We must go back to the victories ofItaly of football in the 1982 World Cup in Spain and in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, to Bearzot's and Lippi's national teams, to rediscover an Italian summer as triumphant and as exciting as the very hot one that the European Swimming and Athletics Championships They gave us this year. In total we brought home 65 medals: 43 in swimming (13 gold, 15 silver, and 15 bronze) and 22 in athletics (10 gold, 6 silver, and 6 bronze). Unbelievable achievements that make Italy a true superpower in swimming and athletics. It's not a dream, it's all true: we are the champions.
A shower of medals behind which lies the story of a country that is changing and that knows how to integrate the children of immigrants
An unthinkable triumph for Italy in swimming and athletics, one that consoles us for the disappointments of football but also for the mediocrity of politics, too long enmeshed in petty affairs and lacking a vision for the future. Precisely for this reason, today's event is not just a sporting triumph but a civic redemption. We hadn't realized it, but alongside us there is another Italy, an Italy that rolls up its sleeves and wins, one made up of fine people who are often the emblematic expression of a country in transformation and which only the gloomy vision of General Vannacci could demonize. Think of the story of Sara Curtis o Nadia Battocletti, of Fausto Desalu and Mohamed Soudassi, of Andy Diaz and Zane Weir: they are all children of immigrants. And they are proud to be Italian, as are Dariya Derkach and Sofija Jaremcuk, champions born in Ukraine but now Italian, and Alexandrina Mihaj, the race walker born in Moldova. Behind them are stories of suffering but also of redemption and victories.
Behind sporting successes are many beautiful human stories.
There are also beautiful stories behind the gold medal in the long jump Larissa Iapichino, who even did better than the very famous mother Fiona May who had never won the European championships, or behind the all-gold hat trick in swimming Simona Quadarella, in the five gold medals of Chiara Pellacani in diving and of course in the exploits of the very young Sara Curtis, who after winning the gold and setting a new world record in the 50m backstroke sparked the joy of her Nigerian mother who couldn't resist the urge to dance in the stands. Just as a beautiful story is that of the rebirth of Gianmarco Tamberi, gold medal in the high jump. But, in the gold of triumphs, those who recommend not forgetting the misfortune of a great champion and a wonderful person like him are right. Marcell Jacobs, stopped by cursed muscular problems in the 100 meters athletics final that he perhaps would have won.
The heat made us suffer, but we will also remember the Italian summer of 2026 for the triumphs in swimming and athletics that helped us rediscover the true face of Italy. The one we love.
