Italy first in the European team: never happened before

by our correspondent Andrea Buongiovanni

@abuongi

June 25th
– CHORZOW (Poland)

Historic result in Chorzow, Poland: Italy, for the first time, wins the European team championships. The Azzurri led by captain Gimbo Tamberi – who returns to competition after nine months and imposes himself in the top with a significant 2.29 – in an event born as the European Cup in 1965, despite the format and number of participating nations varying over time, never had done better than the second place two seasons ago, again at the Stadion Slaski, on the outskirts of Katowice. Back then – still in the Covid era – the victory, by just two and a half points, went to Poland. The tricolor one, this time (a total booty of 426.5 points), is instead a domain. The same landlords, placed, finish on 24. And Germany is third on 39. Then, even further away, Spain, Great Britain and Holland, France and Portugal, with Belgium, Turkey and Norway relegated. Merit of a great choral test, in which rare counter-performances were silenced by a long series of excellent results. Even if the level of certain throwing specialties is worrying… Italy, in 37 competitions with 16 participating nations, finished 16 times on the podium, with seven first, six second and three third places. On the last day, to complete the work, here are the successes of Tamberi, in fact, and of Zane Weir in weight.

Gimbo is there

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The Olympian manages the match, which does not allow more than four errors overall, as a consummate champion. He passes 2.17 on the first attempt, like 2.23 after having “passed” 2.20. He goes over 2.26 in the second test. And he wins, without errors, at 2.29. Only Belgian Thomas Carmoy surpasses the bar to that extent. It goes to 2.32: both fail twice, but the blue stands out for the fewest errors. Gimbo still has one jump left: he has the bar set at 2.34 of the best seasonal world performance, but the appointment is postponed. “I am very happy for me and for the team – he smiles – we have done something great and without precedent”. He also removes a pebble from his shoes: “For reasons that I don’t want to underline here – he says – I didn’t compete at the Golden Gala, but I would have liked to be invited anyway”. Federal President Stefano Mei’s response was immediate: “There was an unsuccessful negotiation – he underlines – but in such a triumphant moment for our athletics, it does not seem to me the right place, nor the time, to make a controversy. Indeed, I thank Gimbo for how he played the role of captain and for what he did once again on the platform ”.

Super Weir

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Sixteen points brings Tamberi, as many Weir brings. The European indoor champion lines up everyone from the second launch: 21.59 and the match is effectively closed. The Briton Scott Lincoln, second, will do no better than 21.10. Paolo Dal Soglio’s pupil, of South African origin, adds a 21.22 and a 21.02 to the series: he has the regularity of the greats. The other podium placements of the last day come from Larissa Iapichino, second in the long run (6.66) and from Filippo Tortu and Yeman Crippa, third in the 200m (20″61) and in the 5000m (13’24″29). None of the three can be said to be satisfied… It is the confirmation that the team has made a huge leap in quality.