Two golds, one silver, one bronze and another page in the history of Italian fencing written on the second day of European Championships 2024 in Basel. A big Wednesday for Italy on the continental platforms in Swiss: the Olympic “flag-bearer”. Arianna Errigo becomes European champion of women’s foil for the third time in her amazing career, seven years after the last time in Tbilisi 2017, while the men’s saber does something even more historic with an amazing hat-trick signed by the triumph of Michele Galloin an unprecedented all-Campania final with Luca Curatolisecond place, and Gigi Samele on the third step of a podium.
He returned to Italy 19 years after the triumph of Aldo Montano at Zalaegerszeg 2005 the European individual men’s saber title: he won it Michele Gallo23 year old from Salerno of the Carabinieri, on a special day also for the silver Luca Curatoli, Neapolitan of the Gold Flames and for the third time on the continental podium, and for the inexhaustible captain Gigi Samele, today bronze.
The ride of the three blues was a chorus of celebrations. In the 32-man draw they prevailed 15-11 Curatoli on Spanish Fernandez Blanco that Samele over the Ukrainian Tsap, while Gallo was right with the score of 15-10 over the Romanian Nitu. In the round of 16 Samele’s masterpiece cameback to defeat the Georgian and world number 1 15-12 Sandro Bazadze, with Curatoli beating Ursachi, Romania’s representative, 15-11, and Gallo dominating the Hungarian Rabb 15-3. The quarter-final round was heart-pounding and gave the certainty of a trio of medals never seen before for the Italian saber. The veteran Gigi Samele was the first to celebrate: the Foggia native Yellow Flames he left no escape with an eloquent 15-5 to the Romanian Dragomir.
Then it was the turn of the “vice captain” of the Luca Curatoli team: the Neapolitan Fiamme Oro beat the French Pianfetti 15-10. Finally, the youngest of the trio on the podium, the Salerno Carabinieri player Michele Gallo who ended an amazing match at 15-10 against the other transalpine Apithy. History, already marked, was truly written in the two semi-finals: Curatoli won the Italian derby 15-3 with Samele, who shines with his bronze medal, the first continental individual at an individual level to enrich a career as a super champion, while Gallo closed his umpteenth perfect match against 15-6 Jean Philippe Patricethus giving himself an all-Italian final in a European Championship that had never existed in individual men’s sabre.
The last act saw Gallo beat Curatoli 15-10, thus reaching the epilogue of a historic day for the blue saber. «An immense joy to win a European Championship 19 years after an extraordinary champion like Aldo Montano. And it’s great to do it on the day he triumphed too Arianna Errigoour standard-bearer at the Olympics, as well as on a historic podium with three blue sabers”, he rejoiced Michele Gallo.
Screaming sabers, but theMameli’s anthem rings once again, the third in two days ofBasel European Championship, also for foil. It is the eternal champion Arianna Errigo who accomplishes yet another feat in an impressive career. The champion mother of Italian fencing thus celebrates the Tricolore received from the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella as Italian “Flag Bearer” in Paris 2024 by winning the final 15-10 against the Ukrainian Myroniuk after a crazy comeback. «It was fantastic to win after the emotions experienced at the Quirinale. And now we can say that, with me and Gimbo Tamberi, Italy has also chosen two reigning European champions as its standard bearers. A bit like him, in the final, I added some pathos…” Ary smiled at the end of the race.
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