 70 kg. Thus there are still five categories in which Italy can qualify.
THE EUROPEAN PLACINGS
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This is why the placings obtained at the European Championships in Zagreb are even more important. If Antonio Esposito, fifth in the -81 kg, already has the pass to Paris in his hands, the all-Italian derby in the final for the bronze of the -66 kg between Matteo Piras and Elios Manzi (bronze), as well as being a source of pride for the entire team, it becomes the most reliable indicator in predicting that in this category too, Italy can snatch a ticket from Five Circles: Manzi is now in 21st place in the world ranking, while Piras is in 23rd, both therefore one step away from qualification while waiting for the update of the Olympic ranking. “Let’s not forget the seventh places – underlined the director Laura Di Toma -: the placings obtained by Francesca Milani in the 48 kg and Irene Pedrotti in the 70 kg show us positive signs for various reasons: for Milani it is a confirmation of value and motivation, given who thanks to the pass obtained by Scutto in the -48 kg category still remains in the running for a presence in Paris, while for Pedrotti it is a useful step to gain the qualification zone which in the 70 kg category was acquired with Kim Polling”. To better understand Di Toma’s words, just look at the qualification method for the Games. The pass is not nominal: the top 17 countries in the ranking will go to France, the presence of Italy among them is equivalent to a ticket for our nation. If the only Italian in the ranking wins it, then he will fly to Paris, but if there are two or more Italians in the qualifying ranking, the choice would be up to the technical management who could consider sending the fittest athlete to aim for it. to a medal.
il team event
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Speaking of important placings, the fifth place obtained yesterday by the Italian mixed team led to a climb in the ranking for participation in the Team Event in Paris: 21st place, even if it does not offer the benefits of seeding, has a high coefficient of consistency, as it was gained with only the two participations in the 2023 and 2024 European Championships.
i premi
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The good news from the European Championships doesn’t stop at medals and ranking points. Two important awards were also awarded in Zagreb that reward Italy: the EJU Order of Merit was given to FIJLKAM President Domenico Falcone, while Veronica Toniolo (not competing, but already qualified in Paris) was awarded as Best European Junior Female Judoka 2023. “It is an honor for me to receive this award – said Veronica Toniolo -. I’m already very motivated for the next events that await me, but this recognition energizes me even more because it reminds me that I’m on the right path.”
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2024-04-29 17:49:28
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