Parigi 2024

The first Olympic Games in history with total gender parity allowed Paris to join London at the top of the list of cities that have hosted the event the most times.
Paris 2024, the third edition of the Olympic Games in the French capital following those of 1900 and 1924, saw 5,250 men and 5,250 women registered. The shared goal was to climb the eco-sustainable podiums, a concept at the heart of the entire organisation of the event, and claim the medals, featuring an original piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower at the centre.
The event kicked off with the first-ever Opening Ceremony held outside a stadium: all delegations paraded along the Seine aboard brightly coloured boats, their excitement outshining even the torrential rain that fell on the river. This was the first step in an event that took in all the iconic sites of Paris, extended to other French cities, and even encompassed Tahiti (a record distance of over 15,000 km), the venue for the surfing competitions. New additions included breaking, a discipline introduced to the Olympic programme, and Phryge, the Phrygian cap mascot symbolising freedom, inclusivity, and the ability of individuals to champion important causes.
Italia Team made history right from the start: the 403 qualified athletes were led by flag bearers Arianna Errigo (gold in team foil at London 2012) and Gianmarco Tamberi (gold in high jump at Tokyo 2020). This team, a well-balanced mix of rising young stars and seasoned veterans, set its sights on success and achieved it.  The medal count is the best in our history.
The Azzurri came away with 40 medals (12 golds, 13 silvers, 15 bronzes). The ninth-place finish in the medal table confirms Italy’s place among the world's sporting elite (seventh overall in terms of podiums, third in Europe behind Great Britain and host nation France). From the last four days of Rio 2016 onwards, Italy has never been off the Olympic podium: This streak continued in Tokyo 2020 and Paris, reaching 36 consecutive days, and the record remains intact as we look ahead to the next major event: Los Angeles 2028.
It was an Olympic Games of firsts: from the historic gold secured by the Italian women’s volleyball team (the first success for a national team in 20 years) to the tennis doubles gold won by Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, the Madison cycling gold by Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini, and the gold in artistic gymnastics beam by Alice D’Amato, with Manila Esposito also winning bronze. Among other milestones were the first-ever victories in the women’s team épée and the 100m backstroke with Thomas Ceccon. Medals had also never before been won in the 10,000 metres in athletics (silver for Nadia Battocletti) or in the individual all-around rhythmic gymnastics competition (bronze for Sofia Raffaeli). After 100 years (and Uberto De Morpurgo’s bronze in Paris 1924), Italia Team won a medal in the men’s singles tennis thanks to Lorenzo Musetti’s bronze; after 96 years (silver in Amsterdam 1928), a medal was won in the team all-around in women’s artistic gymnastics (silver); after 64 years, a medal was secured in the men’s C2 500m sprint canoeing with Gabriele Casadei and Carlo Tacchini; after 40 years, a medal was won in the men’s long jump with Mattia Furlani’s bronze; after 36 years, a medal was achieved in modern pentathlon with Giorgio Malan’s bronze; After 24 years, a medal was secured in the men’s Madison track cycling event (silver for Simone Consonni and Elia Viviani); and finally, after 12 years, Italia Team won medals in the men’s K1 slalom canoeing with Giovanni De Gennaro (gold) and in the men’s triple jump with Andy Diaz (bronze). And that’s not forgetting the invincible duo of Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, who confirmed their status as Olympic champions in the Nacra 17 (sailing), and the victories of shooters Diana Bacosi and Gabriele Rossetti (mixed skeet), judoka Alice Bellandi (78 kg), sailor Marta Maggetti (iQFOiL), and swimmer Nicolò Martinenghi, the first medal winner, who climbed to the top step of the podium in the 100m breaststroke.
The extraordinary performances of the Azzurri concluded with the Italian tricolour waving at the Closing Ceremony of the Stade de France, carried by Rossella Fiamingo, one of the gold-winning épée fencers, and Gregorio Paltrinieri, who, thanks to his bronze in the 800m freestyle and silver in the 1500m, became the first Italian swimmer to win five Olympic medals across three different editions.
The IOC also paid tribute, requesting the Italia Team swimmer donate his swimsuit to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne as part of the Olympic Heritage Collections, inspiring future generations and promoting the Olympic spirit. The same museum now houses the ball from the women’s volleyball final won by Julio Velasco’s team against the United States, the jersey of volleyball star Paola Egonu, and the leotards of gymnasts Alice D’Amato and Manila Esposito. The latter made it onto the podium despite being the youngest Italian athlete at Paris 2024 (17 years, 8 months, and 24 days at the start of the Games). For her and many other stars of the French Olympics, the next mission is already set: Los Angeles 2028 awaits.