Italy continued its summer of incredible sporting success by clinching gold in the men’s 4x100m relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. It was the country’s first-ever victory in the men’s relay and brings the total number of medals won by Italy so far at this Olympics to 38 – placing it seventh in the medals table, the highest among countries from mainland Europe. 

“This is an historic record, we don’t want it to stop,” said Giovanni Malagò, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee. The Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, called Malagò immediately after the relay victory. “You’ve been brilliant, I am very proud of you all and will be waiting for you at the Quirinal [the presidential palace],” he reportedly said.