The 2024 Paris Olympic Games was a great success for Italy, despite numerous unforeseen obstacles and a bit of bad luck. The final result is 40 medals, like the record for the 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics, but with two more gold medals. We are ninth in the Olympic medal table starting with gold medals, but seventh in the total number of medals won.

We won 12 gold medals, 13 silver and 15 bronze; but there are also 20 fourth places (no country has more), and in total 79 times we have gone in the top 5. We took medals in 20 sports. Compared to Tokyo, in addition to the exit from the Olympic program of karate, we lose the gold in boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling and archery. But in Paris we won new medals in tennis, canoe slalom, volleyball, shooting and modern pentathlon.

Out of 12 golds won by Italy, nine were won by women (considering also the two taken by mixed pairs): this is the first time we have more women's golds than men's. In the Italian expedition, women accounted for 48 percent with 194 participants out of 402 athletes. Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), as our anthem resounded twelve times as our flag soared highest of all; but also, and above all, Sorelle d'Italia (Sisters of Italy).

We watched Alice Bellandi stand on the top step of the podium in judo and kiss her partner, we were enraptured by Alice D'Amato in artistic gymnastics, we rolled in the red clay with tennis champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, and we surfed with Marta Maggetti. In the cycling race we sped along with Consonni and Guazzini. And then the teams: from epee champions to Italvolley girls, gold was tinged with pink. Sailor Caterina Banti confirmed her Olympic title paired with Ruggero Tita in the Nacra 17, and Diana Bacosi, already a Gold medal winner in skeet at the Rio Olympic Games, this time took the top step together with Gabriele Rossetti.

Then there is the incredible story of Roncadelle, a small town of 9,000 inhabitants in the province of Brescia, Lombardy. Anna Danesi, Alice Bellandi and Giovanni De Gennaro, three golds, a quarter of Italy's total, came from there. Roncadelle finished with three golds as Brazil and Belgium, only 19 nations did better in this edition of the Games. An Italian story.

Some disappointment remains for another first place ... that of the fourth-place finishers, the so-called "wooden medals." This year Italy has 20 of them (doubling the number we had in Tokyo), and no country has more than us. To the athletes who finished fourth goes our gratitude, admiration and solidarity: their achievements contribute to forming our country's "Olympic competitiveness index," in this edition of the Games the highest behind those of the United States, China and Germany. Significantly, our President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, also thought of these fine athletes, inviting them to the Quirinale together with the medalists.

There is also disappointment in the injuries that deprived us of some sure medals and some probable ones. The world number one in men's tennis, Jannik Sinner, was unable to compete because of tonsillitis. Our flag-bearer and gold medalist in the high jump in Tokyo, Gimbo Tamberi, suffered two kidney colics and was only able to jump without strength, just to show how much he cared about being there. Massimo Stano, Tokyo 2020 gold medalist in the 20-kilometer march, twisted an ankle a few kilometers from the finish line, crossed as fourth, a second behind third. Antonella Palmisano, also gold in Tokyo, took covid the day before her race. And another gold medalist in the previous edition of the Olympics, Vito Dell'Aquila, after winning every taekwondo match held since the previous fall, injured his thigh adductor tendon one step away from the final.  

The third disappointment concerns some refereeing decisions that penalized us. The Olympic spirit dictates not to get angry, but it is difficult: athletes who have spent the last few years training hard, sacrificing and dreaming of a medal, have been unfairly but clearly penalized by inadequate referees. The most scandalous was the defeat of the Italian men's national water polo team, but other Italian athletes have been unjustly eliminated: in women's foil and also in men's foil, in women's judo, and in men's boxing.

But we want to end this review of a wonderful Italy with Benedetta Pilato. Fourth by a hundredth of a second in the 100-meter breaststroke swimming event, immediately after the race she stood in front of the Italian TV cameras and burst into tears: but they were tears of joy. "It's still the best day of my life," says Benedetta, who is 19 years old and already in her second Olympics, "I tried, and I didn't deserve it to stay off the podium for so little, but for me it really is a result that is worth so much because I gave everything I had." Benedetta gave a lesson to all Italians. The future is hers, it is of the best Italy: smiling, young, enthusiastic, optimistic, serene, winning even when we do not win.

Who are the gold medalists

The 12 gold medals went to Thomas Ceccon (swimming, 100-meter backstroke); Nicolò Martinenghi (new, 100-meter breaststroke); Giovanni De Gennaro (kayaking); the pair Gabriele Rossetti and Diana Bacosi (in the mixed-team skeet); and also to the pair consisting of Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti (sailing). The other seven gold medals, however, are all women's. In addition to the women's volleyball team, they were also awarded to the pair consisting of Vittoria Guazzini and Chiara Consonni (track cycling); the pair Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini (women's doubles tennis); Marta Maggetti (windsurfing); Alice Bellandi (judo); and Alice D'Amato (gymnastics, beam). Finally also to the team epee quartet, namely Aberta Santuccio, Giulia Rizzi, Mara Navarria and Rossella Fiamingo.

Who are the silver medalists
The 13 silver medals went to Filippo Ganna (road cycling), Federico Nilo Maldini (10-meter air pistol), Filippo Macchi (foil), Silvana Stanco (shot put), Gregorio Paltrinieri (1500 freestyle), and Nadia Battocletti (10,000-meter run). Then there were the medals awarded to pairs: one for Elia Viviani and Simone Consonni (track cycling), one for Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares (rowing) and one for Gabriele Casadei and Carlo Tacchini (canoeing). Finally there were the groups: silver for men's team foil (Guillaume Bianchi, Filippo Macchi, Tommaso Marini and Alessio Foconi) and also for women's team foil (Arianna Errigo, Alice Volpi, Martina Favaretto and Francesca Palumbo). One for rowing (Luca Chiumento, Giacomo Gentili, Andrea Panizza and Luca Rambaldi) and finally one for women's artistic gymnastics (Alice D'Amato, Manila Esposito, Angela Andreoli, Elisa Iorio and Giorgia Villa).

Who are the bronze medalists
The 15 bronze medals went to: Luigi Samele (individual saber), Paolo Monna (10-meter air pistol), Gregorio Paltrinieri (800 freestyle), Lorenzo Musetti (tennis), Manila Esposito (gymnastics, beam), Mattia Furlani (long jump), Ginevra Taddeucci (10 km swimming), Antonino Pizzolato (weightlifting 89 kg category), Simone Alessio (taekwondo category - 80 kg), Sofia Raffaeli (all-around rhythmic gymnastics); Andy Diaz (triple jump) and Giorgio Malan (modern pentathlon). Then there were the groups: one medal went to the 4×100 freestyle relay (Alessandro Miressi, Thomas Ceccon, Paolo Conte Bonin and Manuel Frigo); one to the track cycling team pursuit (Francesco Lamon, Simone Consonni, Jonathan Milan and Filippo Ganna); and one to the rhythmic gymnastics team all-around (Alessia Maurelli, Martina Centofanti, Agnese Duranti, Daniela Mogurean and Laura Paris).