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Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games
23 July – 8 August 2021
The
Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games wrapped up this past weekend, bringing to an end over two weeks of world-class sporting action from a huge variety of disciplines in Japan’s capital city. We take a closer look at some of the more fascinating triumphs of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad.
These Games proved surprisingly prosperous for Italy, who ended 10th on the Medal Table with 40 total (10 Gold, 10 Silver, 20 Bronze) for their best ever haul at a Summer Olympics – eclipsing the 36 total they recorded at both the 1932 Games in Los Angeles and the 1960 Games on home soil in the ‘Eternal City’ of Rome.
Leading the Azzurri charge was sprinter Marcell Jacobs, who was the surprise champion in the Men’s 100m sprint, taking up the mantle of the ‘fastest man in the world’ formerly held by legend Usain Bolt. He also played a key role in another upset triumph in the Men’s 4x100m.
“It was my childhood dream to win an Olympics Games and obviously a dream can turn into something different, but to run this final and win it is a dream come true," Texas-born Jacobs said after running a lifetime best of 9.80 to lead home American Fred Kerley and Canadian Andre De Grasse.
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Jacobs, straight after his victory, was embraced by another Italian Olympic champion, High Jumper Gianmarco Tamberi. The latter shared Gold with Qatari favourite Mutaz Barshim after bot cleared 2.37m with identical count-back records.
“It means everything to me. I put my life into this, I wanted it too much. I never stopped dreaming it could happen,” said Tamberi.
“Watching Gianmarco was a massive boost, it is fantastic,” added Jacobs. “It is fantastic for Italy, I think there is a big party like for the football [Italy won the European Championship last month].”
Other Italians who shone brightly at Tokyo 2020 included Men’s Individual Archery Silver Medal winner Mauro Nespoli, Men’s 20km Walk champion Massimo Stano, the Men’s Track Cycling Team Pursuit Gold Medal quartet of Simone Consonni, Filippo Ganna, Francesco Lamon and Jonathan Milan, as well as Men’s Taekwondo Flyweight champion Vito Dell’Aquila.
Final Medal Table, top five
1 – United States – 39 Gold – 41 Silver – 33 Bronze – 113 total
2 – China – 38 Gold – 32 Silver – 18 Bronze – 88 total
3 – Japan – 27 Gold – 14 Silver – 17 Bronze – 58 total
4 – Great Britain – 22 Gold – 21 Silver – 22 Bronze – 65 total
5 – R.O.C. (Russia) – 20 Gold – 28 Silver – 23 Bronze – 71 total
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