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UDINE. No final for them for the women’s blue sword team at the Tokyo Olympics. Carlino’s Friulian Mara Navarria, with Federica Isola and Rossella Fiamingo, will have to play for the bronze medal in the final against South Korea beaten by the formidable China in the other semifinal.
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The blue immediately went under against Estonia forced to chase and eventually losing 42-34.
Navarria struggled in the first assault like all the blues starting the second round on the platform under 14-5 but unable to reverse the course. The Friulian, against Lehis in the second round on the platform, as a true champion (world champion in 2017 and sixth in the ranking), then sought a comeback with three hits in a row, closing the round at 15-10 and giving hope to the Italians with the first. round won by Italy. It was then the turn of Rossella Fiamingo, individual silver in Rio, to try again to go upstream.
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The Sicilian had closed with a spectacular thrust the practice Russia in the quarter-finals finished by the blue for 33-31. Unfortunately in the semifinals the music was different. Beljaljeva stretched to 18-12 in the sixth of nine attacks. Again it was Mara Navarria’s turn to go to the platform to attempt a desperate recovery. And the 36-year-old from the army, mother of little Samuele and also testimonial of the Fvg, tried to go beyond the impossible.
Two (spectacular) hits in a row up to minus 4 (18-14), but then 4 hits in a row by the Estonian Kirpu give another sharp blow to the blues. The partial ends 5-2 for the Estonian, 23-14, an almost impossible gap for Federica Isola to fill with two rounds to go. The blue did not give up going upstream until 29-25 with an 11-6 that gives a thread of hope in view of the latest assault from Fiamingo. The opponent is Lehis who eliminated her in the quarters of the individual.
Estonian, however, is relentless: 4 touches to zero at the beginning and end of hopes. The assaults end 42-34. Italy loses, in the end with their heads held high, with Estonia But nothing is lost: at 11.20, Tokyo time, direct on Raidue, the Italians of Italspada shoot against the Koreans for the last place on the podium, the medal bronze. Force.