Italy goes for the gold

Italy goes for the gold

Every four years, people around the globe gather around their televisions to witness the greatest multi-sport competition known to man: the Olympics. This summer, from July 25 to August 12, London has the honor of hosting athletes from every corner of the globe, vying for gold in any of

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Thu 12 Jul 2012 12:00 AM

Every four years,
people around the globe gather around their televisions to witness the greatest
multi-sport competition known to man: the Olympics. This summer, from July 25
to August 12, London has the honor of hosting athletes from every corner of the
globe, vying for gold in any of the 35 different sports in the competition.

 

In the history of the Olympics, Italy has taken home
190 gold medals, 158 silver medals, and 174 bronze medals, totaling 522 medals
in 25 Olympics appearances, and this summer those numbers are expected to
multiply. Not surprisingly, some of the best athletes participating in this
year’s events come from the Florence area. Here are a few Florentines you
should be watching out for and cheering on.

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Elena Gigli, goalkeeper for the
water polo team, previously won the gold medal with her team at the 2004
Olympics in Athens. She then took the silver medal in the European championship
in 2006 in Belgrade. Despite the talent of the squad, the Women’s National Team
did not do as well in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, when the team placed
sixth, but these athletes hope to come back strong this summer with an all-star
group, which also includes Florence native, Allegra Lapi. Lapi joins the
National Team in a striker position. She won the gold medal this year at the
European Championships, and took second in the same competition in 2006.

The women’s national gymnastics team has a strong
competitor with Marta Pagnini. In 2011, she stunned everyone by
competing in the World Championships for the first time in her career, when she
took home the gold for rhythmic gymnastics. She proved her skills and worth to
the national team, and will no doubt be a huge asset to their performance this
summer.

 

Men’s rowing is fortunate enough to have two
Florentines grace the Italian team. Francesco Fossi and Lorenzo
Carboncini
are both esteemed rowers who hope to showcase their skills this
summer in London. Carboncini has previously taken the silver medal in the
coxless four event at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, while Fossi took third
in the 2011 European Championships, also in the coxless four.

 

Niccolò Campriani hopes to use his
rifle and sharp aim to take the gold in shooting events as an individual, not
with a team. Campriani ranked number twelve in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
Men’s Air Rifle 10 meters event. He has numerous honors, which include winning
the 2010 World Championships in Monacco for 10 meters; winning the 2008
European Championships in Prague for 10 meters, as well as in 2012 for the same
competition in Finland.

 

After you have watched and cheered for these brilliant
athletes, stay tuned for the Paralympics, which open in London on August 29 and
run through September 9. For the first time, three extraordinary Florentine
athletes will be representing their home country, participating in tennis and
rowing. Marco Innocenti, born in San Casciano Val di Pesa, has been
wheelchair-bound since 1989 after a traffic accident. Despite his permanent
injuries, he continued to pursue his passion for tennis, and in 2011 won
multiple titles. He is currently ranked number one in Italy and 11th in the
world in the quad category, and is currently the Italian champion in doubles. Giuseppe
Polidori
, born in Grosseto, previously competed in the Paralympics for
tennis in Athens in 2004, as well as in Beijing in 2008. Polidori has won
numerous international titles and tournaments throughout his career. He is
currently ranked second in Italy and 21st in the world in the quad category. As
a professional rower, Andrea Marcaccini has won both gold and silver in
the World Junior class, as well as two gold medals at the Coupe de la Jeunesse.
He also holds several Italian titles and is ranked as one of the best in his
class.

These are just some of the athletes respresenting
Italy. For more information on other stars comepting for Italy this summer in
London, see www.londra2012.coni.it (in Italian).

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