ROME — In a landmark moment for Italian sport, Alice Bellandi etched her name into the annals of judo history on April 19, 2024, becoming the first athlete from Italy to win Olympic, World, and European gold medals in the discipline. Her triumph in the women’s 78kg category at the European Championships in Zagreb capped a remarkable trilogy of dominance, following Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020 and world title glory in Doha 2023.
The victory was not just personal but symbolic — a culmination of years of perseverance, tactical evolution, and national investment in a sport where Italy has traditionally punched below its weight on the global stage. Bellandi’s performance throughout the tournament was marked by relentless pressure, precise gripping, and an unyielding ippon-seoi-nage that left opponents scrambling for answers.
Her semifinal clash against France’s Madeleine Malonga, a two-time Olympic medalist and former world champion, proved the turning point. After a tense four-minute battle dominated by defensive posturing, Bellandi seized a fleeting lapse in Malonga’s grip defense to transition into a crushing uchi-mata, earning waza-ari. With under 30 seconds remaining, she followed up with a swift osaekomi (hold-down) that the referees upgraded to ippon upon review, sending the Italian contingent into raptures.
In the final, Bellandi faced Slovenia’s Metka Lobnik, a formidable opponent known for her powerful seoi-nage and resilience in prolonged ground exchanges. But Bellandi, drawing on the lessons of her Olympic final against Japan’s Shori Hamada, controlled the pace with superior kumikata (grip fighting), consistently denying Lobnik the inside lapel she needed to launch her attacks. A decisive sasae-tsurikomi-ashi in the second minute earned waza-ari, and Bellandi maintained control until the clock expired, securing a unanimous judges’ decision.
The achievement places Bellandi in rare company globally. Only a handful of judokas — including Japan’s Tadahiro Nomura and France’s Clarisse Agbegnenou — have achieved the Olympic-World-European triple crown in individual competition. For Italy, it marks the first time any athlete, male or female, has completed the feat in judo, a sport where the nation’s previous best was a silver medal by Rosalba Forciniti at London 2012.
“This isn’t just about me,” Bellandi said in her post-match interview, her voice thick with emotion as she clutched the gold medal. “It’s for every young girl in Italy who’s ever stepped onto a tatami and been told judo isn’t for them. We’ve waited a long time for this. Now, the door is open.”
Her words resonated deeply within the Italian Judo Federation (FIJLKAM), which has undergone a strategic overhaul in recent years under President Domenico Falcone. Increased funding for athlete development, expanded access to international training camps, and a renewed focus on women’s participation have begun to yield tangible results — Bellandi’s triumph being the most visible evidence.
The historic nature of her accomplishment was further underscored by the performances of her teammates on the same day. In the men’s 100kg category, Gennaro Pirelli captured gold with a display of tactical precision and explosive power, defeating Georgia’s Guram Tushishvili in the final via ippon after a clever counter to Tushishvili’s signature sode-tsurikomi-goshi. Pirelli’s victory made him Italy’s first male European champion in the weight class since 2016 and added depth to a growing narrative of resurgence.
Meanwhile, Asya Tavano secured bronze in the women’s 57kg division, overcoming a slow start to defeat Kosovo’s Nora Gjakova in the repechage final with a well-timed tomoe-nage. Tavano, a 2022 Mediterranean Games gold medalist, had struggled with consistency in recent months but showed flashes of her former brilliance, particularly in her quarterfinal win over Portugal’s Rafaela Silva, where she reversed a dangerous osaekomi into a scoring opportunity.
The triple medal haul — gold, gold, bronze — marked Italy’s most successful day at the European Championships since the 2018 event in Tel Aviv, where the nation won two golds and one bronze. It also positioned the Italian team third in the overall medal table behind France and Georgia, a significant leap from their eighth-place finish in 2023.
For Bellandi, the victory carries implications beyond personal accolades. As the reigning Olympic and world champion, her European title solidifies her status as the outright favorite for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she will aim to become the first Italian judoka to defend an Olympic title. Her path, however, will not be easy: she faces a stacked bracket that includes reigning world champion Ahmad Yusuf of Japan and rising star Michaela Polleres of Austria, who pushed her to the limit in the Tokyo semifinals.
Coaching staff led by national technical director Giovanni Casale emphasized that Bellandi’s preparation for Paris will now shift toward refining her ne-waza (ground game) and increasing her variability in attack patterns to counter opponents who study her right-sided dominance. “She’s evolved from a powerful technician into a complete judoka,” Casale told reporters. “But the Olympics demand another level. We’re already analyzing footage from her Zagreb matches to identify micro-adjustments.”
The ripple effects of the day’s results extend to Italy’s Olympic qualification standings. With Bellandi, Pirelli, and Tavano all securing top-five finishes in their respective weight classes, Italy has now guaranteed quota places in six categories for Paris 2024 — the highest number since Athens 2004. Only the men’s 66kg and women’s 48kg divisions remain uncertain, pending final results from the World Championships in Abu Dhabi next month.
Internationally, the reaction was swift and respectful. The International Judo Federation (IJF) highlighted Bellandi’s achievement in its daily recap, noting that her triple crown places her among an elite group of active athletes to have accomplished the feat. Olympic Channel featured her victory in its “Moment of the Day” segment, whereas European broadcasters RAI and Sky Sport dedicated extended coverage to the story, framing it as a watershed moment for Italian combat sports.
Back in Italy, the response was equally fervent. Social media platforms lit up with messages of congratulation from political leaders, fellow athletes, and cultural figures. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tweeted: “Alice Bellandi has made history. Her gold is not just a medal — it’s a message to every Italian child: dream big, work hard, and nothing is out of reach.” CONI President Giovanni Malagò called it “a triumph of perseverance and systems thinking,” praising the federation’s long-term strategy.
For Bellandi, the focus now turns to recovery and preparation. She is scheduled to compete in the Grand Slam Antalya in Turkey from May 3–5, a key tuning event before the Olympic qualifiers conclude. Pirelli will follow a similar path, aiming to build momentum ahead of the World Championships in Abu Dhabi (May 19–26), where Olympic seeding points will be finalized. Tavano, having regained confidence with her bronze, will target the Grand Prix Linz in June as a stepping stone toward securing her Olympic spot.
The European Championships in Zagreb may have concluded, but its legacy is only beginning. For Alice Bellandi, Gennaro Pirelli, and Asya Tavano, April 19, 2024, will be remembered not just as a day of medals, but as the moment Italian judo announced its arrival on the world stage — not as participants, but as contenders.
As the Italian delegation departed Zagreb, the weight of expectation had shifted. No longer would they be seen as hopefuls chasing breakthroughs. Now, they are the standard-bearers — and the chase, for others, has begun.
Looking ahead, the next confirmed checkpoint for Alice Bellandi is her participation in the IJF World Judo Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, scheduled for May 19–26, 2024. The event will serve as the final major opportunity to accumulate Olympic ranking points before the Paris 2024 qualification deadline on June 24. Fans can follow live updates, results, and athlete profiles through the official IJF website (ijf.org) and the Italian Judo Federation’s portal (fijlkam.it).
What did this historic triple crown mean for Italian judo, and how might it inspire the next generation? Share your thoughts in the comments below — and if this story resonated, consider sharing it with fellow sports enthusiasts who believe in the power of perseverance.
