Gangwon 2024, gold record in the history of the Winter YOG. IOC: “Italy shines brightly, it is making history”

• ITALIA TEAM

“Italy is making history.” Three days after the conclusion of the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games, the IOC's social media delivers a decisive verdict. The Italian contingent in South Korea showcased strength in numbers, dominating the medals table and excelling across various disciplines.

“Italy is shining brightly! They are making history, they are the first country to have won more than 10 medals in a single edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games,” tweeted the IOC.

The gold medal won today by Federico Pozzi (Photo Thomas Lovelock) in the TL sprint cross-country skiing sealed the record.

As things stand, the delegation led by Head of Mission Alessio Palombi has collected 11 golds, 3 silvers and 3 bronzes, for a total of 17 medals that mean Italia Team leads both in the number of golds and the number of podiums, ahead of Germany (7 golds, 4 silvers, 5 bronzes) and France (6 golds, 3 silvers and 4 bronzes).

The Olympic event for the world’s best under-18s will end on 1 February. Medals are still up for grabs. 

Benini Floriani in the ILCA 6 and Germani-Bertuzzi in the 49er:FX: the first two crews for the Games now official

• SAILING

The names of the first two sailing crews that will be part of the Italia Team at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are official.

In the ILCA 6 class will be Chiara Benini Floriani (photo FIV), who came third last July in the Olympics Test Event held in the waters of Marseille.

In the 49er:FX class, on the other hand, is the tandem formed by Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi, who in the last edition of the European Championships in Vilamoura (Portugal) distinguished themselves by taking the silver medal.

“Participating in an Olympic Games has been my dream since I was a child, and to have this opportunity at 22 years old makes me really proud. To date, however, the goal of participating has turned into competing for the top positions in the rankings,” said Benini Floriani.

“To be at the Games has been my dream since I was a child in the Optimist class,” said Germani. To think that after so many years the dream is coming true is something indescribable. From now on there will be maximum dedication to make every single moment of training, sacrifice and commitment count.”

Teammate Bertuzzi echoed her: “It has been four long years full of emotions and defeats, but we can finally express our joy for this goal. When I was asked as a child what my dream was, I answered: ‘To participate in the Olympic Games.’ Now I have grown up and my goal is no longer to participate but to return from Paris with a medal.”

“The mosaic of the Olympic team is beginning to come together. I would like to congratulate these three athletes for their commitment, continuity, and the growth with which they have come to earn the blue jersey and enter the elite of world sport,” was the comment of technical director Michele Marchesini.

Gangwon 2024 YOG underway, flag-bearer Tabanelli leads an ambitious Italy

• IN KOREA

The universe: a symbol of the infinite possibilities of youth. The fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Gangwon 2024 begins under the banner of hope. The opening ceremony of the Olympic event dedicated to the world’s best under-18 athletes was staged at the Gangneung Oval, in the presence of the President of the Republic of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, and the IOC leadership, led by President Thomas Bach. Also present in Gangneung to cheer on the Italian team were CONI President and IOC member, Giovanni Malagò, and Secretary General Carlo Mornati. On the ice that hosted the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games, Gangwon 2024 is celebrating its origins by intertwining them with K-Culture, the pop music that has transcended national borders to establish itself in the world. “Now it is your turn,” said Bach, recalling the Games six years ago, “now it is your time to experience this first Olympic event.”

The Italian flag-bearer, Flora Tabanelli, a rising freeski star, made her entrance into the Oval at 8:27 p.m. Korean time, 12:27 p.m. in Italy, together with the flag-bearers of Iran and Ukraine. A parade of colours and flags from the 78 National Olympic Committees competing with 1,802 athletes.

Before Tabanelli, at the start of the ceremony, most of the 74 athletes of the Italia Team paraded, members of a young and ambitious team that wants to assert itself in the 13 out of 15 disciplines in which it will be competing from tomorrow (there will be no Azzurri in bobsleigh and skeleton). The first medals are up for grabs as early as the Korean morning, in the luge with the women's singles and men's doubles and the women's and men's NH jump. Then, to follow, the Azzurri will compete for the podium in the biathlon (women's and men's individual), short track (women's and men's 1500 m) and women's and men's snowboard cross. In the Olympic universe, the Italy Team is looking for its new stars.

Photo (c) 2024 - International Olympic Committee / Wander Roberto - All Rights Reserved. In partnership with ANOC

Italian foil fencers finish fourth in the World Cup in Paris and qualify for the Olympics

• FENCING

The men's national foil team will also feature at the Olympic Games.

After a spectacular Saturday, to say the least, the quartet of Daniele Garozzo, Tommaso Marini, Alessio Foconi and Guillaume Bianchi (photo Federscherma) finished fourth in the team event of the World Cup stage in Paris.

In the French capital, the venue for the Olympics, the Azzurri beat Austria 45-22 and Poland 45-36, then lost the semi-final against the United States 45-44 and the play-off for bronze 45-32 against France and mathematically sealed qualification for the Olympic event. The qualification will entitle Italy to participate in the speciality team competition and also to field the maximum number possible – three foil fencers – in the individual event.

This is the third Italian fencing team to win a place in Paris 2024 after the women's foil and men's epee teams.

Malagò in Tirana, cooperation protocol signed with Albanian Olympic Committee

• CONI

The President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, and the President of the Albanian Olympic Committee, Fidel Ylli, signed a protocol of technical-sports cooperation in Tirana today. The signing, which took place at the Committee’s headquarters, Parku Olimpik, Rr. “Liman Kaba”, was attended by the Secretary General of the Albanian Olympic Committee, Gerti Shima, and CONI’s Director of Communication, Danilo di Tommaso.

The agreement will involve sharing experiences to bring together athletes, technical and medical-sports structures, for a synergy in that boosts development and the resolution of problems of common interest.

Afterwards, President Malagò met with the Minister of Education and Sport, Ogerta Manastirliu.

Malagò meets Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama for over an hour of talks on sports and socio-economic issues

• IN TIRANA

Over an hour of cordial discussion aimed at strengthening the bond between Italy and Albania. CONI President Giovanni Malagò, in Tirana for the signing of a technical and sporting cooperation agreement with the Albanian Olympic Committee, was received in the afternoon by Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The Prime Minister, formerly Minister of Sport, who before his political career wore the jersey of the national basketball team, discussed with Malagò not only the aspects related to the sports partnership signed today, but also socio-economic issues that concern both countries, confirming the strong relationship between Italy and Albania.

Flora Tabanelli, the rising star of freestyle, has been selected as the flag-bearer for the Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon 2024

• ITALIA TEAM

Flora Tabanelli is the Italian flag-bearer at the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The announcement was made by CONI President, Giovanni Malagò, and General Secretary, Carlo Mornati, during the presentation conference, held in Milan, of the Italia Team that will take part in the Olympic event, reserved for the world’s best under-18 athletes, to be held in South Korea from 19 January to 1 February.

Born in Bologna on 20 November 2007, the athlete from Sestola (Modena), who grew up competitively in Trentino with Ski Team Fassa and is a member of the Army, is the future of Italian freestyle. As a child, she practised snowboard cross, skating and artistic gymnastics, but it was with skis on her feet, following in her brother Miro’s footsteps, where her talent shone through right away.

In fact, the Tabanelli siblings represent the present and the future of the discipline, with Flora already making winter sports history.

Last summer, on the snows of Cardrona, in New Zealand, she became the first Italian ever (including males) to win a world title at junior level in freestyle. The not-yet-16-year-old from Emilia won gold at Big Air, a week after winning silver in slopestyle. Fun fact: the last Italian who took world bronze in freeskiing was her brother Miro, in Krasnoyarsk (Russia) in 2021.

A month ago Tabanelli, who attends the Ski College Val di Fassa, registered another record by becoming, at only 16 years of age, the second Italian in the top three of a World Cup big air event with her third place in Beijing. Before her, only Silvia Bertagna had stood on the podium in the speciality, with one success (in 2016), three second places and one third place.

Flora will parade with the Tricolour at the Gangwon 2024 Opening Ceremony to be held on 19 January, at 8pm Korean time, at the Gangneung Oval. Tabanelli will be the second Emilian, after Alberto Tomba, flag-bearer at Albertville 1992, to serve as the Italian flag-bearer in a winter edition of the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games.

The Italian will make her competition debut on 24 January in the slopestyle event scheduled in Hoengseong and, three days later, she will compete in the big air. (agc)

Photo Claudio Scaccini GMT/CONI

Italia Team flag bearers at previous editions of the Winter YOG:

Innsbruck 2012 – Florian Gruber (luge)

Lillehammer 2016 – Felix Schwarz (luge)

Losanna 2020 – Alessia Tornaghi (figure skating)

Italia Team presented ahead of Gangwon 2024 with 74 Azzurri competing in 13 disciplines. Malagò: “Lots of potential”

• WINTER YOG

The Italia Team that will take part in the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) has been made official. Announcing the Italia Team, led by flag-bearer Flora Tabanelli, were CONI President Giovanni Malagò and General Secretary Carlo Mornati during a presentation held at the Allianz Tower in Milan.

“Here there is the big family of winter sports and ice,” stated Malagò. “A few years ago the Youth Olympic Games did not exist: establishing it was a gamble that has paid dividends, and one that has two remits. On the one hand, to allow young people under a certain age to savour the atmosphere of the Olympics and record, for some of them, their first successes at the Youth Olympic Games before going on to the ”grown-up” Games; on the other hand, to bring juniors closer to Olympic disciplines and new sports. In order to capitalise on the investments and enhance the legacy of the event, whoever hosts the Olympic Games after a few years hosts the same Youth event: this is the case in Korea, we think there are the conditions to do the same with Milano Cortina. The kits are the same, the emblem is the same: the tricolour of the Olympic Committee, the Italy logo, the Olympics. There is great responsibility for the athletes. It is said that the thermometer of a country is also based on results: we start out with lots of potential. Our flag-bearer, Flora Tabanelli, represents a discipline that hasn't historically delivered notable results for us: freestyle is expanding, it is growing, including among juniors. In this case there is a significant family element, as her brother Miro has done very well in the past. Only one Italian before Flora has stood on the podium in the Big Air World Cup. Selecting her was a unanimous choice.”

Flora Tabanelli was visibly excited: “I don’t know what to say, I didn’t expect this. I’m very happy. I feel proud to be Italian and to be able to live this experience.”

There will be 74 Azzurri competing against the world’s best under-18s in South Korea from 19 January to 1 February and, for the second consecutive time, the young Italian delegation will be predominantly female. While in Lausanne 2020, the first winter edition with gender parity, the Italian women numbered 34 out of 67, at the Korean YOG there will be 42 female athletes (56.75%) with 32 males, amounting to a total of 74 athletes (44 registered for FISI and 30 for FISG) who will take part in 13 of the 15 disciplines in the programme (Italy will not be represented in bobsleigh and skeleton).

Numerous children following in their parents’ footsteps feature in the team, especially in luge where Italy will field Manuel Weissensteiner, son of Gerda Weissensteiner, Olympic gold medallist in Lillehammer 1994 and Italian flag-bearer in Nagano 1998, Leon Haselrieder, whose father Oswald won bronze in Turin 2006, and Alexandra Obertstolz, daughter of Christian, who participated in four editions of the Games, and Anastasija Oberstolz-Antonova, an Olympic team member with Italy in Turin 2006. Others include Stella Giacomelli, whose father Guido was European ski mountaineering champion, and who will compete in cross-country skiing, Rebecca Mariani, daughter of Marco, the Italian national curling team member present at the Turin Games and Italy’s official at the Korean YOG, and Marco Pinzani, who carries on the family tradition in Nordic disciplines. Also on the Gangwon team will be Emily Innocenti, who will try to follow in the footsteps of her sister Elisa, gold medallist at the Lausanne 2020 YOG in mixed hockey, siblings Anna and Manuel Senoner (in Nordic combined) and twins Aurora and Nicole Varesco (in hockey).

Gangwon 2024 will be the first winter edition of the YOGs to be held in Asia, building on the legacy of facilities left over from the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. The event will feature a record number of participants: 1,900, compared to 1,788 at Lausanne 2020. It will also be the first Olympic youth event to offer fans an experience in the Metaverse.

Before the presentation ceremony of Italia Team, the athletes who will make their debut in the Olympic event received their kits made by EA7 and were updated on the upcoming Games by Head of Mission Alessio Palombi, Deputy Head of Mission Elisa Santoni, by the Attorney General for Sport Ugo Taucer, with contributions from former Italian skier Matteo Marsaglia, who will participate in Gangwon 2024 in the IOC Athlete Career Transition Programme, and multiple Olympic biathlon medallist Dominik Windisch, in Korea as IOC Role Model. This is the first time that CONI has dedicated an entire day of training and refresher courses to an Olympic team.

Olympic ranking verdict in, Alessio and Dell'Aquila fly to the Games: 100 Azzurri qualified for Paris

• TAEKWONDO

The Italian team reaches triple figures: just over 200 days before the Opening Ceremony, 100 Italian athletes have qualified for Paris 2024.

This (provisional) tally was made possible by the two national places officially secured today in taekwondo (Photo FITA).

At the close of the Olympic qualification ranking Simone Alessio is clearly ahead in the -80 kg category: 500.24 points for the two-time world champion (2019 and 2023), who will take part in the second Olympic event of his career in France. The news had been certain for some time, and now it has been officially confirmed.

Vito Dell'Aquila, who made headlines in Tokyo 2020 by securing the gold medal in the -58 kg category, is set for his second Olympic appearance. Ranked fourth in the same category (372.04 points), he has earned his spot in Paris. Decisive for the Italian's placing was the victory at the Grand Prix Final in December in Manchester.

The individual Olympic ranking closes and Camilli gifts Italia Team a place in Paris 2024

• SHOW JUMPING

In Paris 2024, Italia Team will also be represented in show jumping. The decision comes after the closing of the individual Olympic ranking, reserved for the National Olympic Committees that had not yet qualified the team.

The ranking, which considers the 15 best results of the athlete/horse combination in the events recognised by the FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale), favours an Italian pair.

Indeed, Emanuele Camilli and his Odense Odeveld (photo ANSA) finished first in Group B with 1215 points. Behind them is another Italian, Emanuele Gaudiano, who scored 1090 points with his horse, Chalou. Only one national place is up for grabs, however, for each National Olympic Committee, so, in addition to Italy, Portugal will also be at the Olympic Games thanks to the third place (942 points) of Duarte Seabra with his horse Dourados 2.

After securing the Olympic quota in the team eventing, the National Equestrian Sports Team can now celebrate their qualification for the individual show jumping competition.