The Italian athlete delegation in Rio is rapidly growing in numbers. Over the next few hours, a new flight will leave Roma Fiumicino Airport towards Brazil, with on board a group of Italia team members who will take part in the Olympic Games, which will be inaugurated on 5 August.
Ready to board is Elisa di Francisca, Olympic gold in London 2012 in individual and team foil, together with Francesca Clapcich and Giulia Conti, sailing champions. Those departing include also tennis players Paolo Lorenzi, Andreas Seppi and Karin Knapp, the horsewoman Valentina Truppa, the target shooting Italian team athlete Marco De Nicolo and fencers Martina Batini and Alice Volpi, who will experience the Olympic Games as sparring partners in the training sessions of the female team engaged on the piste.
About to land in Rio are the rest of the fencing team and the Italian athletes whose flight had been cancelled yesterday due to a technical problem. The group is comprised of épée champion Rossella Fiamingo, Paolo Pizzo, Enrico Garozzo and Marco Fichera (épée), Diana Bacosi, Chiara Cainero, Luigi Lodde and Gabriele Rossetti (skeet shooting) and the 470 sailors Elena Berta and Roberta Caputo.