The curtain falls on the Beijing Winter Olympics, Italy closes thirteenth.

"The vote, in my opinion, is 7 and a half: we were good. The Olympic preparation, the communication, the whole part of Casa Italia, the athletes", commented the president of Coni Giovanni Malagò, promoting the blue expedition in the conference closing print. "Like all expeditions there are exceptions that confirm the rule. Some controversy that characterized our days. But it is also and above all recognized by my colleagues that Italy has a lot of prestige in the world of sport".

The 17 medals won (2 golds, 7 silvers and 8 bronzes) are second only to 20 in Lillehammer 1994. Malagò recalled that he always said that "we would win between 13 and 17 medals" and when you win 17 "no one can to think that only two are golden ".

Because a "numerical reading could summarize that Italians are much better at winning medals than golds: a matter of cents, injuries, judgments, but it is something to think about. But from a quantitative point of view it remains a record expedition - he added. -. It is clear that we are multidisciplinary like no one. From the qualitative point of view of the medal table it may be an element of weakness, but from that of sports culture it is an added value. We are multidisciplinary and eclectic ".

In fact, he continued, "if we look at the disciplines that won medals all over the world between Tokyo and Beijing we are at 28, this ranking sees us in third place in the world. First United States, second Russia and third Italy", with the evident diversity of the population: "This is a reason for great reflection on sports policy that must be urgently developed but at the same time it is a reason of great pride".

The Winter Olympics leave Asia for Europe: Milan-Cortina receives the baton from the Chinese capital and makes an appointment in 4 years for the five-circle review that returns to Italy.

(Unioneonline / D)

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