Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti elevated Italian sailing to the highest ranks at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In the waters of Marseille, the duo (photo by Federvela) dominated the Nacra 17 event, reaffirming their position on the top step of the Olympic podium, three years after their triumph in Japan, and bringing Italia Team its tenth gold medal (equalling the hauls of Tokyo 1964, Athens 2004, and Tokyo 2020). This is a legendary feat, as no other Italian crew has ever won two Olympic titles, let alone in consecutive editions.

Tita and Banti completed a breathtaking campaign, winning six of the twelve races in the Opening Series. With a total of 47 points (27 net points), they built an insurmountable lead before the final Medal Race, where they entered as leaders, already assured of a podium finish. A second-place finish behind France in the final race further confirmed the dominance of the Italian pair, who concluded with 31 net points, extending their lead over their closest rivals: Argentina's Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco (second with 55), New Zealand's Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson (third with 63), and Great Britain's John Gimson and Anna Burnet (fourth with 69), who were disqualified for a false start and prematurely eliminated from podium contention.

For the Italian sailing team, this is the sixth Olympic gold in its history, and the second of this edition, following Marta Maggetti's triumph in windsurfing (iQFOiL).