Italy had dominated the individual épée at the Olympics between 1932 and 1960, winning six consecutive gold medals, but after Giuseppe Delfino’s championship in 1960, no Italian had won the title, and just one managed to medal, until Matteo Tagliariol broke that streak at the Beijing Games. He had been considered a candidate for a medal, having won a silver medal at the 2007 European Championships, but Tagliariol’s Olympic gold remains his only international title. He has won several more international medals, including a team bronze at the Beijing Games, an individual silver a the World Championships (2009), as well as a team silver at the 2007 worlds. Now a noted Italian, Tagliariol has appeared in several TV shows, which ostensibly did not have a positive impact on his results, as signified by early exits at the 2010 and 2011 Worlds.
Italy