In the Quirinale Gardens took place Ceremony of Awarding the Tricolor to the Olympic and Paralympic Standard Bearers: The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarellagave the Italian flag to custody Gianmarco Tamberi and Arianna Errigo for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and others Luca Mazzone and Ambra Sabatini for the Paralympics.
The Head of State, Sergio Mattarella, declared: “The United Nations Assembly has asked for an Olympic truce, on the model of ancient Greece: I don’t know if this will happen, because it clashes with the obtuseness of those who start war, but the message you will send in Paris is a message of coexistence, of friendship and cooperation. I don’t make predictions, but I’m sure that you will dedicate all your effort to sporting loyalty, respecting your opponents, your competitors, and you will do all this with loyalty, and this will be your first victory. Then of course I hope to see a bus full of medalists, but it will be your behavior that will honor Italy“.
Arianna Errigo: “Being here is an immense emotion. When I found out I couldn’t sleep, and with two kids that’s not easy. Becoming a mother made my life difficult to fit everything together, between children and training, but I believed I could do it and now here I am. I feel like a more mature athlete and a happier mom“.
Gianmarco Tamberi: “Thank you, President, for being at our side at the European Championships, which were record-breaking for Italy. When I was coming out at 2.29 meters she must have trembled, and I with her, but I knew I couldn’t not win the gold. I dream of carrying the flag of the most united country in the world. Receiving the Tricolor from her is an unimaginable honor. We are ambassadors of perseverance and will, I give you my word that we will do everything to surprise you and make you and all Italians proud, always fighting to the end. I promise you that we will never be crushed by the fear of not making it“.
Luca Mazzone: “I’m at my sixth Paralympics, but now being a Standard Bearer honors me and fills me with pride. I hope we will return here, after the Paralympics, with a bus full of medals. Sport has given me and has given us many opportunities. Finally, I want to thank two women: my mother, when I swam as a boy, and my wife, who follows me now and always worries about me.“.
Ambra Sabatini: “I am here with great pride and emotion to receive the flag that I will carry at the Paralympics and first of all I want to thank you for thinking of me. Like all the blue men and women, I will give everything to be up to the task. I also take advantage of this solemn occasion to send a message, saying that sport is the only place in the world where will and emotion go hand in hand“.
THE ATHLETES PRESENT AT THE QUIRINALE
PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS
Matteo Zurloni (sport climbing); Pietro Arese, Elena Bellò, Eloisa Coiro, Eseosa Fostine Desalu, Andy Diaz Hernandez, Zaynab Dosso, Sara Fantini, Ayomide Folorunso, Francesco Fortunato, Mattia Furlani, Larissa Iapichino, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Dalia Kaddari, Antonella Palmisano, Lorenzo Patta, Roberto Rigali , Alessandro Sibilio, Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli, Gianmarco Tamberi and Filippo Tortu (athletics); Simone Avondetto and Letizia Paternoster (cycling); Stefanie Horn and Giovanni De Gennaro (canoe kayak); Antilai Sandrini (breaking); Yumin Abbadini, Lorenzo Casali, Matteo Levantesi, Marco Lodadio, Mario Macchiati, Angela Andreoli, Alice D’Amato, Manila Esposito, Elisa Iorio, Milena Baldassarri, Martina Centofanti, Agnese Duranti, Alessia Maurelli, Daniela Mogurean, Laura Paris, Soffia Raffaeli and Alessia Russo (gymnastics); Alice Bellandi, Antonio Esposito, Odette Giuffrida, Manuel Lombardo, Christian Parlati, Matteo Piras, Gennaro Pirelli, Kim Polling, Aurora Russo, Assunta Scutto, Asya Tavano and Veronica Toniolo (judo and wrestling); Linda Cerruti, Marta Iacoacci, Sofia Mastroianni, Susanna Pedotti, Enrica Piccoli, Lucrezia Ruggiero, Isotta Sportelli, Giulia Verince and Francesca Zunino (artistic swimming); Samuele Cottafava, Paolo Nicolai, Valentina Gottardi, Marta Menegatti and Alex Ranghieri (beach volleyball); Sergio Massidda and Antonino Pizzolato (weights); Giorgio Malan, Elena Micheli (modern pentathlon); Rossella Fiamingo, Mara Navarria, Giulia Rizzi, Alberta Santuccio, Davide Di Veroli, Gabriele Cimini, Andrea Santarelli, Federico Vismara, Arianna Errigo, Michela Battiston, Martina Criscio, Chiara Mormile, Irene Vecchi, Luca Curatoli, Michele Gallo, Pietro Torre (fencing ); Alessandro Mazzara and Alessandro Clement Sorgente (skateboard); Simone Alessio, Vito Dell’Aquila and Ilenia Elisabetta Matonti (taekwondo); Federico Musolesi, Mauro Nespoli and Alessandro Paoli (archery); Verena Steinhauser (triathlon); Edoardo Bonazzi, Federico Nilo Maldini and Danilo Dennis Sollazzo (shooting); Caterina Marianna Banti, Chiara Benini Floriani, Elena Berto and Bruno Festo (sailing).
PARALIMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024
Eleonora Sarti, Giulia Pesci, Stefano Travisani (FITARCO), Ambra Sabatini, Marco Cicchetti, Monica Graziana Contrafatto, Ndiaga Dieng, Maxcel Amo Manu and Valentina Petrillo (FIPSES), Rosa Efomo De Marco (FIBA), Luca Mazzone, Mirko Testa, Francesca Porcellato and Claudia Cretti (FCI), Sara Morganti and Francesca Salvadé (FISE), Dong Dong Camanni (FISPIC), Luigi Beggiato, Alessia Berra, Carlotta Gilli, Riccardo Menciotti, Alessia Scortechini, Monica Boggioni (FINP), Donato Telesca (FIPE) , Matteo Dei Rossi, Gianmarco Paolucci, Rossana Pasquino, Beatrice Vio Grandis (FIS), Antonino Bossolo (FITA), Giada Rossi, Carlotta Ragazzini, Matteo Parenzan (FITET), Gianluca Iacus, Davide Franceschetti, Livia Cecagallina, Roberto Lazzaro (UITS) , Giovanni Achenza, Veronica Yoko Plebani, Francesca Tarantello, Silvia Visaggi (FITRI).
