The Italian National Olympic Committee convened sports administrators and technical directors at the Salone d’Onore of Palazzo H on Oct. 13, 2026, launching a comprehensive evaluation of female athletic performance and coaching methods. Fitarco reported that Cristina Pernazza attended in person as a commission member, alongside remote participation from federal technical directors Filippo Clini, Tiziano Xotti, Giorgio Botto, Stefano Mazzi, and Ezio Luvisetto.
The summit summarized a year of work by the CONI Technical Commission, chaired by Elisabet Spina, with a core agenda dedicated to the specific physiological, nutritional, and managerial dimensions of female athletes. The gathering brought together technical leaders from across national sports federations both in-person and online.
Addressing Female Athlete Performance and Physiological Science
Luciano Buonfiglio opened the discussions by highlighting the unprecedented results coming out of women’s sports divisions, while acknowledging the need for structural evolution. “The results demonstrate it: the women’s sector is achieving incredible performance,” Buonfiglio said, as reported by the committee. “But at the managerial level we can do more. There is a need for culture.”
The morning sessions moved through clinical and practical topics led by prominent figures in sports medicine and athletics. Josefa Idem and moderator Giuseppe Vercelli examined generational dialogues surrounding female competitors. Raffaella Spada and Diana Bianchedi addressed nutritional specificities and supplementation strategies, while Kirsty Sale and Francesco Perondi detailed hormonal dimensions and their direct application in daily athletic training.
Building the Italian Coaching Method and Military Sports Synergy
Buonfiglio emphasized the strength of the national sporting apparatus, pointing to the coordination between technical directors, CONI’s Olympic Preparation division, and military sports groups. He credited Carlo Mornati with forging a cohesive administrative chain that has made the Italian training framework a benchmark internationally.
Mornati expanded on the vital function of coaches within the sporting hierarchy, describing the modern instructor as a scientific, managerial, and psychological anchor for competitors. “You prepare yourselves on technical-scientific subjects, on the managerial and psychological aspect, because the coach today is everything,” Mornati stated. He praised grassroots clubs as the backbone of the movement and noted that international peers frequently envy Italy’s medal-producing pyramid structure.
Strategic Decision-Making and Team Management Sessions
The afternoon agenda shifted toward tactical leadership and decision frameworks. Daniele Bertè and Caterina Banti led a session examining vision, strategy, and specificities within the decision-making process. Concluding the assembly, Julio Velasco and moderator Giuseppe Vercelli analyzed team management dynamics specifically tailored to female squad environments, addressing group psychology and leadership structures.
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