Blue Olympic dreams, here’s who already has a ticket to Tokyo in their pocket

Olympic selections are now in full swing, and for the Azzurri it’s all about awarding the last tickets destined for color who will fly to the five-circle dream of Tokyo this summer. It was the 470 World Championship and RS:X European Championship, held concurrently in Villamoura, Portugal, that served as the junction toward Olympic selections for some of the classes that will play for medals in Tokyo. The first names released were those of Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti among the Nacra 17, now joined by the 470, and the men’s RS:X.

OTHER OLYMPIC SELECTIONS

470 MALE – The choice fell on a young crew but already with great prospects and excellent international results: Giacomo Ferrari and Giulio Calabrò, both Romans from the Italian Navy. Over the past three years they have consistently finished in the top-10 at the World Championships (6th in 2017, 9th 2018 and 6th again 2019), in addition to placings at the European Championships (10th in 2017, 8th 2018) and 10th at the World Cup in Enoshima, Japan, the same race course as the upcoming Olympics.

ILCA 6 – For the women’s single, the choice confirms the coxswain who has already been an Olympian in Rio 2016, Venetian Silvia Zennaro (Fiamme Gialle). In the four-year period, the Italian won a silver medal at the 2018 Mediterranean Games, as well as 8th place at the 2017 European Championships and 9th at the 2020 European Championships.

WORLD 470 AND WOMEN’S SELECTION

It ended with a medal for Italian sailing at the 2021 World 470 Olympic class in Vilamoura, Portugal, which saw podiums awarded in the men’s and women’s categories, and in the new Mixed category, Olympic from 2024. Third place finish and a world bronze medal in the Olympic year for Elena Berta and Bianca Caruso (Aeronautica Militare-Marina Militare), the two blue sailors crowning a championship always in the leading positions and with maximum concentration, closing it with a 5th place in the Medal Race that confirms them on the podium and allows them to detach their ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. Title to Spaniards Silvia Mas Depares and Patricia Cantero Reina, silver to Dutch Afrodite Zegers and Lobke Berkhout. Eighth in the Medal Race, other Italian nationals Benedetta Di Salle and Alessandra Dubbini (Marina Militare-Fiamme Gialle), also finish in the same position at the World Championships, confirming the good work of the Italian team.

EUROPEAN RS:X AND MEN’S SELECTION

Mattia Camboni won silver in Villamoura, Portugal, and is vice European champion in the year of the Games, a result that earned him a direct ticket to Tokyo to defend the Italian colors. Title to Dutchman Kiran Badloe and bronze to Israeli Ofek Elimelech. Brilliant 7th continental place for young Carlo Ciabatti (Windsurfing Club Cagliari).

In the women’s plank, Italy’s Marta Maggetti (Fiamme Gialle) took the stage in the Medal Race final with a great 2nd place that brought her from 6th all the way up to 4th, just 1 point behind the bronze medal. The title goes to Charline Picon of France, gold at Rio 2016, ahead of Lilian De Geus of the Netherlands and Zofia Klepacka of Poland, bronze at London 2012.

Eighth in the Medal and sixth in the continental ranking was the other Italian Giorgia Speciale (CC Aniene), among the youngest competitors in the race.

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