The Olympic champions from Tokyo are still the lords of the Nacra 17 in the World Championship regatta in The Hague. They won the Olympic card for Italy
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, this historic phrase by John Belushi in the film “Animal house”, fits perfectly with Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti who have just conquered the Hague in the Netherlands with the catamaran flying their third world title (after that of 2018 and 2022) also ensuring Italy the pass for the next Paris Games (which will be held in Marseille for sailing) in the Nacra 17 class. The two Azzurri after the gold of Tokyo, were protagonists in 2022 of an amazing season (they conquered the World Cup, the European one and all the World Cup stages, as well as the title of sailor of the year), while this year, they started a little ‘ on the sly: fourth in Palma in the first stage of the Cup, eleventh in Hyeres, even excluded from the Medal Race (final regatta with double points reserved for the top 10 in the standings).
Ransom
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At the world championship, however, Ruggero and Caterina, with three victories on the first day of competition, immediately set the record straight, demonstrating that they are still the best, the crew to beat. Tita-Banti won 11 of the 16 disputed races (including the medal race, final regatta) inflicting on the seconds, the British Gimson – Burnet, (silver in Tokyo and always great rivals of the Italians) 26 points behind. “ We are very happy with this result – said Caterina Banti immediately after her arrival – for this championship we trained at our best, we were here in Holland for a month to gain confidence with the wind and above all with the current. We knew we had what it took to do well, we just had to get in the water and bring home the result” . Ruggero Tita is also satisfied “we know that with this wind and wave we are very fast, but the weather conditions that can be found are always different, we must continue to train because, as we have seen in previous regattas, the level of the fleet has grown a lot”. Obviously the goal of the Italians is another Olympic medal ” We would like to repeat the result of Tokyo – Banti confesses – but the road is still long, there is the European championship and then there are the internal selections because the Italian crews who there are three to take part in the Olympics”.
August 17, 2023 (change August 17, 2023 | 17:47)
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