On the penultimate Olympic day, the 22nd and 23rd medals, the eighth gold and the seventh silver, arrive for Italy. The most precious metal is conquered by the 28-year-old from Puglia Carlo Molfetta, who brought the blue colors to the top step of the podium in taekwondo for the first time, a discipline in which we now boast three medals thanks to Mauro Sarmiento (silver in Beijing and bronze here in London). This gold, beautiful and only partially expected, also allows the blue expedition to match, with a day in advance and still a few cartridges to play, the tally of victories in Beijing 2008.
As for the total medals, we are still below (23 to 27), but on the last day two sure medals are on the way (Cammarelle in boxing and Settebello in the final in water polo) and another couple possible, which will allow Italy to equal or even better the balance of four years ago.
The story of the boy from Puglia is one that deserves attention, given that he had already presented himself as a favorite at the 2004 Athens Olympics, when however he was surprised by emotion and was immediately eliminated. In China, on the other hand, Molfetta didn't even go there, due to an injury that forced him to have four operations on his ligaments. A real ordeal, repaid with yesterday's great joy.
However, even this time, the boxer from Campania did not make it to the top step of the podium Clement Russo, clearly defeated in the final in the heavyweight category: he is still the silver medalist.
