The third day of the European Absolute Championships Antalya 2022 closes the program of individual tests with the ninth medal for Italy, which arrived in the women's saber thanks to Rossella Gregorio's silver.
For the Salerno Carabinieri this is the fourth European podium in her career: she was silver in Tbilisi 2017 and bronze in Strasbourg 2014 and Montreaux 2015. The most difficult assault for her was that of the beginning of the day against the Spanish Celia Perez Cuenca, resolved only at the last jab 15-14, then came the victories in the 32 against the Hungarian Lisa Pusztai and in the 16 against the Bulgarian Olga Hramova with a score of 15-9, which projected her among the best 8 of the test.
Here her success over the French Caroline Queroli always for 15-9 resulted in the medal.
In the semifinals the Italian standard bearer was very good at staying in the match despite the wide gap from the French Sara Balzer: the transalpine led 11-5, then she got back together with an incredible 10-0 run by the blue.
The final for the gold against Azerbaijani Anna Bashta was balanced up to 9 all, then the opponent stretched up to 15-11 with which she won the race and the blue finished in second place.
The European silver comes after a World Cup season already enhanced by two third places in the stages of Tbilisi and Plovdiv.
"I am happy because I am fighting with many small injuries and being here on the podium is a great satisfaction - explained Rossella Gregorio at the end of the race - I went beyond all the uncompleted races and all the negative sensations.
In a few hours I will say that I am happy, now perhaps regret for second place prevails, which is the same result as five years ago.
The race started with many difficulties, I was tense, but in the end the desire to do well prevailed.
I'm enjoying the moment now, but I want to recover for Wednesday's team match. "