Last Sunday the closing acts for the 2012 London Olympics [2] took place.

Team USA’s amazing performances in numerous sports will surely be remembered, including the gold medal won by the US basketball team over Spain on the last day of the competition which had USA overcoming China, the closest competitor for the title of winning nation.  

USA won 104 medals, of which 46 golds, 29 silvers and 29 bronzes. China ranked second and won 84 medals: 38 golds, 27 silvers and 22 bronzes. 

Italy [3] ranked 8th, as it did in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Italy won 28 medals: 8 golds, 9 silvers and 11 bronzes.  The first Italian athlete to be on the podium was silver medalist Luca Tesconi in Archery and the last were the “Settebello” team members,  or the Italian polo team who won the silver medal in the final match against Croatia.

The first Italian athlete to win a gold medal was fencer Elisa di Francisca on July 28th. On August 1st, Daniele Molmenti won Team Italy’s second gold medal in Slalom Canoes. On August 2nd the Italian women’s fencing team won another gold medal, and so did the men’s on the 5th. Jessica Rossi and Niccolò Campriani won two gold medals in Shooting respectively on the 4th and on the 6th of August. The last Golden medal was won on August the 11th by Carlo Molfetta in Taekwondo.

The Italian Silver medals were won in Shooting by Luca Tesconi on July 28th, by Niccolò Campriani on July 30th and by Massimo Fabbrizi on August 6th. Two silver medals were won by Italian fencers Arianna Errigo and Diego Occhiuzzi on July 28th and 29th. Italian canoeists Sartori and Battisti won another silver medal on August 11. Also on August 11, boxer Clemente Russo won a silver medal, whereas boxer Roberto Cammarelle won another silver on the following day. The Italian Polo team was the last to win a silver medal.

Bronze medals were awarded to Valentina Vezzali in Fencing, to Rosalba Forciniti in Judo, and to the Italian fencing team on August 3. Other bronze medal winners have been gymnast Matteo Morandi, swimmer Martina Grimaldi, athlete Fabrizio Donato, boxer Vincenzo Mangiacapre, Taekwondoist Mario Sarmiento, the Italian men’s Volleyball team, Mountain biker Marco Aurelio Fontana and the Italian calisthenics team.

Team Italy faired extremely well during the London Olympics 2012 and prided the nation with their remarkable results. A moment that will remain in the hearts of those who love sports and believe in their importance was when the bronze medal winning Italian men’s Volleyball team brought to the podium a jersey which belonged to Vigor Bovolenta, former team member killed by a heart attack [4] a few months ago during a match.

A symbol and an example for all his fellow team members, Bovolenta was dedicated the bronze medal by the Italian men’s Volleyball team. “This is for you Vigor, we miss you,” they stated upon receiving their award.