Tokyo, Viviani and Rossi Standards: The Right Choice in the Name of Sports

A better option could not have been made by Malag .. Jessica Rossi and Ilya Viviani are two Olympic players, and they have awarded Italy important gold medals in two disciplines on which they have built medals in many versions of the games. In short, they have all the sporting requirements, not just to represent the blue team that will go to Tokyo. In recent days, other candidates have emerged, such as volleyball player Paula Egono, with strong symbolic value. She is an outstanding athlete, but with the blue jersey she has not yet won an Olympic gold medal, like the brigade holders. Hopefully it will happen soon, maybe already in Japan, but it is happening now.

The symbolic nature of the Egonu appellation never escapes anyone, at least from Gazzetta. Nevertheless, we believe that tracing such an important choice to the quasi-exclusive subject of ethnic diversity is a mistake. The first and strongest anti-racism message came from sport, in 1936, when Jesse Owens triumphed over Hitler, a dictator who ruled in the name of racial supremacy over millions of Jews, Roma, men, women and children of color. The raised fist of Tommy Smith and John Carlos at the 68th Mexican Games remains one of the most iconic and powerful gestures in the battle of African Americans to assert their rights in the United States. And even the recently released Black Lives Matter had the most effective soundtrack in sports.

But the meaning of the banner campaign is something else. In addition to being the representatives of the Italian team, they must have also contributed to making Italy’s history in the Olympic Games. Mathematical merit is important. Other requirements should not be entered. Being black athlete should never be discrimination, God forbid. But it doesn’t have to become a requirement either. Just as mediation cannot be. In fact, I came to say that the honor of carrying a flag, if any, should reward those athletes whose country is only remembered for two weeks every four years. Those who do not have a personal sponsor and do not have journalists surround them with interview requests. Those who take little and give more instead. Our medal table is full of stories like this.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Federica Pellegrini was the carrier of the brigade, a unique case more than rare for media coverage, ability to represent an entire team, and an absolute global value. But we do have one of the Pellegrini in our Olympic history. Swimming goldfish is relatively recent. In athletics, the other Olympic discipline par excellence, we have not won a gold medal since Beijing 2008, among other things with Schwartz, the man who was denied the opportunity to reappear to the end despite the fact that justice has confirmed his innocence. Cycling is second only to the duel in the ranking of gold medals won by Italy in the Olympics. Shooting, be it shot or goal, has often saved our numbers in games. It seems right to remember all of this not only during or immediately after the Games, but also before that, when selecting the brigade holders. When you reward those who deserve it, you never fail it.