Record-breaking Italy at the 2026 Mediterranean Games! Other than “minor” sports: 224 medals and first place overall

The twentieth edition of the Mediterranean Games, hosted in the splendid Apulian setting of Taranto, ends with an unprecedented feat for the Italian expedition. For the first time in the history of multidisciplinary events, the Italian delegation exceeded the symbolic threshold of 200 podiums, shattering the previous record of Bari 1997 (193 medals).

Under the organizational guidance of CONI general secretary Carlo Mornati, the Italian athletes collected a record haul of 224 overall medals, divided into 74 gold, 78 silver and 72 bronze. An extraordinary result which guaranteed victory in the medal table for the sixth consecutive time, clearly separating Turkey, which remained in second place with 111 total laurels, Greece with 71 and France which placed fourth.

The exploits of our Azzurri

The triumphal journey involved 497 Italian athletes led by the standard-bearers Gianmarco Tamberi and Filippo Tortu during the opening ceremony. What pushed Italy towards the top of the medal table was an extraordinary team, capable of dominating in the pool, on the track and on the platforms. Swimming confirmed itself as the real driving force of the expedition: Alberto Razzetti And Viola Magoga they were the undisputed kings of the pool with three golds each, flanked by the golden doubles of Lisa Angiolini, Noemi Cesarano And Gabriele Mancini. In artistic gymnastics the star of the very young girl exploded Benedetta Gavaabsolute dancer with three first places in vault, floor exercise and team competition.

Athletics provided a flurry of emotions, crowned by the triumph of Gianmarco Tamberi in the high jump, from the hits of Nicholas Pontius in weight and of Sara Fantini in the hammer, in addition to victories in the 400 hurdles of Ayomide Folorunso and in the 200 meters Vittoria Fontana. Excellent news also from road cycling, which dominated the tests in line with Rachele Barbieri And Tommaso Datiwhile the rowers Elena Sali, Melissa Schincariol, Tito Christoforakis And Giovanni Borgonovo they led the lightweight doubles to triumph.

In combat sports, boxing has dropped a golden poker of applause led by Irma Testa with Melissa Gemini, Sirine Charaabi And Gabriele Guidi Rontaniwhile weightlifting found in Martina Chiacchio And Sergio Massidda its strengths. Tennis completed the picture of a memorable edition – with gold in the singles Noemi Basiletti and in the pair’s mixed doubles Vittoria Paganetti–Philip Romano — up to the great joys that came from team sports, sealed by the titles of women’s handball and of Settebello in men’s water polo, the last medal arrived.

The triumph of “minor” sports and the gloss of water polo

This shower of laurels demonstrates the exceptional health of the Italian multidisciplinary sports movement. A triumph thanks to sports mistakenly considered “minor”, often far from the spotlight of football but with athletes, as we have seen, capable of dominating the international scene. Italy has signed a memorable and legendary author’s page: an overwhelming wave of enthusiasm, talent and tricolor pride that makes all of us dream big towards the next Olympic goals!