Bath – It was the perfect start for the Italian team at the Senior European Championships of Modern Pentathlon, currently underway in Bath, UK. In the first day of the competition, the mixed relay saw Corporal Valerio Grasselli of the Italian Army and the representative of the Golden Flame Camilla Lontano reach the highest step of the podium with 1,464 points, ahead of Belarus (1448 points) and Russia (1445 points). Decisive was the last act of the race: at the start of 3200 meters Italy had the large lead of 24.42 seconds on its direct pursuers. This is the first time that Italy wins a medal in this sport, and for this the Chief of Army Staff, General Danilo Errico, congratulated himself with the athletes for the exceptional result that coronated a good day for Italy. A day that began with the fourth place in the 200 m swim, finished with a time of 2’00″16 and 340 points, and then continued with a gold medal in fencing, thanks to 21 victories and 11 defeats and the 243 points scored, and a gold medal in horseback riding, after a clear round rewarded with 300 points, which summed to the previous 583 saw Italy reach a total of 883 points, followed in second and third place, respectively, by Russia (859) and Belarus (841). (9Colonne)
