World Championships: Italy's 4x100 freestyle female relay team wins a place at the Olympics

• SWIMMING

The Italian women's 4x100 freestyle relay team has won its ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At the World Championships in Doha (Qatar), where 13 places are up for grabs for the nations that did not get on the podium last year in Fukuoka (Australia, the United States and China), the heats were enough to make the participation of our athletes at the Olympics in France official.

Sofia Morini, Costanza Cocconcelli, Emma Virginia Menicucci and Chiara Tarantino (photo DBM / DeepBlueMedia - Federnuoto) swam 3'39"20, gaining access to the final with the second fastest time. However, the time set a few months ago at last summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka, a 3'37"93 that earned them ninth place overall and that in the Doha final can in theory only be beaten by three other national teams (Poland, Brazil and Slovenia). So Italy is guaranteed one of the 13 passes guaranteed by the regulations to the national teams that set the best times in Fukuoka 2023 and Doha 2024.

The Settebello team reaches the quarter-finals of the World Championships and wins a place in Paris 2024

• WATER POLO

Mission accomplished. The Settebello team qualifies for Paris 2024.

The men's national water polo team, protagonist at the World Championships in Doha (Qatar), won a place at the Olympic Games by eliminating the United States in the round of 16.

Determined, courageous and clinical: the Azzurri played better than the Americans and deservedly won with a score of 13-12.

In the quarter-finals of the tournament Sandro Campagna's team will face Greece, but whatever happens, one thing is already clear: Paris awaits them.

Doha World Championships: Martinenghi passes the semi-finals of the 100 breaststroke and guarantees an Olympic pass

• SWIMMING

Nicolò Martinenghi will go to Paris 2024.

At the World Swimming Championships in Doha, Qatar, the Italian athlete didn't disappoint in the semi-final of the 100 breaststroke, successfully achieving both of his objectives.

The time of 59.13 allowed the 24-year-old from Varese to qualify for the final and, above all, to win an individual pass for the Olympic Games.

Regardless of how the Doha final goes, therefore, Martinenghi (photo ANSA) can rest easy ahead of the Olympics: he won’t be missing out on Paris.

Doha World Championships: Sargent Larsen and Giovannini give Italy two Olympic passes from the men's platform

• DIVING

The haul of Olympic quota spots for the national diving team rises.

At the World Championships in Doha (Qatar), in fact, Andreas Sargent Larsen and Riccardo Giovannini gave Italia Team a double quota place for the Paris 2024 Summer Games from the men's platform. The Azzurri (photo ANSA), great protagonists already in the preliminaries at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, respectively scored 361.15 and 360.05 in the semi-finals, scores that did not guarantee a place in the final but proved sufficient to win the Olympic pass reserved for the 12 best athletes not yet qualified.

Mission accomplished at the World Championships in Doha: Italian team and duo secure their ticket to the Games

• ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Clean sweep for the national artistic swimming team at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

In the Aspire Dome pool, in fact, both the team and the Italian duo gained a pass for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Based on the ranking formed by the cumulative scores from the technical, free, and acrobatic finals, Italy (photo Andrea Masini/DBM) concluded the world championship event in Qatar behind the United States (814.0654), Spain (798.652), and Japan (797.845). With a total of 756.5996 points, Italy has rejoined the race for the French capital, reserved for the five best-placed nations that have not yet qualified.

Official qualification for our country arrived thanks to the fifth place secured by Linda Cerruti, Marta Iacoacci, Sofia Mastroianni, Enrica Piccoli (captain), Lucrezia Ruggiero, Isotta Sportelli, Giulia Vernice and Francesca Zunino in the free routine showdown.

As a result, the duo (photo Andrea Masini/DBM), represented in this edition of the World Championships by the aforementioned Cerruti and Ruggiero, also qualified for Paris.

Inauguration of CONI's Advanced School of Olympic Specialisation, Malagò: "We are proud of our Olympic training”

• AT THE GIULIO ONESTI CPO

A lectio magistralis by Gianni Letta presented the first Olympic Management Course for General Secretaries created by CONI’s Advanced School of Olympic Specialisation (Alta Scuola di Specializzazione Olimpica). In the presence of CONI President Giovanni Malagò and General Secretary Carlo Mornati, and with the Minister of University and Research, Senator Anna Maria Bernini, in video connection, the curtain was raised on CONI's training activities planned for 2024 and entrusted to Professor Angelo Maria Petroni, Scientific Director of the Advanced School of Olympic Specialisation.

In the presence of CONI Vice Presidents Silvia Salis and Claudia Giordani, the Honorary Member of the IOC Franco Carraro, the President of the Association of Summer Olympic Sports Federations Francesco, Ricci Bitti, the President of the Italian Paralympic Committee, Luca Pancalli, the President of the Sports Guarantee Board, Gabriela Palmieri Sandulli, the President of the National School of Administration, Paola Severino, and former Bocconi University Rector Gianmario Verona, the presentation, held at the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre in Rome, began with institutional greetings from Malagò and a message from IOC President Thomas Bach.

“Thanks to everyone, this course is the result of the work by Secretary General Carlo Mornati, the team and the offices. We are very proud of it, all I contributed were my endorsement and some project ideas,” said Giovanni Malagò. “This course takes advantage of our opportunity – which is unique and exclusive – to use the Olympic brand. Only in Italy do we have this opportunity.”

“There could be no better place than the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre, this great asset of CONI,” continued the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee. “We needed a symbol, a person with a great curriculum like Professor Petroni and we needed a Committee of Trustees – people who could give maximum credibility to the Course. Once again, I would like to pay tribute to the sensitivity, affection and ideas contributed by Gianni Letta. Next, we have a Dream Team composed of three women: Gabriella Sandulli Palmieri, Paola Severino and Claudia Giordani. Plus Professor Gianmario Verona. I have spoken to many athletes, they have written to me expressing great enthusiasm, they can't wait to sign up.”

“The idea that sport is universal and serves a higher purpose for all human beings was central to Pierre de Coubertin's thinking,” emphasised Thomas Bach in his message. “For him, the Olympic Games represented much more than just a sporting event, he saw them as a way to promote greater understanding among all the nations and peoples of the world. He wanted to make the world a better place through sport and its values. This remains the fundamental mission of the IOC,” he said.

“And this is why,” continued the IOC President, “the launch of the Olympic Management course at the Giulio Onesti Advanded School of Olympic Specialisation represents a milestone for the Olympic community in Italy, led by CONI. This programme illustrates CONI's commitment to spreading Olympic values throughout Italian society in a truly excellent way. My thanks and gratitude go out to all at CONI, under the great leadership of its President Giovanni Malagò. The Olympic Management Course will also be an important contribution of CONI to ensure the great success of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games for Italy and the entire Olympic Movement,” Bach concluded.

Great appreciation for the course also came from the Minister of University and Research, Senator Anna Maria Bernini. “President Malagò is a great leader and this is a great initiative. Olympic Management is not only the present, but above all the future of sport. Because you don't win through ability and enthusiasm alone,” Senator Bernini remarked in connection, “but with research, science, technology and higher education too – with everything that CONI is good at. I know well all the members of the Committee of Trustees, the Dream Team as President Malagò called it: they will bring great professionalism to the role.”

“We are not in any way competing, on the contrary we feel supported by initiatives like this and we pledge to give all possible support,” assured Senator Bernini. “With President Giovanni Malagò and Minister Andrea Abodi we want to make the relationship between universities and sport even closer. Anyone who attends a course of study and shows sporting talent must be supported. I am talking about dual careers: it is essential to coordinate and be coordinated, athletes must be supported and helped, because no one ever wins on their own, but with the whole team. I am sure that this School will help to create a blend of knowledge and skills.”

The Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, also sent a message: “I express my appreciation for the great work and commitment in setting up the Advanced School of Olympic Specialisation. Promoting the development of professional roles, particularly managerial ones, capable of interpreting the ecosystem of Sport in our country while taking care of relations with corporate entities is an objective that is as necessary as it is far-sighted.”

Then it was Secretary Carlo Mornati’s turn to set out the Olympic Training project. “The Advanced School of Olympic Specialisation is part of the continuous training pathway, which has always been a hallmark of CONI. Our goal, in line with our Statute, is the standardisation of training. We want to follow the path of Italy’s Graduate School of Public Administration: we are not the antithesis of or in competition with the academic world – we are a professional school, we will work within our prerogatives.”

“Today we are starting with a permanent training course for General Secretaries,” Mornati further explained, “Ours is a very special world, 80% of which is made up of volunteers, people with commitments in the outside world. But even those who enter our world on a working level are often athletes or coaches. Everyone now an important tool available in the school. Innovation in tradition: we are strongly rooted in our history, we are not inventing anything new, we are just trying to embed it,” concluded Mornati, as he showed a video explaining the goals of the school.

Professor Petroni, meanwhile, explained how the Giulio Onesti Olympic Management Course will be delivered. In addition to an edition reserved for General Secretaries, it will be aimed at eight female and eight male graduates and, thanks to four additional places, two male and two female athletes who have taken part in at least one edition of the Summer or Winter Olympic Games, with the aim of creating cutting-edge, highly qualified professionals who will contribute to the success of sport and the Olympic team.

“I want to thank CONI, represented by President Malagò, for the trust placed in me. The decision to establish this school is in line with tradition,” explained Professor Angelo Maria Petroni. “This school will create the new generation of Olympic managers, women and men who will have the skills required by an increasingly complex world. Passion is no longer enough if we want to place our athletes in the best conditions to excel. Together with the training of the new generations, the school has the task of increasing the skills of those who lead Italian sport: having had adequate initial training today is not enough 0150 we must continuously learn new content and new techniques.”

The former Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Gianni Letta, then took the chair, reviewing the more than 100-year history of the Italian National Olympic Committee. “I don’t think it is an overstatement to say that CONI is an autobiography of Italy,” he stressed. “Not of Italy in its political form, but of Italy as a nation. Our founding fathers wanted to reserve the term 'nation' for just three articles of the Charter: there they wanted to express the best part of our identity, which existed and exists regardless of the vicissitudes of political regimes. CONI forms part of this identity.”

Speaking in the Aula Magna of the Olympic Preparation Centre, Letta recalled how “within the walls of this Centre the athletes who undertake the formidable journey to the Olympic Games were forged, as they continue to be forged today.”

“Through sport,” he added, “we all become part of a collective narrative, in which every medal is a hymn to dedication, character, and teamwork. Because victory is always a team game. You always win together. CONI has been reminding us of this for 110 years with its athletes, managers, technicians and coaches.”

Letta then retraced the stages of Italy's Olympic history, recalling Giulio Onesti's role in the dissemination of sports culture in the country, through the creation of the CONI Library, the awarding of the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina and the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, and the establishment on 5 May 1966 of the Central School of Sport.

“The School of Sport” he stated, “has established itself as a centre for advanced training, aimed at all those who, during or at the end of a sporting career, after graduation or during their professional career, wish to invest in a technical and managerial qualification of great value. It has become a point of reference for technical management, the study centres of national sports federations and associated sports disciplines; it has responded to social and sporting challenges and engaged in a path of constant renewal, including through opening up to the university world and internationalisation. Hundreds of people who have mastered their roles have done so at the CONI School: athletes, technicians, national and international managers have contributed to bringing competitive success to our country, making Italian sporting history. Through teamwork with the athletes, the managers trained by CONI have become guides, promoting the tangible interconnection between culture, discipline and moral integrity.”

There was then a shift to current events: “58 years after its creation, the School of Sport is adding a new milestone to its history, inaugurating CONI's Olympic Training Project. A project inspired by the Olympic Charter.” “The Course presented today,” he said, “represents a new chapter in the growth of the Italian sports movement, offering educational programmes of the highest level, combining theoretical skills and practical experience, with the goal of acting as a beacon for the advanced training of sports operators, managers, executives, and athletes. But that’s not all. Because within CONI's new Olympic Training project sits the Advanced School of Olympic Specialisation, of which I have the honour of being the President of the Committee of Trustees.”

Afterwards, Letta explained the aims of the course: “Based on the lessons of the past and updated in the light of the most recent educational developments, the Olympic Management Course aims to convey a profound and current understanding of the Olympic mission, training professionals to become catalysts of change, inspiring young athletes to pursue not only success, but also personal growth and social responsibility.”

“The objective of such a structured course,” he added, “is that future Olympic managers can become torch bearers of a holistic vision, combining sporting excellence with the cultural dimension.” Next came a dedication to the trainees: “May every participant in our courses find inspiration in these words, helping to create a future in which the values of sport guide their every step towards excellence”.

Synchro springboard: world silver for Marsaglia and Tocci. Olympic quota spots also for Jodoin Di Maria and Biginelli in the platform

• DIVING

First medal and new Olympic passes for the Italia Team in diving.

At the World Championships in Doha (Qatar), the pair of Lorenzo Marsaglia and Giovanni Tocci, competing in a sensational competition, scored 384.24 points and won silver in the men's synchro springboard. Ahead of the Italians were only the Chinese Zongyuan Wang and Daoyi Long (442.41), who became world champions. Completing the podium, in third with 383.28 points, were Spaniards Adrian Abadia and Nicolas Garcia Boissier.

Marsaglia and Tocci (photo ANSA), who had already qualified in the individual springboard, therefore gave our Olympic Committee the national place for Paris 2024 in the synchro as well.

The preliminaries of the women's platform were also enough to make our national team rejoice.

Sarah Jodoin Di Maria qualified for the semi-finals with the fourth-best score (319.45); 18th was Maia Biginelli (263.25), who also qualified for the next round. By virtue of the national places already assigned at last year's World Championships in Fukuoka (Japan), regardless of how the competition goes, the Italian women will gain two passes for Paris 2024. An excellent result that will allow Jodoin Di Maria and Biginelli to face the semi-finals in a lighter frame of mind, with the dream of standing on the podium at the world championship event.

World Championships: Arianna Bridi wins Olympic pass in the 10 km race in Doha

• MARATHON SWIMMING

An Olympic pass for the Italia Team has come courtesy of the women's 10 km at the World Marathon Swimming Championships.

In the waters of the Old Port of Doha (Qatar), in fact, Arianna Bridi placed eighth, conquering one of the Olympic quota spots reserved for the 13 best athletes not yet qualified.

It was a moment of immense satisfaction for the athlete from Trento (photo Giorgio Scala and Andrea Staccioli/DBM), marking her first official appearance with the national team since the 2019 Gwangju World Championships, after overcoming years plagued by physical challenges.

Bridi began the race from the back of the field, but successfully closed the gap and joined the small group of leaders, finishing with a final time of 1:57:33.20. Dutch athlete Sharon Van Rowendaal (gold with 1:57:26.80), Spain's Maria De Valdes (silver with 1:57:26.90) and Portugal's Angelica Andre (bronze with 1:57:28.20) made up the podium.

“This 10 km has lasted five years,” said an emotional Bridi at the end of the race. “In Korea I finished 13th just a few tenths of a second from qualifying. Many things have happened in between. My heart has not been working so well. While I am slightly disappointed about missing the podium, as I had hoped for it, today I achieved a dream. This result is a work of art and it is surreal,” concluded the Italian.

Finishing only in 22nd place, Ginevra Taddeucci missed out on the top positions, and more importantly, the national qualification spots for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, primarily due to a lacklustre final lap.

New dates for the 20th Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026

• THE ANNOUNCEMENT

The International Committee of Mediterranean Games in cooperation with the Organizing Committee “Taranto 2026”, announce that the final dates of the XX Mediterranean Games are as follows:

Opening Ceremony: 21 August 2026

Closing Ceremony: 3 September 2026

The change of the dates of the Games was decided mainly for climatic reasons, due to the weather conditions that prevail in this region in the summer. The best Mediterranean athletes deserve to compete in the best possible conditions and, based on precise scientific calculations and research, thus the chosen period turned out to be the best to guarantee these conditions.

Furthermore, thanks to this change, the Mediterranean Games will not coincide with other major international sporting events, notably the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ensuring that high-level athletes can participate in the biggest event of the Mediterranean basin and the National Olympic Committees can participate with high competitive level delegations and the International Federations will organize prestigious games.

Finally, the official broadcaster of the Games, the EBU, will have the opportunity to produce high quality daily television programme, to increase the live broadcast hours and ensure a biggest television audience and international visibility of the Games.

It should be noted that these dates were one of the two options proposed to the Organizing Committee during the Executive Committee meeting held in Tirana, in December 2023, and were preliminarily approved in the report of the Coordination Commission.

1,000 days to go to the first Olympic event in Africa: the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 are coming

• YOG

As the Senegalese capital prepares to welcome the world’s best youth athletes aiming to create a positive impact for young people throughout the host nation and the African continent, the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee (YOGOC) celebrates 1,000 days to go until the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 (YOG). This event holds historical significance as it will be the first Olympic event to be held on African soil.

“We cannot wait for the moment to enjoy the first Olympic event on African soil, an event for Africa, with Africa, that will welcome the youth of the world in Senegal,” the IOC President, Thomas Bach, said.

Reflecting on the 1,000 days-to-go milestone, Kirsty Coventry, the Chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026, highlighted the impressive efforts that have already been made to engage and mobilise local youth in Senegal.

“Dakar 2026 represents a unique opportunity to spread the Olympic spirit throughout Africa and inspire not only young athletes, but also local youth,” she said. “Already, thanks to the collaborative efforts between the YOGOC and IOC teams, we have seen how engagement initiatives like the Dakar en Jeux Festival are reaching thousands of young people in Senegal and building the legacy that the YOG will bring to the local communities.

She continued: “We look forward to working closely with the Dakar 2026 team over the next 1,000 days to deliver transformative and inspiring YOG, showcasing the unifying power of sport and the rich cultural heritage of Africa.”

Ibrahima Wade, General Coordinator of the YOGOC, said: “1,000 days separate us from the Opening Ceremony. It's a symbolic date for us because we are little by little getting closer to welcoming the world and celebrating with the youth of the world — the African youth, the Senegalese youth — the first African Olympic event.”

He continued: “The countdown has begun for the rendez-vous with the world”.

Planning and preparations progressing at full speed

With 1,000 days to go, progress continues to be made in planning and preparations for the YOG, with the renovation of the Iba Mar Diop stadium recently commencing, marking a significant step in infrastructure development for the Games. The refurbishment of the stadium is part of a broader initiative to ensure state-of-the-art facilities for Dakar 2026, which will rely mainly on existing and updated venues, ensuring a sustainable legacy for the YOG.

Recent efforts have also included a comprehensive review of the sports programme, focusing on disciplines, events and athlete quotas, with the Games Master Plan subsequently being adapted to optimise the use of the Youth Olympic Village and prioritise elite athlete development pathways. The process included valuable input from the International Olympic Sports Federations to finalise competition sites, with the IOC Executive Board set to confirm the final sports programme and athlete quotas shortly.

In addition, the YOGOC held a training seminar for Senegalese sports journalists in December, helping to equip local media with comprehensive knowledge of the plans for Dakar 2026. Focusing on infrastructural plans, the principle of co-construction with the IOC, spreading the Olympic values, and the Dakar en Jeux Festival, the seminar aimed to foster greater public engagement and awareness for the YOG.

The YOG Dakar 2026 will take place for two weeks from 31 October, bringing together the world’s best young athletes. The Games will be held across three host sites (Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly), and aim to serve as a catalyst to transform Senegal through sport, while becoming a blueprint for future YOG hosts.

On the occasion of the 1,000-day milestone, a promotional video was also produced.