Parigi 2024, le Olimpiadi della rivoluzione francese

Paris

Paralympics, Italy again on the podium with swimming and taekwondo

On the second day of competition, the Italian delegation made more - though less rich - again thanks to swimming, with three medals, and with the first historic podium in taekwondo

30 August 2024

Antonino Bossolo ha conquistato la medaglia di bronzo nella finale del torneo di taekwondo K44 -63kg ai Giochi paralimpici di Parigi.

3' min read

Yesterday's nine medals lit up the opening of the Paralympics for the Italian delegation, which on the second day of competition in Paris again made haul, albeit less rich, thanks to swimming, with three medals, and with the first historic podium in taekwondo.

In the Defense Arena pool, Lombardy's Monica Boggioni set the tone for the double by taking, after yesterday's bronze in the 200, yet another third place in the 100 freestyle S5, thus repeating the double bronze from Tokyo. To shine, shortly afterwards came Stefano Raimondi's gold in the 100 breaststroke Sb9, confirming the title won in Tokyo, while Carlotta Gilli achieved another bronze. The 23-year-old from Turin, after winning gold in the 100 butterfly, finished third in the 100 backstroke S13.

At the Grand Palais, Palermo's Antonino Bossolo made history by winning bronze in taekwondo K44-63kg. The Italian got the better of the Israeli Adnan Milad, number 8 in the world, 18-13, coming back with a series of blows in the final seconds. An emotional result for Bossolo - attended by his wife and son, as well as the president of the Italian Olympic Games Committee, Luca Pancalli - and redemption after the last-second knockout against Bolor-Endene Ganbat, world no. 2, in the semi-final for the gold.

Great emotions also came from the pool, where the Italian team brought the medals tally to three gold, two silver and six bronze medals. "Even if the two medals won so far are the same as Tokyo, I am happy because it is difficult to reconfirm oneself, and the context, the opponents, the times, are all different," said Boggioni. "I am quite happy, there are still many competitions to go. As for Gilli, after yesterday's gold, she was nevertheless satisfied: 'My goal was to win bronze, I knew that the first two were stronger.

Enthusiastic about his performance, Raimondi: "I wanted this medal, at all costs, and I was looking for it right from the first metres, perhaps a little too much, in fact in the last 25-15 metres I had none left," explained the Italian, who in the first part of the race had a world record pace. "Anger at yesterday's fourth place by just one hundredth? No, it gave me more awareness, today I knew I had all the means to win or at least play for it,' he concluded.

In a kind of ideal relay between the two Azzurri, Francesco Bocciardo stopped fourth today in the 100 freestyle S5 final at the Paralympic Games. After the gold in the 200 won yesterday, the Genoese swimmer came close to the podium (1:10.53) in the race where he was reigning Olympic champion. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't sorry. I knew it would be really difficult, but on the other hand I also say that I am happy, because I swam my best of the season anyway and at 30 years old it is not easy," he commented.

Outside the pool, it was a bitter afternoon at the Esplanade des Invalides, where Matteo Bonacina was eliminated from the archery Compound Open, beaten by Iran's Hadi Nori in the duel for access to the round of 16: 139-141 was the final result in favour of the Iranian. Not the epilogue hoped for, then, for the reigning world champion (gold in Pilsen, Czech Republic, in 2023). However, the Paralympics in Paris do not end with the individual event. Bonacina will be back on stage again in the mixed team, together with Eleonora Sarti.