Paralympic, Bebe Vio competes in Pisa and is still gold

Baby is back. As before, stronger than before. After more than three years of absence from competitions, after the parenthesis of the Tokyo Paralympics, Bebe Vio showed that she is always the same on her return to the World Cup. In the Pisa event she won gold in foil (cat. B) beating the Chinese Rong Xiao 15 to 6, in front of an enthusiastic audience, which packed the Pala Cus. “I was a little scared before the race. I have missed so much the family that is created with the team. When you are here it means that you have overcome certain situations, getting there is difficult. I find it hard to do this part alone, luckily I have a lot of people around, friends who give me affection. Here I had so many people around and then the crowded stands for a Paralympic fencing competition is something really beautiful.”

Study

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Being away from competitions has allowed her to concentrate on her studies: Vio will graduate on May 15, shortly after the second round of the World Cup in France. “I also studied my opponents, especially Jana who I met in the semifinals and she had beaten me in the past. Physically this period was difficult. We had to take many small steps to preserve the shoulder, but then it occurred to me that there was another piece to watch out for. I expected to have fun, because I know I’m only good when I’m having fun and I’m too much in love with this sport.” The great return of Vio Grandis (as Bebe wants to be called, also using her mother’s surname) began in the round of 16 draw, where she was directly admitted to direct elimination, skipping the group stage by ranking right (before of this race Bebe was sixth). The Italian made her debut by beating Poland’s Patrycja Hazera 15-2. In the quarterfinals she continued the march by beating the Japanese Anri Sakurai 15-5, thus mortgaging her first medal after 19 months of stop. Carried away by the warmth of the public in Pisa, the champion of the Fiamme Oro also conquered the semifinal, imposing herself with a clear 15-3 on the Thai Saysunee Ragowska. In the final against the Chinese Rong Xiao Bebe she was perfect, pushed by the public. You ignited more and more enthusiasm by posting a deadly 4-0 run at the start, and from there, jab after jab, you closed in triumph for 15-6. Then there were hugs, smiles and tears of joy: with the blue coach Simone Vanni, with the coordinator of the Paralympic national team Dino Meglio, with the federal president Paolo Azzi, with his teacher Simone Mazzoni, the athletic trainer Peppe Cerqua and the whole team Italian who rooted hard for her. Italy also shone in the men’s saber test A where there were two Azzurri on the podium, both on the third step. The double bronze is signed by Edoardo Giordan and Matteo Dei Rossi. Pisa is the only World Cup event held in Italy, in its eighth edition. Since November, international competitions have also begun to qualify for the next Paralympics in Paris. Athletes from 27 countries took part, with over 500 race entries.