First individual pass for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics in sport climbing for Italia team.

In Bern (Switzerland), Matteo Zurloni won the gold medal in speed and, as well as the world championship podium, guaranteed one of the Olympic quotas reserved for the two top athletes.

The good omens for the Italian (photo ANSA) were apparent right from the qualifying rounds, in which he managed to secure an excellent sixth place.

Later, in the round of 16, he got the better of Frenchman Bassa Mawem before overcoming China’s Peng Wu in the quarter-finals. Here he further improved his European record (5.02), a considerable confidence boost ahead of the two final challenges. 

With a time of 5.13 he dominated the semi-final against Indonesia’s Rahmad Adi Mulyono (8.01), who eventually had to settle for the bronze medal.

Zurloni, on the strength of his newly won Olympic quota place, went on to fight for the most precious metal with the other Chinese athlete Jinbao Long. The 21-year-old from Lombardy held his nerves, completing his climb in 5.56 and successfully taking advantage of the Asian athlete’s false start.

Finally, not such good news from the women’s race. Here, Giulia Randi failed to make it beyond the last 16, defeated by the strong Indonesian Desak Mate Rita Kusuma Dewi.