At the European Championships in Krakow in Poland, Italy continues to reap successes and to dream of an historic victory also thanks to the good performance of the Sardinians in the competition.
It is certainly a speech that is valid for four percent of the blue who, with Samuele Ceccarelli and Marco Ricci (due to Fausto Desalu's injury in the last hour), saw Lorenzo Patta from Oristano in the lane, on the track with an unprecedented beard, and the Brianza of Gallura origin Filippo Tortu.
After a moment of uncertainty in the substitution between Ceccarelli and Ricci, Tortu led the Azzurri to third place, allowing our selection to win another 14 points, in 38'47”. Victory went to Germany (38'34”) ahead of Great Britain. In the end Lorenzo Patta appears disappointed: «I see the glass as half empty, also due to the small-big problem of Desalu. We wanted to win but we keep this third place». Then Filippo Tortu, who finished his leg in 9'21”: «Third place suits the team, but we could have done better. We encountered some unforeseen situations, but I see it as a wasted opportunity».
In the women's four percent, all eyes are on the Fiamme Gialle athlete Dalia Kaddari. With the Quartese competing together with Johanelis Herrera Abreu Anna Bongiorni, Vittoria Fontana. Kaddari and Bongiorni were unable to exchange the baton in time and had to stop, risking disqualification in the race won by the Netherlands with a time of 42'61”. But in the end five points will arrive, because four teams will be disqualified: Italy made a regular change, with Bongiorni and Kaddari going back to repeat the procedure. «We wanted to bring points to the team», Kaddari said at the end of the match, «I was convinced I had handed over the baton».
