Wednesday 17 April marks exactly 100 days from the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics: the big parade along the Seine will be held on 26 July while the closing ceremony will take place on 11 August. CONI will also celebrate the 100 days with a council at the Acqua Acetosa Olympic preparation center (the two standard-bearers will then be chosen on 22 April). At Tokyo 2020 (21 due to Covid), Italian sport set two records: 40 medals (10 gold, 10 silver, 20 bronze), and 384 qualified (of which 187 women). There are currently 218 qualifiers for Paris (109 men and 109 women, full gender equality as required by the IOC) in 25 disciplines. But many others will arrive between now and this summer: the two volleyball teams thanks to the ranking, many Italian track and field athletes, hopefully also men’s basketball and other new disciplines such as breakdancing, which debuts in Paris, and skakeboarding. In the end, there will be more than 300 qualifiers.
And the medals? There are various studies, various (overly optimistic) projections.
According to the experts at Gracenote, an American analysis company, Italy will do much better than in Tokyo, winning 47 medals in 19 different disciplines: seven more laurels and four more disciplines than three years ago. According to this study, Italy should win 14 golds and would therefore equal the record of Los Angeles 1984. Furthermore, 16 silvers and 17 bronzes would also arrive in Paris. This would mean seventh place in the medal table in terms of the number of gold medals and sixth overall, leaving behind countries like Germany, Australia and South Korea. It would be something prodigious, given how we are in terms of sports facilities and school sports (“where we do little and badly” Malagò always recalls). The study made in the USA appears questionable, others should arrive shortly: perhaps at Palazzo H if they took one more medal than in Tokyo, and 10 gold again, they would toast with bubbles…
Malagò is optimistic but explains: “On paper the premises are those of repeating that success in Tokyo, and of hoping, even slightly, to do better, but in sport there is only one person who wins a World Cup in the season before the Olympics, automatically then he goes on to win the gold. You have to perform that day in that context, climatic, physical, psychophysical, with all that this implies: but the premises are very positive”. On the Olympic prizes, Coni’s No. of having to personally cause controversy if these prizes are awarded by one person over another”. Reference to Seb Coe, president of World Athletics, who promised 50,000 euros for every Olympic gold: “Athletics is by far the most universal sport that exists, there are many countries on the African continent that medal and, in my opinion , it is also a message to support these athletes”, explained Malagò. Another theme, the Olympic flag bearers. “On April 22nd in the council we will have a chat, we will do all the evaluations, I guarantee that nothing has been decided also because for fairness and respect I have to consult my colleagues on the council”, explains Malagò further. Which confirms that the choice will be made among the Olympic champions of previous editions still active, “it is an unwritten rule but appreciated by the Olympic world”. And it’s absurd to argue.
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– 2024-04-16 07:18:22
