At the Tokyo Paralympics victory in the handbike dedicated to Zanardi. Rio’s success repeated Swimming continues to feed the most conspicuous haul. Equalized the primacy of Seoul 1988
history
ROMA
In the sign of Alex. The Italy of the handbike returns to the top of the world in the mixed relay, repeating the triumph of Rio. At the finish line of the Fuji International Speedway the enthusiasm and the arms to the sky are not of Zanardi, but of Diego Colombari, who completed the work of Luca Mazzone (who had already won in 2016) and Paolo Cecchetto (“We have reached the goal we have dreamed of for five years, our dream has finally come true “).
This medal, number 50, “is the best thing that can come from sport and from the Paralympic family that has always remembered the great challenge that Alex is fighting”, comments Luca Pancalli, president of the Italian Paralympic Committee. Yesterday there were ten blue medals in Tokyo: three days before the end of the Games the total rises to 58, the same number as in Seoul 1988. The record to beat according to the experts, given that Rome 1960, with its 80 podiums , is considered the “zero edition” of the Paralympics, too different from the current Games. “Another historic result in this extraordinary Italian summer”, underlines Valentina Vezzali, undersecretary to the presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for Sport.
On her debut at the Games, Reggio Emilia Enza Petrilli, 31, won silver in individual recurve archery, giving a hard time (6-5, after a play-off) to the very strong Iranian Zahra Nemati, Paralympic gold for the third time in a row. “An indescribable joy, I still have to metabolize because it is too strong an emotion”, Petrilli told Rai Sport microphones. «Also – adds the archer – when I was 5-1 down, when my opponent made mistakes, I tried and believed in it until the end. When I was at the play-off arrow I said to myself “go as it goes, I’ve already won” ». Silver also for Martina Caironi, in the long jump. The Bergamo team of the yellow flames obtained the measurement of 5. 14 meters. «It was a race with a very fast platform, in which I tried to put great energy into the first three jumps – says the Italian – despite the experience, when you find a new platform, in a different position, in a long race important and maybe you are also underneath you risk going into confusion ». Now the concentration goes to 100 meters: «A race perhaps even more important, which I will face in two days». Still in athletics, Oney Tapia wins his second bronze: after the one in weight, this time it was the F11 category disc (visually impaired athletes). But it is from the aisles of the Acquatics center that the most conspicuous loot of medals for the Italian expedition continues to arrive (35 of the 58 conquered are from Italnuoto).
In the 400 free style S6 Antonio Fantin wins the first silver of the day. Second step of the podium also for Simone Barlaam in the 100 butterfly S9, for Stefano Raimondi (he is the fifth medal for the Veronese delle Fiamme d’oro) in the 100 backstroke S10 and for Arjola Trimi in the 50 freestyle S4. Bronze for Luigi Beggiato (the athlete of the Finance Police is on the third podium) in the 50 freestyle S4 and for Francesco Bettella in the 50 backstroke S1 (he is the second for the Paralympic of the Fiamme d’oro). A shower of medals, which consolidates the ninth place of the Azzurri in the medal table. Waiting to enrich it, in the last days of these Games. –