Statement from the National Council

The 246th CONI National Council met today at 2:00 pm - at the Foro Italico - to discuss the following agenda:

1) Approval of the minutes of the meeting of 24th May 2016: Minutes approved unanimously.
2) Statements by the President: Malagò opened the meeting by remembering the stars of the sporting world who passed way in the last two weeks, emphasising the significant results achieved by Italian athletes in the same period. The President then addressed the topic related to the imminent Rio Games, exactly one month before the opening ceremony: together with the pride of a larger delegation of athletes compared to London 2012, which is the result of the quality of the work carried out by the Federations, by the coaches and Olympic Training, the importance of the commitment given by RAI to ensure coverage of the event was also reaffirmed.

Malagò then recalled the increase in revenues from marketing: income, which three years ago amounted to about 3 million, by the end of 2016 will reach 15 million. This is thanks to investments guaranteed by the main partners, BNL Bp Paripas, EA7, DHL, Kinder + Sport, UnipolSai, and partners such as Samsung, Coca Cola, Fiat, Segafredo, Coldiretti, Herbalife, Barilla, Algida, along with Vodafone.

With regard to the Olympic bid, there is a touch of trepidation for the assignment of the new Rome City Council: the world of sport waits to see who will be the interlocutors in the various areas of relevance in order to then schedule a meeting with the new Mayor. Malagò has informed the Council of an extraordinary meeting of the Committee on the 21st July, stressing that the question has been resolved relating to the mandates of the Presidents, with the levelling of the international criteria: the law is expected to be passed by the end of 2016, as a result, scheduling operations are being accelerated. Updates regarding defibrillators are expected, while during the next Committee the resolutions accepted regarding "Sports and Suburbs" will be discussed, followed by establishing the project guidelines, with the presentation of the detailed list of actions. The aim is to delay the fund also as a result of the next financial budgets, in an attempt to satisfy the amount of requests received.

Finally, the Council was made aware of the CONI-FIN relations: the opinion of the Advisory Section of the Guarantee Board was sent to Federnuoto for consequential action with a deadline of 10 days upon receipt. The second instance is being considered by the Ethics Guarantor, Corrado Calabrò, who has taken further time. Malagò closed the meeting by congratulating Ivo Ferriani, who is waiting - as part of the IOC session at the start of August - for the formal investiture as a new member of the International Olympic Committee.
Riccardo Agabio (Gymnastics) took part in the discussion regarding the President's report and other topics covered in the course of the Council.

3) Administrative Affairs and CONI budget:
Unanimously approved: the identification, in accordance with Article 34, paragraph 2, of the Statute of CONI, of the levels of national and international competitions in which athletes must have participated for eligibility of the same in the Committee and in the National Council; the ratification of the extension of Compulsory Administration of the Italian Bowling Federation; the partial revision of the arrangements for monitoring the National Sports Federations for the current four-year period, with extension to the Associated Sports Disciplines, as well as the policy concerning detailed verification.
With nothing else to discuss, proceedings were brought to a close at 2:40pm.

Rai at the Olympics: the Games will be shown by over a thousand hours of coverage over three channels

Rai embraces the Olympic Games: CONI's Salone d'Onore today witnessed the presentation of the State television schedule for the 31st edition of the Summer Olympic Games. More than 5,000 hours of coverage on all media forms (TV, radio, web) to show, 24 hours a day, the spectacular event in Rio. The Rai team will be made up of about 200 people including 47 Rai Sport journalists and 16 expert commentators. Over a thousand hours of coverage over three channels: Rai due, which will become the Olympic network, Rai Sport and Rai Sport 2, also in HD. Radio Uno will provide over 180 hours of live broadcasting through 19 locations. It will be possible to choose between 36 channels on the web. Virtual reality will make its first appearance, over 100 hours of coverage allowing you to obtain a 360-degree view of some moments of the games. The Paralympics will also receive considerable attention with 200 hours of dedicated coverage.

CONI president, Giovanni Malagò, expressed his pride. "It is a marriage with the mother. Rai is the mother of Italians and the world of sport. There are TV broadcasters that are doing very, very well, but an event so much part of Italian's DNA would not be the same without Rai's presence. I am aware of the efforts you have made to honour this event. It is going to be fun: Italians will be inspired to stay up late or wake up early to follow us. We begin on the 3rd August with the inauguration of Casa Italia, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi. Whatever happens, we're going to Rio with more athletes compared to London. This is not to say that it correlates to winning more medals, but it is an important sign, we are one of the world's biggest delegations. And I'm sure the coverage will live up to expectations".

The General Director of Rai, Antonio Campo Dall'Orto, emphasised the concept. "We started working in January to transform Rio into the house of Rai and in order for Rai to be able to get across the concept of universality and the Olympic spirit. The Olympics represent the top and not just to those who love sport. We think that the values of sport are very similar to those we think a public service should be. The concept of universality is related to the spirit of the Games. It manages to combine the importance of competition with that of people: the Olympics and Paralympics bring us closer to people, their stories, thanks to inclusion. I still remember Mennea's achievement: I believe that certain examples inspire behaviour, through a language that embraces everything and everyone. The investment to cover the Games has never been done before". The event was also attended, among others, by the President of Rai, Monica Maggioni.

Luca Pancalli, President of the CIP, praised Rai specifically in relation to the efforts undertaken to provide full, Olympic and Paralympic, coverage of the event. "I have found and seen many team-mates again. We have to thank you once again: your success achieved in London in 2012 was our 29th medal. The coverage, second only to Channel 4, was a source of pride, an opportunity to understand it was still possible to hope. Rai ensures that public service is a source of social pride due to the 200 hours of coverage of the Paralympic Games. It represents cultural growth for the country, not just a statistic. It has triggered a virtuous circle that can make a difference. Thank you for this shared journey and for having given a dream to so many young people with disabilities, who can say, thanks to sport maybe there is more to my life".

Gabriele Romagnoli, Director of Rai Sport. "The universalism of the Games is a thing of great wonder. It rewrites history and geography. There are those who still believe in this: those who organise the Olympics and those who rise to accept the challenge. It is an idea that merits being ignited, like the torch. From sport you learn: there is a limit to be exceeded, in other words becoming part of a team and giving your all for others. I think we're going to do something normal in Rio, because we are a public service. We want you to share an exemplary event, with our team: 200 people including 47 journalists totalling 5000 hours of coverage.
Sandro Fioravanti, Team Leader of Rai Sport in Rio, went into the technical details of the mission, as did Giampaolo Tagliavia of Rai Digital. Rai's mission has already begun.

Statement from the National Committee

This morning the 1049th meeting of the CONI National Committee was held at the Foro Italico, where proceedings began to approve the report concerning the previous meeting on 14th June. In its communications, President Malagò complimented the Federations on their achievements. The Committee approved Italy's Delegation for the Olympic Games in Rio. Delegation Head is Carlo Mornati, with Anna Riccardi his Deputy. The team is currently made up of 271 athletes, but, taking projections into account, it is surely set to exceed the 281-strong team at London 2012.  The Palma d'Oro for Technical Merit was awarded, by unanimous initiative, to the Head Coach of the Italian Men's Basketball team, Ettore Messina. The Committee was updated regarding the meeting of the 29th June between the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach and President Malagò who was accompanied in Lausanne by IOC member Mario Pescante. The Committee, after consulting the technical report from City Prefect Riccardo Carpino, then defined the guidelines on the parameters for the "Sport and Suburbs" project. The next meeting, scheduled for 21st July, will include the presentation of a detailed list of measures to be taken. In the meantime, on Monday 11th July at 11.30am, there will be the unveiling of the newly restructured Giannattasio Stadium in Ostia, which was one of the facilities deemed as a top priority for restructuring works. The Committee then focused on the relations between CONI and FIN and decided by a majority vote to implement the opinion of the Advisory Section of the Guarantee Board, as they shared the same principles, and forwarded it to the Federnuoto for consequential action with a deadline of 10 days upon receipt. After reviewing a long list of other organisational and administrative issues, and having taken the relevant resolutions, the Committee called an end to proceedings at 12:15pm.

Italia Team website now live

One month away from the start of the Games, website http://www.rio2016.coni.it is now online, entirely dedicated to the Italian Mission leaving for the Rio 2016 XXXI Olympic Games. CONI's initiative will accompany Italia team athletes during the Games starting on 5 August and will be updated in real time with all the Italian results and competitions. It is a useful tool, which is very easy to use and is dedicated to specialists, enthusiasts, sportspeople and fans, because it contains all the data necessary to find out more about the protagonists that will represent Italy in Brazil.

The historical section is also interesting, as it includes all of the Italian athletes who have won medals at the Olympics throughout history. The technological platform was developed by Coninet, while texts, datasheets, news and fun facts were produced by CONI’s Communication and Media Relations Department.

An important part will be dedicated to social media, which will be activated through the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts of the Italia Team. Within the site there is also a section dedicated to Casa Italia, which will be set up in the alluring location of Costa Brava Clube. For the first time in history, the website of the Olympic Team at the Summer Games will also have an English version.

Much more than Olympics with Samsung Galaxy Team

As the Worldwide Partner of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Samsung Electronics officially announces at the Samsung District in Milan, alongside the CONI, the Samsung Galaxy Team, a team of 7 Italian athletes preparing to let the public fully enjoy the emotion of their sports through the campaign “Molto più che Olimpiadi. Vivi Rio 2016 a 360°”, encouraging everyone in Italy to approach the Olympic sports. The campaign “Molto più che Olimpiadi. Vivi Rio 2016 a 360°” reflects the wish of Samsung to support talent as the utmost expression of a human being’s ability to challenge him or herself and overcome all kinds of barriers – whether linguistic, social, or physical – to participate in the most important competition in a sportsperson’s life. In this respect, Samsung’s technological innovation is an enabler of success in sports and of social aggregation, in that it lets the public personally experience and share the emotions of the targets achieved through virtual reality.

Undisputed fencing champion Aldo Montano, world-famous boxer Clemente Russo, wrestling specialist Frank Chamizo Marquez, world-class diver Tania Cagnotto, young gymnast Erika Fasana, beach volley player Marta Menegatti, and Martina Caironi, athletics champion at the Paralympics, as well as the standard-bearer at the Paralympics for Italy, are the athletes engaged to bring to life the dream of all the Italians to experience in person the magic of Rio 2016 by making this year’s most eagerly awaited event accessible to all through the Samsung technology. Samsung drives innovation in Italy and around the world with devices capable to revolutionize the user experience, making it more and more immersive into the sport world, and has selected the Galaxy Team to explore new domains, thus using technology to the benefit of everyone’s passions. With the campaign “Molto più che Olimpiadi. Vivi Rio 2016 a 360°”, Samsung acts as the ambassador of a true Olympic mission: let people enjoy and access the emotion of playing and sports, thus contributing to build a world without barriers.

“We are proud to be a Partner of the Olympic Games again this year. This will give us the opportunity to plan several activities capable to engage all the supporters of the Italian team, in cooperation with the CONI,” said Carlo Barlocco, President of Samsung Electronics Italia. “Through the athletes of the Samsung GALAXY Team and thanks to our innovative technologies, including the 360 technology, we wish to bring more and more people close to sports and, specifically, to convey the Olympic spirit to each and every one”.

“The Samsung casting is amazing, a generational mix of young and less young people with Olympic experiences and several disciplines represented, a perfect Olympic mix. A successful and absolutely winning choice, but everything will depend on athletes” commented Giovanni Malagò, President of CONI. “CONI this year worked with great and continuous commitment and professionalism and we will bring to Rio De Janeiro a superior number of athletes compared to London where they were 281 and we are proud of it. It is a world in evolution just like Samsung, an ever-moving company that will be happy because in 2020 there will be new sports for young people to which Samsung has always been close such as climbing, surfing and skateboarding. We are extremely glad about this partnership that adds value to sport world and that renovate the role of technology in supporting the evolution, Samsung products are extraordinary and Casa Italia may call itself Casa Samsung because inside we are immersed in 360° innovation” ended Malagò.

In order to show how technology can act as a true innovation booster, Samsung has produced seven videos telling stories of the challenges and progress made by the individual athletes of the Galaxy Team throughout their career in sports, using the Smartphones Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, as well as the brand new wireless headpieces Gear IconX. Samsung provides the video contents both in the traditional format and in the 360° version, accessible via the official Facebook channel of Samsung Mobile Italia and the YouTube channel, to offer everyone the opportunity to participate directly in the experience of the seven champions.

Lastly, the Samsung Social Reporter activity, starting in July, will allow two consumers to fly to Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Olympic Games to act as official Samsung reporters. Candidates can submit their application – a short motivational letter, selected videos and photos, links to their social channels – to the dedicated website www.samsungsocialreporter.it, demonstrating their creativity and communication skills, as well as their ability to navigate across the different social media, to be selected by Samsung as Social Reporters during the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Communities around the globe get active to celebrate Olympic Day

Today – 23 June – is Olympic Day! Spurred on by the Olympic Movement, young and old in all corners of the world are being active and taking part in Olympic fun runs and walkathons, sports demonstrations, initiations and competitions, musical and crafts activities or chats with champions.

From the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International and National Sports Federations, Organising Committees of Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, athletes, Young Ambassadors and local communities, millions of people across the globe are joining the movement in celebration of the birth of the modern Olympic Games and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

An evening with the theme of the centenary, as this year the IOC is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its presence in Lausanne. Since the anniversary date of 10 April, the city of Lausanne has been feting Olympism with a number of exhibitions and activities organised in its streets and alongside its symbolic monuments.

In his speech, President Bach said: “Every year, Olympic Day allows the whole world to unite behind the Olympic dream. The people of Lausanne also share this dream. It is no coincidence that this city became the Olympic Capital, with all the love it has for sport. The IOC has now had its home port in Lausanne for a whole century.”

An Italy for collectors: Panini presents the stickers of the Italian athletes at Rio 2016

The new collection of "Team Italy - Rio 2016" stickers of the Italian athletes who will participate in the next Olympic Games in Brazil was officially presented today by CONI and Panini, during the traditional ceremony in Rome for the handover of the Italian flag at the Quirinal Palace. The company from Modena presented the first copies of the collection to the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella (photo Mezzelani/Carbone GMT), to the president of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, the flag-bearer Federica Pellegrini and the dozens of athletes who are preparing to leave for Rio de Janeiro.

"The cooperation between CONI and Panini in order to create this extraordinary collection represents a coming together of excellence, a special union to celebrate the uniqueness of an event about to become part of history", said president Giovanni Malagò. "Photographing the stars of this fantastic adventure called Rio 2016 in order to illustrate, from a magical perspective, the next edition of the Olympic Games. Italy's Olympic Team album is one to show off with pride, a sign of continuity with the tradition that characterises an editorial group that - thanks to its stickers - entered the homes and hearts of Italians, before conquering the world by exporting a winning model based on originality and passion".

"We are thrilled to have partnered CONI in the creation of this collection, the first in the fifty-year history of our company dedicated to an Italian team taking part at an Olympic Games", said Aldo Sallustro, CEO of the Panini Group. "We wanted to express our support for the athletes of the Italian Olympic Team and give all the Italian fans a guide to closely track the performance of Italy's athletes in Brazil. For many years now, Panini has been creating collections for major international sporting events, such as collaborations with FIFA, UEFA and NBA, and this Olympic collection represents another addition to the range of products offered to collectors of all ages".

The "Team Italy - Rio 2016" is available from today, 22nd June, in all newsagents. It includes 315 large format stickers (including 40 special metal ones), as well as 45 stickers reproducing the official symbols of the disciplines and contains the schedule of the various events. The stickers are to be collected in a large 64-page album with a stylish cover created using a special processing technique. The album opens with an institutional section, with stickers of CONI president Giovanni Malagò, and flag-bearer Federica Pellegrini, in addition to Italy's Olympic team logo. Following on from that there are some fun facts and the Olympic events schedule.

The middle section is dedicated to stickers of the athletes and teams for each Olympic discipline. The stickers are genuine "identity cards" of each athlete and contain, in addition to the picture of the athlete, a lot of information (date and place of birth, weight and height, specialty, previous individual Olympic success, and much more). Each section also includes Italy's all-time medals in the various disciplines. The album continues with a historical section containing stickers of Italy's Olympic multi-medallists. The collection ends with the section dedicated to additions, which will be home to 35 extra stickers representing the latest athletes and teams heading to the Olympic games, which will be available free of charge from the month of August from Panini's Customer Service Department. See www.panini.it for further information.

The Agnelli Foundation supports Team Italy with prize money for medallists at Rio 2016

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary (1966-2016), the Agnelli Foundation - in collaboration with CONI and Gazzetta dello Sport - promotes an initiative to mark the forthcoming Olympic Games (5th-21st August) and Paralympics (7th-18th September) in Rio de Janeiro.

From all the Italian athletes who win at least one medal, of any type, at Rio 2016, three athletes (or teams) of Olympic disciplines and 3 athletes (or teams) of Paralympic disciplines will receive a monetary prize from the Agnelli Foundation in addition to the prize money paid by CONI (the "Agnelli Foundation Prize").

In view of the Agnelli Foundation Prizes received, during the school year 2016-2017, the winning athletes will commit to sharing their experiences on the theme of commitment and values ​​of sport with Italian schools, following a schedule that will be established by the Agnelli Foundation according to their availability, taking into account their respective sporting commitments. The prize winners of the Agnelli Foundation will be chosen by a jury made up of the readers of the sports information website Gazzetta.it: their votes will decide which victories excited and thrilled Italians the most.

"It is a wonderful idea that makes us understand the awareness of and affinity to our world", states the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò (photo Mezzelani/Carbone-GMT) during the presentation of the initiative, which took place today at the Casa delle Armi, at the Foro Italico.

"We believe a lot in people recounting their experiences- says the president of Fca and Exor, John Elkann - this initiative is the result of our family's great interest in the world of sport but also education and athletes sharing their experiences is the best way to combine them"

At the end of the Olympic Games (21st August) and those of the Paralympics (18th September), readers of Gazzetta.it will have three days to cast their votes and choose the names of the three winning athletes (or teams). Based on the votes received, Gazzetta.it will forward the list of the top 3 Olympic athletes (or teams) and 3 Paralympic athletes (or teams) to the Agnelli Foundation, which will award the Agnelli Foundation Prizes, based on the number of votes obtained:

Olympic Games - Paralympic Games 1st prize € 150,000 € 150,000 2nd prize € 75,000 € 75,000 3rd prize € 50,000 € 50,000

The total amount of prizes granted by the Agnelli Foundation will be € 550,000.

Each athlete or team winner of at least one Olympic or Paralympic medal can win only one "Agnelli Foundation Prize", regardless of the number of medals won during the Olympic or Paralympic Games: the votes cast through the website Gazzetta.it will cover a specific event (and thus the corresponding medal won by the athlete or team in that event). If an individual athlete or team receives votes for other medals, in collating the rankings for the allocation of the Agnelli Foundation Prizes only the medal that obtained the most votes will be considered. Where the award is granted to a team, the amount will be shared equally between all team members, and exclude any athlete who might have already won an Agnelli Foundation Prize for a medal in an individual discipline.

On receiving the Agnelli Foundation Prize, on the basis of votes cast by the jury, each athlete or team is committed to arranging together with the Agnelli Foundation at least two meetings with pupils at Italian schools of any level and type: the meeting schedule will be established taking into account the commitments of the athletes and the availability of schools, chosen so as to ensure an even nationwide distribution. Athletes' travel expenses associated with visiting the schools will be borne by the Agnelli Foundation.

But the commitment of the Foundation does not stop here: a special fund, in fact, will facilitate the preparation of athletes of the Paralympics Winter Sports Italian Federation - FISIP who will participate in the Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang in 2018.

In order to keep up with the training for major sports events, employed disabled athletes normally take unpaid leave, leading to a consequent reduction in their salaries. To overcome this problem, and following on from the initiative regarding Olympic and Paralympic Summer medals in Rio 2016, the Agnelli Foundation has therefore decided to celebrate its fifty years of business by allocating part of its extra budget for solidarity activities approved for the occasion to some disabled athletes engaged in winter sports.

The Foundation has therefore asked FISIP to identify a number of athletes (and their guide, in the case of visually impaired athletes) who deserve to receive the "training-ship", enabling them to temporarily have time off work and be able to properly prepare for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

On the basis of data received - after evaluating various factors such as different sports, the competitive commitment, the region of origin and the kind of athletes - the Foundation decided to grant, according to criteria of national balance and homogeneity, a series of "training-ships" lasting one year (from October 2016 to September 2017), to the following athletes for the following amounts, for a total of 60,000 euro:

Alex Furlan, alpine skiing, 12,000 euro Isabella Timpu, alpine skiing, 6,000 euro Nicolò Orsini, alpine skiing (guide for a visually impaired athlete), 6,000 euro Francesco Fieramosca, Nordic skiing, 12,000 euro Alessandro Carvani, Nordic skiing, 12,000 euro Manuel Pozzerle, snowboarding, 6,000 euro Roberto Cavicchi, snowboarding, 6,000 euro

Italian pride at the Quirinal: Mattarella hands the Italian flag to Federica Pellegrini and Martina Caironi

The magic of a ritual that makes proud, caressing the soul and warming the heart. The march towards the Olympics, the 31st edition of the Summer Games, intertwined with a "tricoloured" emotion of green-white-red, which extends across the country, because it translates into that sense of belonging that makes sport Italy's special trait d'union, the greatness that unites above any diversity, the pride that unites and transcends any barrier. Smiles, hugs, flashes: Rio 2016 is there, one step away, reflected in the inspiration of a day that lives on the wave of feelings, warmed not only by the first rays of summer but also from that fearless desire to honour the Italian flag, "behind which an entire nation stands". The solemnity of the Quirinal was the backdrop to the most significant ceremony, one that animates the eve of the Games: in front of more than 100 athletes, the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, handed the flag to Federica Pellegrini and Martina Caironi, the standard-bearers of the Olympic and Paralympic dreams, before his personal and touching words of encouragement for Team Italy ahead of Rio 2016.
The Italian delegation (photo Mezzelani Carbone GMT) was led by the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, the Secretary General, Roberto Fabbricini, the Deputy Secretary and Head of Olympic Training, Carlo Mornati, and the President of the Italian Paralympic Committee, Luca Pancalli. The Government was represented by the Secretary to the Prime Minister, Luca Lotti. Many Federal Presidents, members of the National Committee and Council were present.

Malagò symbolised the satisfaction of the entire sporting world for this unique moment. "Thank you President Mattarella, on behalf of the world that it is my honour to represent. For us it is an important day, unlike any other. Today, the athletes feel just how close the country's highest institution is to them. Present are 50% of the Italian athletes already qualified and almost 50% are female. And that makes us proud, just like it is to be represented by a flag-bearer that has had such a wonderful career, and was Italy's youngest ever individual medallist, a record which still stands today. I would like to thank the Government and Secretary Lotti, who are here today. We won 28 medals in London. We are not going to make any promises about podium finishes, but I guarantee that the athletes will give their all to keep the name of Italy flying high".

Pancalli underlined the concept, expressing a particular request to the Head of State. "If I had to sum up in five words what I want to express to you, Mr. President, I would choose emotion, passion, pride, gratitude and hope. Each of them represents a part of the Paralympic family and are real talents, and the dream of every athlete is to perform on that stage. The pride in this extraordinary tradition, the handing of the flag, on this occasion to Federica and Martina is repeated once again and adds to the culture growth of the country. I am going to break the patterns of formalism, Mr. President let us win the first gold medal, with your presence at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics. But we will understand, given the large number of commitments, if you are not able to attend, because I know that you will be with us in your heart".
Federica Pellegrini was visibly moved and stated how "the Olympics touches our hearts, our greatest dreams and our minds. We are heading to Rio with the desire to fight right to the end, we will suffer and we will cheer each other on, with the prospect of improving as women and as men. Thank you Italy for giving me the honour of being your standard-bearer". "There is a great wish that I would like to make - said London Paralympic gold medallist, Martina Caironi - that the CIP (Paralympic Italian Committee) can continue to grow, to touch and make the hearts beat, as mine is beating now, of all athletes and spectators, because what Paralympic sport has perhaps even more of is the ability to stir certain emotions deep inside".

Secretary, Luca Lotti, opened the album of personal memories to recap the significance of the event and the support of the Government for the Italian athletes. "Being here today is a source of pride because two women are the stars. The Games are a part of our life. I was 10 years old when Italy's men's water polo team won gold in Barcelona 92. I watched the match, I remember Sandro Campagna shouting the word "character" to his team-mates, after the controversial penalty awarded to the hosts who kept their advantage until 42 seconds left in the second period of overtime. And Italy pulled out its character. Like us. Ready - as a nation - to stand up in difficult times, to do the best to overcome difficulties. I will never forget that soaking wet flag. It is the symbol of athletes who are committed to winning, to representing the country. Just like athletes with disabilities. You are not alone. The flag that you take today has to make you feel that we are right by your side. Be an example of pride and dignity. When you feel in difficulty, think that there are 60 million Italians by your side. There's a whole country that supports you, you will know how to give an example of character and loyalty. On behalf of myself and the Government, good luck".

President Mattarella drew a close to institutional proceedings. "The Olympic values of loyalty, coming together and integration should be the foundations of each and every nation, above all they should teach Italy itself that with" different features and all its precious parts" it should form a cohesive team that is unanimously committed as one. Sport plays a fundamental role in bringing together and integrating people to get behind the entire country - he states -. Our country's complexity and diversity is represented in the various disciplines of the athletes, each very different from the other. It would be desirable, as used to happen, that every conflict in the world stopped during the Olympic Games. The international community is not as this point, but the message conveyed by the Olympics is geared in this direction. I hope you win many medals, but it will be your behaviour and your performances that is the true sense of honour and keeps the name of Italy flying high at the Games. I am certain that you will be able to do this and the flag that you will hand back at the end of the Games will be honoured by your behaviour and your performances".
And the subject of the Games has embraced the subject of the Olympic bid after a nostalgic memory of the legacy of 1960. "I would like to remember two extraordinary people: born and bred in Germany, and English by adoption, Ludwig Guttmann, who first identified the importance and the value of sport for the disabled, and our countryman, Antonio Maglio, a great character and thanks to whom he first Paralympics were held in Rome. The 1960 Rome Summer Olympics left another important mark on the international community: the first Paralympics. In 1960, thanks to Antonio Maglio, Rome left an important mark on the international community and on the world of sport with the first edition of the Paralympics. I hope that Rome 2024, if conditions allow for this to happen, might be able to pursue objectives of social importance because the Games have an impact on the area they are held and they are influenced in some way too".

Cagnotto, Conti and Clapcich take home the Onesti 2016 award. Malagò: greats of Italian sport

Cagnotto, Conti, Clapcich. This afternoon, at the Foro Italico, there was a generous slice of Italian success and a tasty appetiser of the atmosphere expected at Rio 2016. Casa delle Armi was the scene of the presentation of the Giulio Onesti Prize 2016 by the Onesti Foundation, which awarded joint first place to the World one metre springboard diving champion from Kazan, 2015, Tania Cagnotto, and sailors Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich, stars of the 49er FX class in 2015. The three Italians succeed the president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, who, last year in Rome, personally collected the award named in memory of the historic president of the Italian Olympic Committee.

Once again the Olympic spirit was felt during this year's awards: there were, in fact, many members of the Italian team heading for the Brazilian Games. The honour was given to the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, present at the Foro Italico together with General Secretary, Roberto Fabbricini, and Deputy Secretary, and in charge of Olympic preparations, Carlo Mornati and Franco Carraro from the Giulio Onesti Foundation-AONI. Representing the Minister of Education, University and Research, Stefania Giannini, was, the Director General for student, integration, participation and communication of the Ministry, Giovanna Boda.

"Everyone knows who Giulio Onesti was, states Malagò - and how much our movement is indebted to him. We owe CONI's very existence to him and this evening is a chance to give due recognition to three truly great female athletes who last year gave so much to our sport. " The hall saw an emotional Tania Cagnotto, set to take part in her fifth Olympics, as did her father Giorgio, take to the stage: "I am truly honoured to receive this award, stated the athlete from Bolzano, I’m glad to be here with so many athletes with whom I will share the Rio Olympics. Good luck to everyone, we will try to cheer each other on. We hope that these Olympics will be the best one, for now. "
Then it was the turn of the two sailors: "In Rio, promised of Clapcich, we will give it our all, I hope it is a good omen for all the athletes with whom we will share this experience." "It is a great honour to receive this award alongside a great athlete like Tania", explained Giulia Conti. It was also an opportunity to reward young students who stood out in the 5th edition of the Onesti competition, organised by the Giulio Onesti Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The award in the sport category went to the hearing-impaired students of the Magarotto school of Turin, while Rome's "Cristo Re" Institute students were awarded in the musical film category. "This year's theme was 'The Olympics I would like' and we hope that this issue remains topical - concluded Carraro - the winners are schools from Turin and Rome, Turin experienced the 2006 Olympics that helped change the city greatly. On one side Rome represents a beautiful memory from 1960 and on the other a dream that sooner or later will come true. This is the hope... ".

The winners of the contest "Onesti in Sport" were awarded during the ceremony: the State Institute of Higher Secondary Education "Magarotto" from Turin and the Institute "Cristo Re" from Rome. In particular, the young hearing-impaired students of the "Magarotto" school were deemed victorious in the category dedicated to sport during the 5th edition of the competition organised by the Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Their video clip "Sports signs", the jury explained, "perfectly embodies integration one of the fundamentals of the Olympic spirit: interpreting Olympic sports with sign language and mime, they managed to enclose an important social message in 60 seconds, accompanied by the great technical effort required to create it. The "Magarotto" Institute of Turin is a vocational school dedicated to the deaf and hearing-impaired children, without distinction or differences, where diversity is an added quality. " Whereas the "Cristo Re" Institute triumphed in the musical film category. In "We are heroes", a song written, set to music and performed by the students, also the creators of the accompanying video clip, explained the judges, "the genuine emotion of doping-free sport, thanks to the mix of rap and pop genres is illustrated. Iconically, in the video the winner of a boxing match is stripped of his medal and his podium, physically made up of boxes and boxes of illegal substances.