SARAJEVO (BOSNIA) (ITALPRESS) – After Dennis Baretta’s scintillating gold in yesterday’s event, the last day of the under-21 European Championships in Sarajevo gives two more medals to Italian taekwondo: Mattia Molin’s silver in the +87 kg and Elisa Bertagnin’s bronze in the -46 kg. With these results, the Azzurri close the continental competition with a haul of four medals, confirming the value of the tricolor movement. Mattia Molin, in the +87 kg category, distinguished himself with a level run. He overcame Germany’s Keri Kuecueksungur in the round of 16 (2-1), Spain’s Ivan Mediavilla in the quarters (2-0) and Belarus’s Aliaksei Tarchyla in the semifinals (2-0), demonstrating superiority in each match. In the finals, Molin faced Russian Nikita Kriuchkov in a very balanced challenge. After surrendering the first round 3-8, Molin tried to overturn the result in the second round, but his opponent managed to impose himself with a score of 11-2, leaving the Italian with the title of vice-champion of Europe. Elisa Bertagnin, in the -46 kg category, showed great technique and determination. Her journey began with clear successes in the early rounds, including one against Michaela Kaminska (2-0) in the 32nd rounds, followed by dominant victories against Ingrid Gab Busuioc (2-0) in the round of 16 and Evgeniia Puchkina in the quarters (2-0). In the semifinals, Bertagnin faced Turkey’s Hayrunnisa Gurbyz in a hard-fought match that ended 0-2 and still secured her a bronze medal. Among the other Azzurri, Davide Lupo distinguished himself in the -68 kg. After a brilliant run all the way to the quarterfinals, he was eliminated at the last second in a very tight challenge against Turkey’s Eren Odemir, which ended on a score of 1-2. With a total of four medals-Dennis Baretta’s gold, Mattia Molin’s silver, and Ludovico Iurlaro and Elisa Bertagnin’s bronzes-Italy confirms the great potential of its nursery. A result that represents a warning for the future of Italian taekwondo, which is increasingly a protagonist in the international arena.- photo FITA press office -(ITALPRESS).
