State TV commentators targeted by spectators who were watching the races on Rai Play 2
Indignation runs on the web for the Rai commentary of the final of the synchronized women’s trampoline World Cup. The commentators Lorenzo Leonarduzzi and Massimiliano Mazzucchi, in the pre-race, would have indulged in sexist comments on the athletes that did not go unnoticed by the spectators who were watching the races live on Rai 2.
Sentences
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These are some of the statements that would have been pronounced. “Dutch girls are big,” says one of them. “Like our Vittorioso”, referring to the blue diver Giulia Vittorioso. “Eh, great eh…”. Except then conclude with an unacceptable “they are all the same in bed…”. The content of the live broadcast was reported in particular by a user on social media, who – according to what was posted – would have sent a certified e-mail directly to Rai, underlining what the commentators said. Also added is a “smoke good, smoke healthy, smoke Pakistani” and other comments about female athletes. “This one’s called Harper, she’s a harp player. How do you play the harp? Do you …”. And the other adds, with an ironic tone: “Can you touch it?”. “She pinches you”, comment the two. Up to another shocking phrase: “This is the advantage, men have to study seven notes, women have only three, Si La Do”. Finally – and there is a fairly clear video on social media about this – also another comment: “Licaldo, the Chinese would say so”.
Leonardo speaks
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“I distance myself from everything that was picked up by a microphone left on for technical needs and a meter and a half away from me. I didn’t really say some of these sentences that have been attributed to me”, he told Corriere della Sera Lorenzo Leonarduzzi: “These are words that don’t belong to me, far from my way of being and pronounced off-air while chatting with my colleague. I was already the victim of an unfortunate accident a couple of years ago, even more so now I’m particularly attentive to what I say. I don’t want my professionalism to be tarnished by these situations”.