VOTE, BORSINO AND BEST OF THE WEEK IN ITALY
Vote of the week for Italy: 7
Stock market of the week (who goes up and who goes down)
↓ G. Rossetti (skeet) ↑ 4 men’s sculls (rowing)
↓ L. Musetti (tennis) ↑ G. Pirelli (judo)
Athlete of the Week (Male). Yumin Abbadini (artistic gymnastics): double European bronze (individual and team general competition) for the twenty-two year old from Bergamo, who after 34 years has equaled the result achieved by Juri Chechi, the last Italian to finish among the best three at continental level on the full lap. Perhaps the emotion of competing at home betrayed him in the last rotation, slipping behind both the Cypriot Georgiou and the Ukrainian Oleg Varniaiev, but his final score of 83.765 suggests that the best is yet to come for him. Yumin is now the leading light of the men’s team, which will attempt a prestigious placement in Paris.
Athlete of the Week (Female). Savita Russo (judo): after the European cadet gold and the continental junior gold last September, here comes the first continental podium of her career among the seniors, in her first attempt in the higher category. The eighteen-year-old from Ragusa won bronze in the -63 kg category at the European Championships in Zagreb (Croatia), the prelude to a competitive career that we are sure will give us great satisfaction. Perhaps this result will not be enough for the Five Circles pass (not even through the continental quota), but the path towards Los Angeles 2028 has already begun for this great talent.
ITALY’S MEDAL HOPES AT THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
Dear readers, the series of disciplines that will represent us in Paris 2024 continues. Today we will analyze tennis, swimming, archery, BMX racing and table tennis.
Through the ATP and WTA rankings of the discipline, virtually at the moment the Bel Paese would bring all four male singles players, while three would be women. However, let us remember certain variables that will have an impact between now and June 10th (closing date of the ranking, at the end of Roland Garros): participation or otherwise of the Russians, nations with more than 4 athletes in the rankings and the withdrawal of some tennis players from the Five Circles tournament , to continue playing in their respective pro circuits on American hard courts. Even in doubles the situation appears favorable regarding the passes of Errani/Paolini and Bolelli/Vavassori, but we will still have to wait for the rankings to close. Also pay attention to the mixed doubles, which could give us satisfaction especially if Sinner decides to take part (the composition of the pairs will be decided during the Games). Obviously, the main medal cards will be Sinner in the individual and doubles (which will have clay as their favorite surface).
Vote for the Italian Tennis Federation in the three-year Olympic period: 9
Chance of podium in Paris 2024: 1-2
I SWIM
Many medal cards, but getting on the podium will perhaps be more difficult than in Tokyo 2020. Much will also depend on the men’s relays, to match the spoils obtained on Japanese soil (6 metals). However, on this occasion we also have – in theory – the golden card, which we did not conquer 3 years ago: Thomas Ceccon. In addition to the backstroker, the men’s 4×100 freestyle, Nicolò Martinenghi, Simona Quadarella, Benedetta Pilato, Alberto Razzetti, Alessandro Miressi, the men’s 4×100 mixed and Gregorio Paltrinieri are our leaders, but pay attention to the new entry Sara Curtis who it’s a bit reminiscent of Federica Pellegrini in Athens 2004. The last available passes will be decided by coach Cesare Butini after the Settecolli Trophy.
Vote for the Italian Swimming Federation in the three-year Olympic period: 8
Chance of podium in Paris 2024: 3-5
ARCHERY
So far only one card has been won in the women’s individual (by Chiara Rebagliati with the bronze at the European Games last June). But in the next few weeks we will compete for team passes, which would give us the maximum quota of 3 athletes – in both genders – also for the individual races. The European Pre-Olympic Games in Essen (1 pass per nation) and the World Games in Antalya (4 tickets for women, 3 for men) will be decisive for “on-field” qualification. If we still fail to secure the ticket for France, there will be the further possibility of the Olympic ranking (closes on 24 June) with two more passes (by gender) due to the best positioned nations by that date. And here Italy currently occupies third place with the men’s team, while the women’s team is in eighth position. Therefore, in my opinion we have a 70% chance of success among males, while among women it drops to 40%. The podium chances will obviously depend on the outcome of the Italian teams, given that it would also open up interesting scenarios in the mixed team and individual format, especially with our star Mauro Nespoli.
Vote for the Italian Archery Federation in the three-year Olympic period: 7,5*
Chance of podium in Paris 2024: 1-2
*grade in the case of qualification of the teams in both genders, 6.5 in the case of a pass for only one team.
BMX RACING
This specialty, unfortunately, is not in our culture and this is very disappointing, because it is truly spectacular and in other European countries the riders are truly important figures. The Federal Center of Verona has so far not yielded the desired results, and the base from which to draw is very poor. The results of the juniors are not then confirmed in the higher categories, and so it becomes really difficult to emerge at high levels. Despite this, we are fighting with Germany in the Olympic ranking for the pass, and the latest results of Fantoni, Sciortino and Radaelli – between the World Cup and the European Cup – give us hope. While in the women’s sector, behind the Italian-Argentine Francesca Cingolani there is practically a void. Everything will be decided between the World Cup in May and the European Championship at home (Verona) in June.
Vote for the Italian Cycling Federation (Bmx section) in the three-year Olympic period: 5
Chance of podium in Paris 2024: 0
TABLE TENNIS
In a discipline historically dominated by Asian nations, or at least by some European countries that have adopted the naturalization policy for several years, the Bel Paese has always struggled at an international level. Apart from that magical 2003 season, where we managed to win the historic European team gold with the women (led by the naturalized Tan Monfardini), I don’t remember any other Italian joys among the seniors. While often comforting results came from the youth categories, these were however not confirmed during the transition to the absolute category. However, our hopes of passing to the Five Circles are higher than those of Tokyo 2020, so we must also give credit to the Federation for these performances. Debora Vivarelli and Giorgia Piccolin (both in the world top 100) among the women, and Niagol Stoyanov among the men have a good chance of getting a ticket to France, while the mixed doubles Oyebode/Monfardini is already out of the running. Obviously, it will be impossible for medals, hoping that for Los Angeles 2028 some top players can be naturalized who would give new life to the whole movement.
Vote for the Italian Table Tennis Federation in the three-year Olympic period: 5,5
Chance of podium in Paris 2024: 0
Maurizio Contino
PREVIOUS EPISODES OF ‘MAURIZIO TELLS…’
2024-05-01 08:17:01
#Italys #medal #hopes #Paris #Tennis #archery #swimming
