Stefano Oppo from Oristano medals again at the Olympics . After the bronze in Tokyo, the Sardinian rower paired with Soares won the silver medal in the lightweight rowing doubles .
A three-way fight for medals with Greece and the very strong Ireland. The Irish took off in the last 500 metres, finishing in a photo finish for silver, with the Italian pair narrowly prevailing over the Greek team .
The race of the Irish Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan was perfect, finishing in 6:10.99; 6:13.33 for the Azzurri, who trailed the surprising Greece of Papakonstantinou and Gkaidatsis by just one tenth .
The athlete from Oristano therefore confirms himself among the best in the world in his discipline and among the best Sardinian athletes ever. To identify a Sardinian who won two Olympic medals we need to go back to Francesco Loi, who in 1912 and 1920 won two golds in the gymnastics team competition .
Stefano Oppo's statements: «It's an incredible emotion. We tried to attack Ireland but they really are a legend, while I was convinced that we would have taken the silver medal . I dedicate this medal to my girlfriend and my family, they are an important part of this story and today they are finally here after unfortunately they obviously couldn't come to Tokyo. This medal means a lot, we have been working on it for three years and therefore it is important for the whole movement , we were sure of our means and we proved it. In Oristano today there will be a great celebration and I also dedicate this medal to them , just as it is also a piece for Ferrara and Florence where I grew up competitively, as well as for Sabaudia, where the Carabinieri are located and I thank them for their infinite support."
(Unioneonline/L)
