Paris 2024 Olympics: silver for Filippo Macchi, but anger wins out
A splendid silver medal, received però hotly more with anger than with joy.
Filippo Macchi won the silver medal in men’s individual foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but in the heat è anger prevailed over the joy of winning an Olympic medal at not even 23 years of ageà. The final, very open and very balanced against Cheung Ka Long, gives the gold to the Hong Kong athlete who thus repeats his success from the Tokyo Games (the first in 70 years to do so in the category). On the outcome of the contention have però a strong weight the refereeing decisions.
After the opponent escaped, Macchi managed to lead 14-12 to within one hit of gold. Cheung però back to even, and three times the decisive point was canceled by referee Huang Hao Chih, from China Taipei, with the help of South Korean video referee Suh Sang Won. In the end it ended 15-14, to the furious reaction of Stefano Cerioni, technical manager of the Italian national foil team.
Shortly before, also on Monday evening, swimming Italy had celebrated the sensational gold medal won by Thomas Ceccon in the 100-meter backstroke. It was a masterful performance for the Venetian, who was perfect in his wait-and-see race strategy in the first 50 meters and then placed the decisive stretch in the final. Behind him the Chinese Xu Jiayu, who è won silver, and the U.S. Ryan Murphy, bronze.
Italy won a total of 40 medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, setting a new record for haul in a single edition of the Games. Ten gold medals, as many silver medals and 20 bronze medals as well. In Japan, Manfredi Rizza – Canoe, K1 20, Vanessa Ferrari – Artistic gymnastics, individual free body, Elisa Longo Borghini – Cycling, women’s road race, Gregorio Paltrinieri – Swimming, men’s 800m freestyle won a flattering second place, Men’s 4×100 freestyle relay team – Alessandro Miressi, Thomas Ceccon, Lorenzo Zazzeri and Manuel Frigo, Diana Bacosi – Shooting, women’s skeet, Daniele Garozzo – Fencing, men’s individual foil, Men’s saber team – Luca Curatoli, Aldo Montano, Enrico Berrè and Luigi Samele, Maria Centracchio – Judo, -63kg female r Giorgia Bordignon – Weightlifting, 64kg female.
