Filippo Macchi nearly pulled off a remarkable feat at the Paris 2024 Games.

At the Grand Palais, the 22-year-old from Pontedera secured silver, earning his first Olympic career medal on his debut. 

After receiving a bye in the first round, the athlete from Pisa (photo by Augusto Bizzi/CONI) defeated China's Jie Xu (15-10) and Japan's Kyosuke Matsuyama (15-11) in the round of 32 and round of 16, respectively. In the quarter-finals, he prevailed 15-9 against Egypt’s Mohamed Hamza, and in the semi-finals, he dispatched the United States' Nick Itkin with a 15-11 scoreline. In the final bout, leading 14-12, he succumbed to three consecutive strikes from Hong Kong's Cheung Ka Long, who narrowly won 15-14.