Olympics history: Italy’s women’s volleyball team secures historic gold medal in Paris 2024

The final day of competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Italian women’s volleyball team has won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Led by Julio Velasco, the team defeated the United States in the final with a clear 3-0 victory. The set scores were 25-18, 25-20, 25-17. For the Italian sports movement, this is a historic triumph: it is indeed the first-ever Olympic gold in volleyball. In an Arena Paris Sud filled with shades of blue, amidst chants and waving tricolor flags, Paola Egonu’s contribution was crucial, as she was the top scorer with 22 points.

Julio Velasco’s mantra that accompanied the journey of the Italian women’s volleyball team to the Olympics found its definitive fulfillment in the final against the United States. Living in the present, enjoying the moment, and defeating the champions from Tokyo 2021 with a decisive 3-0 victory in a match without history. The Italian team gifted Italy with the first Olympic gold in volleyball, breaking a taboo that had lasted for 60 years, since volleyball became part of the five-ring program. Where the generation of talents from the 1990s, led by Velasco himself, had not succeeded, players like Paola Egonu, Myriam Sylla, Anna Danesi, Monica De Gennaro, Lucia Bosetti, and Alessia Orro did. And all the other players who were instrumental in this achievement that crowns the Italian Team’s expedition in France. Faces of a young and multi-ethnic Italy, united and victorious. Faces that now rightfully enter the history of Italian sports alongside their leader, the coach-philosopher from La Plata, who in a few months managed to rebuild a national team that was in pieces under Mazzanti’s management.

Velasco managed to unite a talented group, resolve the Egonu-Antropova rivalry turning it into a strength, recall ‘Moki’ De Gennaro, and once in Paris, isolate the girls by choosing to stay outside the distractions of the Olympic village, away from the side effects of the Games. Convincing victories against Turkey and in the final against the reigning champions, without dropping a single set, demonstrate how focused this group was on their mission and succeeded in distancing themselves from the pressures of breaking an Olympic taboo. The Italian women’s volleyball team had never won an Olympic medal and had never beaten the USA at the Games. In just over an hour, they achieved it all: the gold, the glory, the history.

From the start, Italy showed a higher gear, with Egonu immediately taking the spotlight (finishing with 22 points, the top scorer of the final), lifting Danesi and her teammates to a 6-1 lead and then 16-11. The reigning champions closed the gap to 18-15, and Velasco called a timeout to allow the team to regain their initial rhythm and close out the set 25-18. The second set was more competitive, where Italy relied a bit less on Egonu but managed to involve Sylla and Danesi more, securing a lead of 12-9. The United States did not give up, but Italy could count on Bosetti, who increased the gap with three consecutive spikes (21-16), leading to a 25-20 set win with an exclamation point from Egonu. In the third set, Velasco’s team secured another set thanks to Orro’s aces and Egonu’s attacks, leaving the USA no chance to react (25-17). The rest is history: the joy after the 3-0 victory, the emotion during the national anthem, sung in unison by the audience and the players, the Italian songs echoing through the speakers of the Paris arena. From ‘Alba Chiara’ to ‘Sarà perché ti amo’, in an atmosphere of blue ecstasy destined to remain immortal.

Meloni: “Italy’s Volleyball Team Makes Us Dream with Historic Victory” “Our volleyball team, by playing an impeccable match, once again makes us dream with a historic victory that gives Italy its twelfth gold medal. Extraordinary! #italvolley.” This is what the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, wrote on X.

Renzi: “Volleyball girls’ victory is the cherry on top” “A fantastic Olympics for Italian colors. And the victory of the volleyball girls is the (super) cherry on top. Honor to all the extraordinary athletes and to that amazing coach named Julio Velasco. And since we are at the end of the Olympics, it’s right to congratulate Giovanni Malagò and the entire CONI team #italvolley.” This is what Italia Viva’s leader, Matteo Renzi, wrote on X.

Tajani: “Historic victory for volleyball players, thanks to all athletes” “Gold in history!!! The Italian volleyball girls on the highest Olympic podium for the first time!!! Gold number 12 and equaling the record of 40 medals in Tokyo. Thanks to all our athletes, #ForzaItalia!!! #Paris2024.” This is what the Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, wrote on social media.

Schlein: “Legendary victory, immense” “A 3-0 victory, what Italy, what gold. Immense! Thank you! #Italvolley #OlympicGames.” This is how the Secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, commented on the victory of the gold medal at the Olympics by Velasco’s team.

Salvini: “Legendary volleyball girls” “The first Olympic gold for Italian volleyball in history. Great girls, you have been legendary! Only applause.” This is what the Vice Premier and leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, wrote on social media.

Malagò: “Volleyball taboo broken, Olympics great stuff” “It’s a very heavy medal. I thanked the girls, we broke a taboo that has always accompanied us. Never a medal today, but gold. The federation was fantastic, the girls deserve all the attention. We are very proud. Closing with this medal is significant, we are in the top ten, we did the same as Tokyo with more golds, more silvers, and we have surpassed Germany. Great stuff.” This is what the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, said on Rai Sport after the success of the Italian national volleyball team at Paris 2024.