ROMA (ITALPRESS) – The blue flag holders of the Winter Games of Milan-Cortina have handed back the tricolor to the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella during the ceremony at the Salone dei Corazzieri at the Quirinale. To return the tricolor in the hands of the Head of State were the Italian alphires at the Olympics (Arianna Fontana, Federico Pellegrino, Federica Brignone and Amos Mosaner) and the Paralympics (Chiara Mazzel and Renè De Silvestro).
MATTARELLA “I GIOCHI HANNO SCRITTO UNA PAGINA INDIMENTICABILE”
“These Olympics and Paralympics have written an unforgettable page. They were Games that represented a reason of pride for our country, on the sports floor, with medaglieri colmi. It should also be remembered the records achieved, showing the high quality of our sports movement.” The president of the Republic Sergio Mattarella said this during the ceremony of resigning the tricolor to the Quirinale. “We have transmitted an image of Italy of great efficiency in every continent. Everything went well,” he added.
“We live a difficult time, blurred by serious threats, by bloody wars. The culture that sport transmits has a very different sign: where violence wants to overwhelm the right, sport exalts loyalty and sacrifice in respect of shared rules. The competition is not to subjugate the other but to improve together. Sports is a witness of a civilization that does not surrender to violence and the Olympics and Paralympics are the highest expression of it,” the president stressed.
“It is significant that it is up to Italy and Europe to become a showcase for a global event of friendship and humanity where, as semore should take place, sports values and non-interest and financial aspects prevail,” concluded Mattarella.
ABODI “PRESTAZIONI SIAMO ISPIRAZIONE PER AGIRE QUOTIDIANO”
“Athletes return a flag embellished with memories and human and sports sensations, it is up to us to gather these feelings to ensure that it is not only a sporty parentheses but a moment of cultural emancipation with sport perceived as a social immune system.” This was said by the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi at the Quirinale during the ceremony. “To this gratitude and thanks we associate the solemn commitment of the Government and Parliament to ensure that your performance is inspiration for our daily action,” he added, addressing athletes.
BUONFIGLIO “TRENTA MEDAGLIE TRIBUTO A 80 ANNI REPUBBLICA”
“Three medals are a record for our winter Olympic history and are the right tribute to our Republic in the year when 80 years are celebrated. Thirty medals: 10 of gold, 6 of silver, 14 of bronze, seem numbers of a normal sequence, but for the cones they symbolize a fundamental date: the day of the foundation of our body, on June 10, 1914. It will have been a case or a sign of destiny, but this numerical coincidence will remain carved in history.” These are the words of the President of the Coni, Luciano Buonfiglio al Quirinale during the ceremony. “We are once again honored to be here. When we got the flag, I was excited, I knew we were going to meet an epochal challenge. Gareggiare in the house is not so simple, it means meeting high pressures. We didn’t want to look bad, and it was a continuous excitement – he added. Today we are here with great joy and satisfaction and we are proud and proud to return the flag and say we have done a good job. It is very important and I thank athletes and athletes.” Addressing Mattarella, Buonfiglio added: “We have always considered it as our non-player captain, but his presence has more motivated our athletes and athletes,” added Buonfiglio.
DE SANCTIS “SITUAZIONE GRAVE PER GUERRA, ATLETI GESTITO PRESSIONE”
“There was a tense moment of the eve, I was concerned to reassure the boys and to think only about the competitions. Beyond the admission of Russians and Belarusians in September, with the confirmation of the Tas a month after the opening of the Games, there was the attack of the United States and Israel against Iran. The situation was serious and we had to make a Paralympic. All athletes were exceptional, they struggled and managed pressure.” So instead the president of the Cip, Marco Giunio De Sanctis. “It was a boast that we won, we weren’t used to all these medals and especially to the seven ores. We were surprised positively,” he added.
ARIANNA FONTANA “PROMESSA MANTENUTA, ABBIAMO DATO TUTTO”
“It was an incredible journey, feeling the warmth of all Italians was what helped all athletes. We kept the promise: we gave everything in every race.” Arianna Fontana said that before entering the Quirinale. “We put heart and soul – he added -. Today we are here to celebrate something incredible that has given something equally incredible to Italy.”.
BRIGNONE “DUE ORI, NON SO COME SIA STATO POSSIBILE”
“I now lighter? If I think about it, I don’t know how it was possible to go home with two bears. I did everything and more than I could ever dream of in my career, it was a tough stop. Lightness would give me a healed leg.” Federica Brignone said that before entering the Quirinale. “I wasn’t sure yet to be able to participate, being here today with medalists is a great honor. Beautiful to be part of this movement, with many athletes medalled in the home edition. We can only be proud of it,” added Brignone.
DE SILVESTRO E MAZZEL “SPERANZA È AVER ISPIRATO GIOVANI”
“It was an incredible adventure. I thank the people who have been close to me, I am proud of the great achievement. Aver gave emotion to the Italians is the most beautiful thing I bring home”. Renè De Silvestro, a blue flag holder at the Milan Cortina Games. “It was an honor to be able to participate in Paralimpiade in Italy – added Chiara Mazzel, the other blue flag holder – Hope is to have inspired children with disabilities to approach sports. I hope sport changes the lives of many young people, as it has changed my own”, he added.
LOLLOBRIGIDA “NOI DILETTANTI? WE KNOW THAT THERE IS GOD
“I laughed. I did not want to express myself but we athletes know the work behind it. I come from a minor sport, football passionates everyone and they know that. And as the public has given me the charge, we Italians can give the charge that these boys, as National, deserve. I did not choose skating for numbers, sponsors or visibility. I have come to win two Olympics for pure fun and this I want to pass on to the little ones, who have to have fun.” This was said by the blue skater, Olympic champion in charge in 3000 and 5000 meters, Francesca Lollobrigida, at the exit of the Quirinale after the ceremony of resign of the flag to the Head of State, returning to the polemic linked to the words of the dimissionary president of Figc, Gabriele Gravina, regarding the distinction made post defeat in Bosnia between professional football and other amateur sports. There is also room for an anecdote: “Mattarella said he wants to know my son, I don’t know how much he agrees with him (laughs, ndr). Those with my son were the most beautiful images, I only saw a spontaneous gesture of a mother who wanted to embrace her son at the end of a race like when someone comes home after a day of work,” he explained.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
