Sailing’s first Olympic card for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will bear the name of Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti.

After six days of world championship regattas in The Hague (Netherlands) the Italian pair brilliantly managed to achieve the pass for the Medal Race in the Nacra 17 class, obtaining one of the Olympic quota berths reserved for the nine best NOCs.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions (photo ANSA) finished the qualifying phase with two wins and a third place, sealing the top spot from Britain’s John Gimson and Anna Burnet and Sweden’s Emil Jarudd and Hanna Jonsson.

The decisive day for the medal awards is Thursday 17 August, with Tita and Banti who, certain of at least a medal after having excelled in 10 of the 15 races held, will try to establish themselves on the top step of the world championship podium after the gold won last year in the waters of Halifax (Canada).

They will also attempt to compete for a position with two other Italian pairs: Vittorio Bissaro and Maelle Frascari, fifth at the end of the preliminary races, and Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei (sixth).