“We dedicate this victory to Anna Claudia Cartoni, a judge, a professional who worked in the federation who recently died in an accident at sea in the Argentario”
So ein Schoener Tag ‘is the hummed refrain of the famous German folk song’ Fliegerlied ‘which resounded this afternoon in the Olympiahalle in Munich. For Italian artistic gymnastics it is in fact ‘a beautiful day’. The ‘Fairies’ climbed to the top of Europe in the team competition for a gold that was missing from Volos 2006. Sixteen years ago there was Vanessa Ferrari, the greatest blue gymnast of all time, today in Bavaria, the land of parties (above all Oktoberfest) and sports culture, there are Martina Maggio, Alice and Asia D’Amato, Giorgia Villa and Angela Andreoli. Five athletes (the first four color bearers of the Fiamme Oro), trained in Brescia by Marco Campodonico and Monica Bergamelli under the supervision of the blue technical director Enrico Casella, the guru of Italian gymnastics.
Excellent 165,163 points for Italy, a monstrous score (“Russia was not present today but 165 points are not discounted for anyone”, said Casella). Silver to Great Britain (161.164), bronze to Germany (158.430). The Italdonne leaves for the vault. On the run-up from 25 meters Martina Maggio completes her ‘Yurchenko’ – a movement that takes its name from the first athlete who proposed it, the Soviet Natalia Yurchenko in the early 1980s – with a twist and a half. Even better does Asia D’Amato who stops the ‘Yurchenko’ with two twists, putting another 13,833 points in the safe. Alice D’Amato is cleaner than her sister and scores a sumptuous 14,100.
The second rotation is the parallels with the challenge for gold moving on jumps, ‘Thachev’, ‘Pak’, ‘Shaposnikova’ between 180 and 360 degrees. At the halfway point, Italy is almost three points ahead of the British. On the beam, the blue team focuses on Giorgia Villa’s experience that does not betray. Following Asia D’Amato is sublime. The last tool is the free body and for Italy it is the triumphal final catwalk. Martina Maggio books the success, Alice D’Amato brings him closer and closer and Asia places 13,566, realizing the goal set on the eve. «The girls are deservedly champions of Europe because they have been the best. Getting 165 points in a three-way straight match without discarding scores is really important. If Russia were there to win, they should have achieved this score, maybe they would have done more but 165 points have to be scored and it is not obvious »: these are the words of Enrico Casella to the reporters in the mixed zone of the Olympiahalle.
«In the vault we preceded Great Britain by two tenths, then on the beam they were all fantastic and the free body was the apotheosis: there is no need to make a note of anyone – added Casella -. Volos 2006? The victories are all beautiful especially in team competitions. This is a group grown at home, in Brescia, while in that of sixteen years ago there were boys from Brescia but also from Trieste and Imola ». Finally, the dedication by the girls too: “We dedicate this victory to Anna Claudia Cartoni, a judge, a professional who worked in the federation who recently died in an accident at sea on the Argentario”.
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