Italy shoots, London responds. The great tradition of blue clay pigeon shooting, which in the history of the Summer Games (including live pigeon shooting in 1900!) has yielded 23 medals of which 8 gold, as many bronze and 7 silver, this time it imposes itself even before starting. With a triumph of the made in Italy of the bullet: at the London 2012 Olympics in fact 90% of the 133 skeet shooting athletes, i.e. 120 men and women from 59 countries around the world, chose to use shotguns built in Italy. And 80% of them also relied on tricolor factory ammunition.
In particular, in addition of course to the highly competitive national team, all the participants in the Olympic Pit and Double Trap competitions chose a product from the Bel Paese. But this excellence, which goes far beyond sporting results, shouldn't be too surprising: Italy is in fact the leading European manufacturer of sporting-hunting guns (covers about 60% of the entire community offer) and is the most important exporting country in the world of sporting and commercial weapons and ammunition: exports in fact reach 90% of production, especially in the USA (about 45%).
The sector, among other things, is one of the few that enjoys excellent health: 2.264 companies, all medium-small in size (often a symbol of family-run craftsmanship), 11.358 employees and a turnover of almost 500 million euros (486.338.624 to be exact). And the results on the field are no less: in the last two five-circle editions, those of Beijing 2008 and Athens 2004, all the medals up for grabs, 100%, were won by brandishing Italian rifles. On the other hand, the percentage in the two previous Olympics, Atlanta '96 and Sydney 2000, was slightly "dirty", when only three of the total 30 medals escaped the made in Italy equipment.
For this edition it is not yet known, but it is certain that the Italian patrol is very fierce as always, strong in materials with very high know-how but also in men and women with almost infallible aim. On Sunday 29 July, two days after the inauguration ceremony, he will compete immediately Clare Cainero, defending Beijing's gold in skeet. Two days later, in the same specialty but for men, the eternal takes the field Ennio Falco, 44 years old, Olympic champion in '96 in Atlanta, while in the Double Trap on August 2 they seek consecration Daniele Di Spigno and Francesco D'Aniello. On August 4th, in the Fossa specialty, it will be the turn of the baby phenomenon Jessica Rossi, just 20 years old but already world champion and favorite for the top step of the podium. A podium that, however it goes, will be all colored blue.
