Oppo-Soares, a silver photo finish: rowing is still on the podium

PARIS – A Sardinian and a Como native born in Brazil. Stefano Oppo e Gabriel Soares They won silver in lightweight doubles: after the second place of the quadruple sculls, it is the second Italian medal in rowing at the Paris Games. Behind Ireland, clearly gold, a photo finish between the Italians and the Greeks: the clock rewards the Italian boat by 11 hundredths. A beautiful race, led in the first part by Oppo and Soares, then overtaken around 1000 meters by McCarthy and O’Donovan, the champions of Tokyo. Greece, a very strong start, came back in the last 250: the very close finish rewarded the Italians. It is the seventeenth medal of the Italian expedition to Paris.

The word

Gabriel Soares: “It was a dream for me to be part of the lightweight sculls. I followed them since I was a kid and, when they competed in Rio, I dreamed of getting on that multi-medal winning boat. It was really tough to get on this winning double. I won the singles World Championship, I did a lot of tests and I held on to a dream that today has come true. From living with Stefano I gained experience, serenity and this silver. There are no regrets, Ireland had a great day: this silver is worth gold”. The lightweight sculls will no longer be an Olympic specialty starting from Los Angeles 2028: “This boat will no longer exist, but that doesn’t mean we will no longer exist. There will be the beach sprint (rowing in the sea, ed.), there will be the seniors and therefore, being good lightweights, we have all the qualities to do these disciplines”.

Who are the two blues?

Stephen Oppo29 years old, was born in Oristano but left Sardinia for Piediluco, where he trains at the federal rowing center. A passion passed down from his brother. Oppo is at his second Olympic medal in his career: 3 years ago, in Tokyo, paired with Stefano Ruta, he was bronze, again in the lightweight double. He also has five world medals in his palmarès. He is an athlete of the Carabinieri sports group.

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Gabriel Soares27 years old, was born in Iguaçu, to a Brazilian father and mother. At eight years old he followed his mother to Lake Como, in Bellagio, now he lives in Besozzo, on the hills that separate Lake Maggiore from Lake Varese. Basketball, swimming, cycling, judo as a child, finally rowing. In Belgrade, in 2023, he won his first world medal, paired with Oppo. The two have completed their preparation for the high altitude Games, in Livigno. He is an athlete of the Navy