«You should know that on Wednesday evening I committed an infringement of the Quirinale protocol by returning for the second consecutive evening to the Olympic Stadium to attend the European Athletics Championships. And now I can say that it was really worth it. For the victory in the 4×100, of course, but also for the magnificent 4×400, for Larissa Iapichino’s long jump, for many other valuable fourth and fifth places.” There could not have been better words than those used by the Head of State Sergio Mattarella to close on Thursday morning in the Quirinale gardens the flag delivery ceremony to the athletes leaving for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Flags entrusted to Gianmarco Tamberi and Arianna Errigo, to Luca Mazzone and Ambra Sabatini. The president of Coni Malagò, the president of the Italian Disabled Sports Federation Luca Pancalli and the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, spoke at the ceremony.
«I don’t make predictions but I am 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 naturally I hope to see a bus full of medalists, but it will be your behavior that will honor Italy”, continued the Head of State addressing the athletes and managers present.
In conclusion Mattarella he stated that «The United Nations Assembly has asked for an Olympic truce, on the model of ancient Greece: not if this will happen because it clashes with the obtuseness of those who start war who wanted it, but the message you will send in Paris it is a message of coexistence, friendship and cooperation.”
Mattarella then complimented all the blue standard bearers, with Arianna Errigo for «succeeding very well in the role of mother and high-level athlete», with Tamberi because «The more I think about the evening the day before yesterday the more I have the doubt that he wanted to put on the pitch a Hitchcock style thriller with two nulls at 2.29 and then calmly jumping 2.37″ and finally with Sabatini because the «blue hat-trick in the 100 meters in Tokyo will forever remain in the hearts of Italians».
Gianmarco Tamberi instead thanked «Personally and on behalf of the whole team the Head of State for what he does for us, because always gives the right importance to sport, he never leaves him behind: in my third jump at 2 and 29 his presence counted a lot.” Gimbo then dedicated «This unforgettable day to my wife Chiara: we have known each other since we were 14 years old and without her I would never be the man I am of her».
«Sport is the representation of Italy, we are multidisciplinary – he explained instead the president of Coni Malagò – for some it is a weakness, but I argue the opposite and now this supposed weakness has become our strength. You also need to dedicate yourself to sports that have no tradition but which, if supported with fair and innovative policies, lead you to achieve good results. Which perhaps compensate for less good results in more traditional sports. At the basis of everything are the amateur associations – added Malagò – a system of cooperation between sports bodies and CONI”.
