The last day of the Antalya 2022 European Absolute Championships dedicated to team trials of men's and women's sabers brings to Italy another two medals, with the gold of the swordsmen and the silver of the sabers.
Historic result of the men's sword, which after 23 years brings European gold back to Italy in the team event.
It was 1999 and in Bolzano won Sandro Cuomo, Paolo Milanoli, Alfredo Rota and Davide Schaier led on the bench by Michele Leonardi, today the protagonists of the company were the boys of the CT Dario Chiarò Andrea Santarelli, Gabriele Cimini, Davide Di Veroli and Federico Vismara , who redeemed the individual test with an exceptional result.
The Azzurri beat the Czech Republic in the 16 draw with a score of 45-34 and then overtook Switzerland in the quarter-finals thanks to an excellent final fraction by Davide Di Veroli who recovered from 34-38 to the final 45-41 putting sign 11 hits that allowed the Azzurri to reach the semifinals.
Here another match in the sign of comebacks: France of individual gold Yannick Borel was above 30-23, but the blues did not give up and with Gabriele Cimini, who made a 9-4 run, they started the comeback, continued in the sign of Di Veroli who put the 45-44 jab as a priority.
The final was instead one-way, with the Italians leading from start to finish, finishing 45-32.
Silver medal for the sabers Rossella Gregorio, Michela Battiston,
Martina Criscio and Eloisa Passaro, a result that hadn't arrived since 2001. The gold went to France, who dominated 45-23, but previously the Italians were the protagonists of a good race that deservedly brought them to the podium.
In the quarterfinals the girls of the coach Nicola Zanotti were under 25-20 against Turkey, then a great performance by Rossella Gregorio, who until then had been kept at rest, brought the situation back to the advantage for Italy, which closed 45-40.
Great team performance in the semifinals against Hungary, defeat 45-38.
Italy thus closes the European Championships in Antalya 2022 in first place in the medal table with 14 podiums, an absolute record for an Italian expedition in the continental event.
Four golds were won in Turkey (with the foil player Daniele Garozzo,
