Swimming and fencing the disciplines full of stars, team sports also dream Hopes from athletics despite the absence of the last minute of Larissa Iapichino
ROME. Simona Quadarella, Marc Jacobs, the ever-flourishing fencing and still volleyball and Settebello. A rich squad that of blue hopes at the Tokyo Games, which will miss the athlete who could already be a certainty as a promise: in the Italian squadron there will in fact be Larisssa Iapichino, forced to forfeit a few days before the start of her first Olympics . An injury at the Italian championships in Rovereto prevents her from flying to Japan and deprives the Italian athletics of one of her stars. “I do not stop dreaming”, the words of the jumper daughter of art (mother Fiona May and father Gianni Iapichino, who has also recently become her coach).
However, the Italia Team has many cards to play, with the aim of improving the tally of five years ago in Rio: in Brazil it closed with 28 medals, eight of which gold. Among the sports with many expectations there is swimming, which has in Gregorio Paltrinieri, Gabriele Detti, Federica Pellegrini, Margherita Panziera, Simona Quadarella, the 4 × 100 sl, the 4 × 200 sl, Federico Burdisso, Benedetta Pilato, Nicolò Martinenghi , Martina Carraro a good podium team. Even fencing, as usual, can represent a pool of medals: with the return to the Olympic program of women’s team foil and men’s men’s saber the possibilities have also increased. From the podium Daniele Garozzo, Alessio Foconi, Arianna Errigo, Alice Volpi, Marco Fichera, Andrea Santarelli, Rossella Fiamingo, Mara Navarria, Luca Curatoli, men’s and women’s foil team, the male and female saber team, as well as the sword.
If tennis first lost Sinner and then Berrettini (physical problems), athletics, despite the loss of Larissa, presents itself with a very grown team: with Filippo Tortu a little in the shade in the approach march, the scene has taken Marcel Jacobs, fresh record holder of the 100 meters. Among the jokers also Gianmarco Tamberi in the high.
Also from cycling can come satisfactions in blue: in the time trial Italy can boast the strongest athlete in the world, Filippo Ganna and some chances among women with Elisa Longo Borghini. In the road test, also pay attention to Vincenzo Nibali, the shark is always lurking. The ring, unpublished only for women for Italy, boasts a quartet of boxers who can play for it: first of all Irma Testa, but also chance for Angela Carini. In the fight there is always Frank Chamizo, in karate – at the Olympic debut – there is a trio from the podium Luigi Busà, Angelo Crescenzo, Viviana Bottaro. In beach volleyball, which qualified three couples, the vice champions of Rio Lupo-Nicolai try again with renewed ambitions.
Among the teams, the two volleyball teams also dream big, as well as water polo which in Tokyo will only have the men’s training. Chance in shooting and then there are the butterflies of rhythmics and among the news in climbing Laura Rogora can be a revelation. (a.r.)