Paris 2024 Olympics, Federscherma and Coni at the lunge after Filippo Macchi’s silver medal
Anger over missed Olympic gold è general.
Filippo Macchi è won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics after an extremely controversial men’s individual foil final. The gold è went to Cheung Ka Long, an athlete from Hong Kong, thanks in part to refereeing decisions firmly disputed by Federscherma. Not surprisingly, the federation, within hours of the events, announced it would take action.
"The Italian Fencing Federation, supported by Coni president Giovanni Malagò, will forward a formal protest to the FIE and the IOC for the refereeing deemed unacceptable of the Olympic final between Macchi and Cheung Ka Long" reads the federal website. Here are also the words of Paolo Azzi, president of Federscherma, who expressed all his anger at the end of the competition: "Never seen anything like this. È Filippo Macchi the real winner and he è was denied a gold he deserved. The referee draw è a problem but the referee level è was below the great final we saw".
Extremely strict also Coni President Giovanni Malagò: "There are sports with the centimeter or with the stopwatch while others where è indispensable to have referees. They must be respected forò we made an official protest. I talked to the FIE secretary but the problem è that there's a fundamental error. The two judges were from Taipei and Korea in a final between Italy and Hong Kong. We were told that they were drawn by lot, and all the more reason after the first one the second jury president should be changed. In no spot there'è a referee 'bordering' an athlete. I spoke with FIS president Paolo Azzi, we are tired".
Federscherma also raises the statements of CT Stefano Cerioni, made to the microphones of 'Rai Sport': "Never seen anything like this as a technician or as an athlete. I think of referee incompetence, Filippo è the moral winner. The first two abstentions were our attack, è serious for the boy who does everything to get to an Olympics. My heart aches for him and for me. We had prepared well and all day long he threw wonderfully well, he had put in the hits to win. Here we were awarding gold, silver è a great medal but he deserved better. It è not fair to take away what Philip had earned. I heard the president and I think the federation will doà something for sure but the result will remain this".
