Paris, 6 September 2024 – Seven splendid medals arrive this afternoon. After the laurels won in the morning, with Legnante’s gold in athletics (read here)here are other precious metals from Italy Team that rises to 63 medalswith 20 golds to shine in history. The Azzurri are 6 laurels away from the Tokyo 2020 record.
The story of the races and the interviews – Source comitatoparalimpico.it
Matteo Parenzan is a gold medalist in the men’s singles S6 table tennis at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. After beating defending champion Ian Seidenfeld in yesterday’s semi-final, the 21-year-old Italian, at his second Paralympic Games, won his first medal by defeating Thailand’s Rungroj Thainiyom in the final by 3 sets to 0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-5).
For the table tennis player from Trieste, gold comes at the end of a tournament bordering on perfection, in which he never conceded a single set to his opponents. Also watching the match from the stands of the South Paris Arena was the Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi.
In the I swimafter yesterday’s gold in the 100m freestyle, Antonio Fantin wins another medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The 23 year old from Udine won silver in the 400m freestyle S6repeating the result of Tokyo. Fantin finished in 4:49.99. Gold for the Brazilian Talisson Henrique Glock (4:49.55), bronze for the Mexican Jesus Alberto Gutierrez Bermudez (5:07.00).
“I’m not satisfied because this year I swam 4:48 three times and that would have been enough to win gold. I’m satisfied because I promised myself before going into the water that what mattered was to come out knowing I had given my all, and so it was. It’s a shame because I always saw the Brazilian there, and I dreamed of a comeback in Mexico City in 2017, five more meters would have been enough, but this time the pool ended early.” Antonio Fantin, silver in the 400m freestyle S6 in Paris, said this, as he did three years ago in Tokyo. “Tomorrow I have the 100 backstroke, I feel good, I would have felt better with another gold. Tomorrow will be an atypical race for me, but we will try, and we will see tomorrow”, Fantin concluded in the mixed zone.
Fourth medal for Stefano Raimondi at the Paris Paralympic Games. After three golds, the Italian has won silver in the 100 back S10 in 59.29confirming the result of Tokyo, and narrowly missing the gold that went to the Dutchman Oliver Van de Voort (59.04). Bronze for the Australian 1:01.34. Fourth Riccardo Menciotti in 1:01.46.
“I’m happy, compared to Tokyo the balance is very positive. I changed everything, coach, life, I went to live with Giulia, Edoardo was born, all things that allowed me to mature and live the environment with greater serenity and greater awareness. Now I still have the 200 medley which in my opinion can be a good race, now I’m going to loosen up to do well tomorrow”. Stefano Raimondi said it, silver in the S1 backstroke at the Paralympic Games in Paris, his fourth medal. “Today I was a bit light and I made a mistake that you shouldn’t make at this level, I think I arrived very long and that’s why the Dutchman beat me, probably with hindsight I could have won by a few hundredths”, Raimondi explainedwho narrowly missed out on the gold medal that went to Dutchman Oliver Van de Voort.
Another triumph from table tennis. Giada Rossi is gold medalist in women’s singles WS1-2.. The Italian defeated the very strong Chinese Jing Liu 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-8) in the final, winner of the last four Paralympic singles titles and the last five team titles, with the team gold medal a few days ago.
With today’s triumph at the South Paris Arena, Rossi has won his third Paralympic medal, adding to the bronze in the singles at Rio 2016 and the bronze in the team tournament at Tokyo 2020. This is the second gold medal in the history of Italian Paralympic table tennis, arriving just a few minutes after Matteo Parenzan’s.
Third medal, Second gold, for Simone Barlaam at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. The Italian won the 100 butterfly S9, improving on the silver from Tokyo, and dominating in 57.99, a new European record. This is the twentieth gold for Italy. Silver and bronze for the Australians Timothy Hodge (1:00.03) and Lewis Bishop (1:01.08). Federico Morlacchi missed out on the podium, fourth in 1:01.10.
“This is the performance that reflects the work we have done in the last year, it’s a shame about Federico Morlacchi’s fourth place, having him on the podium would have been the icing on the cake. I’m very happy with what I did, it’s incredible”. Simone Barlaam, gold medalist in the 100m butterfly at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, said so. The Italian won dominating in 57.99, a new European record, and took home his third medal after a gold and a silver. “Italy is doing very well, it’s all incredible, for me and my teammates there’s still one day of competition left, for now I’m enjoying this gold and this podium, and tomorrow I’ll focus on the relay – he added – I’ll do the 100 freestyle which went very well, but we’ll see. The relays are a very nice race, in such an individual sport being a team is always nice, and I’m curious to see what we can do”.
Finally, on Italian swimming and the Italian movement, Barlaam said: “Perhaps compared to other disciplines, which are doing great things anyway, swimming is investing more in young people, boys and girls. I was talking about it today in the final with an American athlete who was at our World Series in Lignano and was amazed by the number of competitive athletes. In a country as small as Italy, she said, while in the US it is not like that, at the meetings they do not have these numbers. Credit goes to all the clubs that specialize in Paralympic sports, to military sports groups, and as we win more kids want to get closer to this sport. Before the race they told me that there is a 7-year-old boy who has the same pathology as me and Federico and he said to our coach ‘I will become like you!’. This is what is leading us to become a super competitive national team”.
After the gold in the 400 freestyle, Alberto Amodeo takes home a precious bronze in the 100 freestyle S8. The 24-year-old from Milan, at his second Paralympics, finished third in 58.30, very close to the Australian Callum Simpson, gold in 58.23, and the American Noah Jaffe, silver in 58.25. Amodeo’s medal is the 63rd for Italy in Paris.
PARALYMPICS, SWIMMING: AMODEO “INCREDIBLE BRONZE”
“I knew I had to try to stay as close as possible in the first lap, that then on the way back the cards were a bit more in my favor, but wow! 58.30, who would have ever thought! Up until three months ago I had a personal best of 59.90, and in the 100 freestyle we said ‘let’s do it and if we get to the final we’ll all celebrate’ and instead here I am with a bronze, so close to the gold. Incredible, absurd really! I almost feel sad about those 7 hundredths but, if they had asked me half an hour ago I would have answered that I expected to come in fourth with 58.90”. So Alberto Amodeo bronze in the 100 freestyle S8 at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. “Tomorrow I have the 100 butterfly, let’s see if there’s any gas left in the tank, and sleep well because after the gold I was so charged that I didn’t sleep at all!”, added the Italian in the mixed zone.
Bronze also for Carlotta Ragazzini in the women’s SW3
“There are so many emotions, and then I’m at my first Paralympics, so everything is a bit doubled. The atmosphere in the team is always great, we know each other well and we live together at the federal center: being here and having managed to do what we have been preparing for all these years is certainly very nice”. These are the words of Carlotta Ragazzini, bronze medalist in the women’s singles WS3 table tennis at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, in the mixed zone of the South Paris Arena on the occasion of her award ceremony.
This medal, added the 22-year-old Italian table tennis player, a debutant at the Games, “I dedicate to all the people who have helped me on this journey, which are truly so many. I won’t name them all because obviously the list would be too long, but everyone who has been there knows it, and I truly thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
In equestrian, paradressage, Italy (Morganti/Semperboni/Salvadè) finished in fourth place (223.166) in the team competition. Best result ever. Gold to the USA (235.567), Silver to the Netherlands (232.850), Bronze to Germany (223.751).
“A truly unique fourth place at a Paralympic Games – said the coach Alessandro Benedetti, Coach of the Italian national Paradressage team – even if there is that bitter taste in the mouth, for having really come within a whisker of the podium. We are still happy for the work we have done and above all because, with three of the four horses new compared to Tokyo, we look to the future with excellent prospects for further growth”.
“I am very happy because Escari performed very well and even better than in the first race. He is only seven years old, so I would say it was an exceptional performance. I think he was one of our best graphic designers; obviously it is a shame because as a team we came really close to the bronze. Congratulations to my teammates, Sara (Morganti ed.) and Carola (Semperboni ed.), but also to Federica (Sileoni ed. on the sidelines supporting the team) because we are all part of a team. Now let’s stay focused for the Freestyle final tomorrow”, these are the words of Francesca Salvadè.
Photo comitatoparalimpico.it
ilfaroonline.it is on GOOGLE NEWS. To always be updated on our news, click on this linkand select the star at the top right to follow the source.
