Italia Team can toast the end of another exhilarating year.

After the record-breaking 2022, a season marked by the 17 medals obtained at the Beijing Winter Olympics, the tricolour movement has once again cemented its leading place in the international elite, confirming itself in the G8 of the world elite.

2023 overwhelmingly featured all the traits of a multi-sport country capable of reaching at least one world podium in 19 of the 34 disciplines in Paris 2024 and, overall, of collecting 16 world titles spread across the summer and winter Olympic programme. If we limit ourselves to considering only the most important European multi-sport event of the season, we should also mention the record in the medal table of the Krakow 2023 European Games with 35 gold, 26 silver and 39 bronze medals. But Italia Team also towered above everyone at the Mediterranean Beach Games 2023 in Heraklion (with 42 medals including 13 gold) and, at youth level, at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Maribor, bringing home 46 medals (16 gold).

In the year now drawing to a close, the skiing exploits of world gold medallists Marta Bassino, Federica Brignone and Simone Deromedis, the historic first world championship of the women’s biathlon relay team, the world successes on ice with Davide Ghiotto in speed skating and Pietro Sighel in short track will remain etched in history. But that’s not all: the Italian anthem also resounded on the world championship pistes in Milan thanks to Tommaso Marini, Alice Volpi and the women’s foil and men’s epee national teams. 2023’s highlights also include Gianmarco Tamberi’s indelible victory (photo ANSA) in Budapest in the high jump, the titles of Simone Alessio in taekwondo and Matteo Zurloni in sport climbing, Elena Micheli’s historic encore in the modern pentathlon, Irma Testa’s first time in boxing and yet another thrilling triumph for Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti in the Nacra 17 sailing class.

Among the precious pieces in an all-Italian mosaic that has characterised another year of successes are the jewel in the crown of tennis with the historic victory of the Davis Cup, which returns to Italy after 47 years, and the rise of Jannik Sinner to the top of the world rankings, Francesco Bagnaia’s encore world title in Moto GP, Andrea Adamo’s title in motocross, and the women’s hour record set by Vittoria Bussi in cycling.

But now that 2023 is drawing to a close, the wait is on for a 2024 that will culminate in the Summer Olympics in Paris. Italia Team once again enters the new year with fresh ambitions and the hope of making the sporting dreams of so many Italians come true again. Olympic dreams. Happy 2024!