Italiano
Here are the seven most talked about moments, both on the press and social media, from the Universiade Napoli 2019.
1. TEAM SETTEBELLO WINS THE LAST GOLD MEDAL OF NAPOLI 2019
A few hours before the Closing Ceremony, team Settebello wins the last of the 220 gold medals of the Napoli 2019 Universiade. The most exciting memory of Napoli 2019, an event which set on fire the hearts of thousands of fans attending swimming races, and especially water polo matches, on the stands of the renewed Scandone swimming pool. The perfect conclusion to this event, which caught for 15 days the attention of athletes from all over the world in one of the most beautiful and crowded venues in the whole Universiade.
2. DUTEE CHAND’S GOLD MEDAL
Among the event’s best moments, the golden medal won by Dutee Chand, the fastest girl in India’s sports history, is one of the most memorable ones. Already a silver medal in the 100m race at the Asian Games, which took place this June, Chand has set a new record with her victory at San Paolo Stadium in Naples. Indian sprinters do not usually win medals during international tournaments: Chand was the first Indian track and field athlete to achieve a gold at the Universiade. This result was celebrated on Twitter even by India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
3. INSIGNE’S KICK OFF DURING THE OPENING CEREMONY
The audience at San Paolo Stadium eagerly watched Napoli football team captain Lorenzo Insigne’s kick off, which officially opened the 30th Summer Universiade. After the last torchbearer, Carlotta Ferlito, ignited the football, Insigne kicked the flaming globe, hitting the cauldron and starting the virtual fire atop the Vesuvius. This moment had more than 27 thousand views on Instagram.
4. ERIKAH SEYAMA, “MISS UNIVERSIADE”
With her smile, captured on camera while she was parading with her Country’s delegation during the Opening Ceremony, Erikah Nonhalanhla Seyama, 25-year-old high jump athlete from the Kingdom of Eswatini, a small State in Southern Africa, publicly took the title of “Miss Universiade”.
5. BRAZILIAN ATHLETE DE OLIVEIRA’S DOUBLE GOLD
At only 20 years of age, Paulo André Camilo de Oliveira scored a double gold medal during the Universiade Napoli 2019. The Brazilian athlete won
the 100m and 200m competitions, with a timing of 10.9 and 20.28 respectively, while also setting his own personal record. De Oliveira almost conquered a third gold medal in the 4×100 relay, however an injury sustained while running through his portion prevented him from gaining this further achievement.
6. THE POPE’S BLESSING OF THE NAPOLI 2019 FLAME IN VATICAN CITY
Among the Universiade Napoli 2019 Torch Relay stops, the one in Rome has been, without a doubt, the most exciting and meaningful. On June 12, Pope Francis blessed the Universiade Flame, a symbol of peace, hospitality, respect for human rights and dialogue among people. The blessing took place in the presence of many illustrious authority figures, such as President of Campania Region Vincenzo De Luca, FISU President Oleg Matytsink, CUSI President Lorenzo Lentini, Napoli 2019 Extraordinary Commissioner Gianluca Basile, the Rector of the University of Naples Federico II Gaetano Manfredi and President of the Italian Paralympic Committee Luca Pancalli.
7. THE FIRST ATHLETE’S VILLAGE ON A CRUISE SHIP
Letting 4.000 athletes sojourn on two cruise ships was one of the many challenges overcome during the 30th Summer Universiade. Napoli 2019 will be remembered for many things, and housing athletes and delegates on the MSC Lirica and Costa Victoria ships, docked in the Port of Naples, is certainly one of them. These two ships have served for 18 days as perfectly functioning “floating villages”, offering quality accommodation, all necessary equipment for training, delicious meals, relax and entertainment.