Fencer Daniele Garozzo retires at 32. The champion from Acireale, gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics in foil and silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has announced, through his social media, that he will stop due to heart problems suffered recently. He will therefore not be on the stage in Paris 2024. “My heart was injured, but I am calm. I was lucky enough to experience an extraordinary adventure in the world of sport, which culminated in the victory of an Olympic gold and silver. It is It was a journey – we read on the Facebook page – made of sacrifices, commitment and passion, joys, satisfactions and friendships that I would never have imagined. If I close my eyes I still see myself in the garage gym in Acireale throwing millions of hits against a dummy. dreaming of one day winning the Olympics. Those who know me know how much I love fencing. I loved it with tireless dedication and with all my heart, and I put a lot of effort into it, but all of this brought me to the results I had dreamed of. Now, as I close this chapter of my life as an athlete, I am grateful for every moment and experience that has made me the person I am today.
Looking to the future, I had already decided for some time to dedicate my professional life to medicine, now with an even clearer objective: to study and disseminate the often unknown cardiological conditions that can afflict the sporting population. I realized – continues Garozzo – my sporting dreams, I traveled all over the world with extraordinary friends and I found my best friend and life partner on the fencing platforms. Many have helped me, and I would like to thank them all, today and as I have always done in the past. Above all, my teacher Fabio Galli, who taught me first to become a man, then a champion. Even if everyone only saw me on the platform, there were always two of us throwing and taking those hits.”
