Giorgio Malan climbs to bronze in Versailles: Italia Team returns to the Olympic Podium after 36 years

• MODERN PENTATHLON

Italia Team has secured a spot on the podium in the men’s modern pentathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

This achievement is thanks to a remarkable Giorgio Malan, who claimed the bronze medal in the stunning gardens of the Château de Versailles. This is Italia Team's fifth Olympic medal in the individual event, and the first since Carlo Massullo’s silver 36 years ago at the Seoul Games.

The 24-year-old athlete from Turin (photo by Luca Pagliaricci/CONI) finished the fencing ranking round in 18th place (215 points) and posted the third-best overall score in the semi-finals (1511 points). In the final, he delivered a brilliant comeback, starting with a perfect equestrian round (300 points). His rise continued in the fencing bonus round, swimming, and the decisive laser-run, where the 2023 European Games champion in Krakow crossed the finish line in third place with a total of 1536 points. Only Egypt’s Ahmed Elgendy, who set a world record (1555 points), and Japan’s Taishu Sato (1542 points) finished ahead of him. Also noteworthy was the strong performance by fellow Italian Matteo Cicinelli, who finished fifth with 1527 points.

Silver for Elia Viviani and Simone Consonni in the Madison: Italia Team’s 38th medal at Paris 2024

• TRACK CYCLING

The Italian flag waves again at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, following the historic victory of Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini, Italia Team secured a podium spot in the men’s Madison track cycling event as well, thanks to a memorable performance by the duo of Elia Viviani (photo by UCI) and Simone Consonni, who claimed the silver medal.

The Italian pair delivered a thrilling performance, dominating much of the race. However, in the final sprints, following a costly fall by Consonni, the Portuguese team made up of Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira took the lead and held on to it to seal the gold with a 55-point tally. The Italians followed with 47 points, securing second place and fending off challenges from Denmark’s Niklas Larsen and Michael Mørkøv (41 points) as well as New Zealand’s Aaron Gate and Campbell Stewart (33 points) and Japan’s Shunsuke Imamura and Kazushige Kuboki (30 points).

This marks Italia Team's 38th medal at these Games, and the second-ever in this event for the men’s team, following the bronze won by Silvio Martinello and Marco Villa 24 years ago in Sydney.

Italy’s Farfalle fly onto the Paris podium: bronze in the team all-around

• RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Italia Team continues its impressive streak of podium finishes in the Olympic rhythmic gymnastics team all-around competition.

Following a silver in Athens 2004 and bronze in both London 2012 and Tokyo 2020, Italy’s Farfalle (Butterflies), comprised of Alessia Maurelli, Martina Centofanti, Agnese Duranti, Daniela Mogurean, and Laura Paris (photo by Simone Ferraro/CONI), secured the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Games, repeating their success from three years ago in Japan.

The Italian team earned their place in the final eight with the second-highest score in the qualifications (69.350), trailing only Bulgaria (70.400). In the final, they opened with a score of 36.100 in the hoops routine, followed by 32.000 in the mixed apparatus routine with ribbons and balls, achieving a total score of 68.100. The Italian formation finished behind China with a total of 69.800 points and Israel (68.850).

For Italia Team, this is the 37th medal of these Olympic Games, surpassing the totals from the Los Angeles 1932 and Rome 1960 Games.

Andy Diaz shines with bronze in triple jump: a dream debut in Italian colours

• ATHLETICS

Andy Diaz Hernandez's journey with Italia Team couldn’t have got off to a better start.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, during his first appearance in the national shirt, Diaz faced a daunting challenge but celebrated like a champion: claiming the bronze medal in the triple jump. His achievement equals the result of Giuseppe Gentile at Mexico City 1968 and, more significantly, mirrors that of his mentor and coach, Fabrizio Donato, who also won bronze in London 2012.

Diaz (photo by Luca Pagliaricci/CONI), who secured his spot in the final with the 12th and last qualifying jump (16.79), raised the bar right from the start, landing a jump of 17.63 metres. He followed this with a 17.33, passed on two jumps due to physical discomfort, recorded one foul, and then cemented his podium finish with a 17.64-metre jump, finishing behind Spain’s Jordan Alejandro Diaz Fortun (17.86) and Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo (17.84).

It means that Italia Team is celebrating its 36th medal of these Olympic Games, equalling the hauls from the Los Angeles 1932 and Rome 1960 Games.

Magic Nadia Battocletti: new national record and silver medal in the 10,000 metres

• ATHLETICS

Nadia Battocletti delivered an extraordinary performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The star from Cavareno made a spectacular comeback after narrowly missing out on the podium in the 5,000 metres, securing a brilliant silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the Stade de France. This achievement marks Italy's second Olympic podium finish in this event and the first for a female athlete, following Salvatore Antibo's silver at the Seoul 1988 Games.

Battocletti (photo by Luca Pagliaricci/CONI) remained in the leading pack throughout the race, finishing with an overall time of 30:43.35, shattering her previous national record set in June during her victory at the European Championships in Rome. Thanks to a powerful final sprint, she crossed the line just behind Kenya's Beatrice Chebet (30:43.25). The Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan took the bronze with a time of 30:44.12 but was unable to challenge Battocletti’s strong hold on the silver medal position.

Simone Alessio claims his first Olympic podium: bronze medal in the -80 kg category

• TAEKWONDO

An indomitable Simone Alessio overcame the disappointment of missing out on gold to secure his first-ever Olympic podium at the Paris 2024 Games.

Competing at the Grand Palais, the Italian taekwondo athlete won the bronze medal in the -80 kg category.

His journey began in the round of 16 with a 2-0 victory (6-0, 3-1) over Kazakhstan’s Batyrkhan Toleugali. In the quarter-finals, he faced a dramatic encounter but was narrowly defeated by Iran’s Mehran Barkhordari, who triumphed 2-1 (1-6, 2-1, 10-9). With Barkhordari advancing to the final, Alessio entered the repechage round, where he defeated Uzbekistan’s Jasurbek Jaysunov 2-0 (5-4, 5-2). In the first bronze medal match, Alessio emerged victorious in a tight contest, winning 2-0 (3-3, 2-1) against the American CJ Nickolas, the second seed.

This marks the fifth Olympic medal in the history of Italian taekwondo, and the second bronze in the -80 kg category, following Mauro Sarmiento’s success at London 2012.

Consonni and Guazzini make history: triumph in the Madison delivers Italia Team's 11th gold medal

• TRACK CYCLING

Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini delivered an extraordinary performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

At the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome, the Italian duo executed a tactically flawless race, boldly securing first place in the Madison track cycling event, earning Italia Team their 11th gold medal of this five-ringed event (surpassing the tallies of Tokyo 1964, Athens 2004, and Tokyo 2020).

The two Italians (photo by Antonio Fraioli/CONI), who celebrated the greatest victory of their careers, completed their exceptional race with a total of 37 points, a score that placed them ahead of the highly regarded Great Britain team of Elinor Barker and Neah Evans (silver with 31) and the Netherlands duo of Maike van der Duin and Lisa van Belle (bronze with 28).

For Italy, this is a historic gold. In this discipline, the previous best was a bronze medal in the men’s event at the Sydney 2000 edition, won by the tandem of Silvio Martinello and Marco Villa.

Sofia Raffaeli on the Olympic podium: historic bronze in the individual all-around at the Olympics

• RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Sofia Raffaeli made history for Italian rhythmic gymnastics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

At the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, the 20-year-old from Chiaravalle won bronze, securing the country's first-ever individual all-around Olympic podium in this discipline. This remarkable achievement adds to the three team medals Italy has won over the past two decades: silver in Athens 2004 and two bronzes in London 2012 and Tokyo 2020.

The 2022 world champion (photo by Simone Ferraro/CONI), who finished first in the qualifiers (139.100), didn’t start the final in the best way. Some mistakes in both the hoop (35.250) and the ball (32.900) routines left her in fourth place after two rotations. However, with a stunning 35.900 in the clubs routine, she broke back into the top three, a position she maintained through the final ribbon exercise (32.250). The gold medal went to Germany’s Darja Varfolomeev (142.850), who finished ahead of Bulgaria’s Boryana Kaleyn (140.600) and the young Italian, who concluded with a total score of 136.300. Milena Baldassarri finished eighth with a score of 129.700.

Nino Pizzolato secures bronze in the -89 kg: second consecutive podium at the Olympic Games

• WEIGHTLIFTING

Nino Pizzolato once again earned a spot on the Olympic podium.

Three years after his third-place finish in Tokyo (-81 kg), the lifter from Trapani claimed bronze at Paris 2024, this time in the new -89 kg weight category.

The Sicilian (photo by Ferdinando Mezzelani/CONI), following his second attempt, completed the snatch phase with a total of 172, positioning himself in fourth place at the halfway point. The battle continued in the clean and jerk, where Pizzolato, after two failed attempts, succeeded in lifting 212 in a thrilling final lift. Initially declared invalid, the lift was confirmed by the jury after a brilliant video review by the Italian staff.

With arms raised, tears flowing, and embraces all around, the Italian completed the event with a total of 384 (172+212), finishing just behind Bulgaria's Karlos May Nasar (404: 180+224), who set a new world record, and Colombia's Yeison Lopez (390: 180+210). Fourth place went to Moldova's Marin Robu (383: 175+208), who was overtaken by the Italian by just one kilogram.

Carlo Tacchini and Gabriele Casadei take silver in the C2 500: Italia Team reaches 30 medals at Paris 2024

• CANOE SPRINT

Carlo Tacchini and Gabriele Casadei added another medal to Italia Team's tally, bringing the total to 30 at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

At the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, the Azzurri crew claimed silver in the C2 500, bringing an Italian two-man canoe back to the Olympic podium 64 years after Aldo Dezi and Francesco La Macchia's second-place finish at Rome 1960 (in the C2 1000).

Casadei and Tacchini (photo by Luca Pagliaricci/CONI) had an extraordinary journey, finishing second in their heat to earn a direct spot in the semi-finals, avoiding the quarter-finals. They subsequently finished third in the semi-final, securing a place in Final A. In the final, after a slow start, they mounted an exceptional comeback, finishing in 1:41.08, just behind the Chinese duo of Hao Liu and Bowen Ji (1:39.48). The podium was completed by Spain's Joan Antoni Moreno and Diego Dominguez (1:41.18), who narrowly beat the neutral athletes Zakhar Petrov and Alexey Korovashkov (1:41.27).