Larissa Iapichino: “Beautiful but I wanted more.” Marcell Jacobs: “We will give you many joys in Paris.”

Larissa Iapichino: "Beautiful but I wanted more". Marcell Jacobs: "In Paris we will give you many joys"

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"A silver worth as much as a gold". These are the words of Vladimir Aceti, sprinter of the men’s 4×400 who, to the microphones of Rai, does not hide his excitement for the silver won behind Belgium.

"Winning a medal è a very strong emotion, even without Sibilio we made a performance out of our reach. We are super happy with this European", adds Luca Sito.

While for Riccardo Meli è “a unique emotion. I knew to run 10 minutes before entering (in place of the injured Alessandro Sibilio, ed) and I was afraid. These guys deserve this medal, I believed in it so much and this medal è something wonderful. Now I hope we will also have moreù consideration".

Finally the thought of Edoardo Scotti who says he is "very happy, I saw a little bit of fear in his eyes and at the end I saw the same eyes full of joy. When you wear the blue jersey there'è no story that holds", he concludes.

"I was able to bring out the best in me, this è a beautiful silver at home – said Larissa Iapichino, silver in the long jump. "I was able to find myself again and I did not disappoint the people who were here with me by doing perhaps the best set of jumps of my career”.

"This Italy now è on a world level, not just European. I have the distinct feeling that this is not the end of it, we will see great things. I also wanted to give something magical to this magnificent Rome” continued Larissa.

“I tried to pull myself up and in the end we can’t complain but I wanted something more. I wanted those 6 centimeters more; now I go home already focused on the next appointments. I want to keep improving and we will see what will come out. Mom (Fiona May, ed.) reminded me to enjoy the medal because ité never è be taken for granted”, concluded the 21-year-old Florentine.

Instead, these are the words of Pietro Arese, bronze medalist in the 1500: “After so many sacrifices, after so many ‘almost’, here is the’year of certainties. I put my soul, heart and legs: I knew it was within reach, a pinch of regret there’è for the silver very close. I put one brick at a time, I put so much determination in training and out of training. The dedication goes to my parents who don’t miss a competition and they are also here-they have been instrumental. I owe so much to my coach Silvano Danzi. To the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella I told an anecdote: my national teammates call me ‘the president’ he smiled”.

Finally, here is the’emotion of the members of the 4×100 after the gold won, starting with Matteo Melluzzo. “I have no words, I am too excited, we knew what we could do”. “It was the goal we had set for ourselves from the beginning, only victory” counted.

Here is Marcell Jacobs: “We came into the track very charged and full of energy, we gave 100 percent. The movement è changed, everyone is going on the track not to participate but to make a great result. Italy is there’è athletics is there’è: in Paris we will give you many joys”. 

To finish, the’last relay runner, Filippo Tortu: “I heard so much from the audience, I was afraid not to hear Lorenzo’s hop, è everything went right, we thought we were the right group to achieve this feat. I am proud of the work done with Professor Filippo Di Mulo and Giorgio Frinolli, I dedicate this title to my father: I wanted to dedicate the 200 gold to him, it will bring him that of the 4×100”.