Italy claim team gold in foil

Italy’s version of the “Dream Team” did what was expected of them at the ExCeL fencing arena last night, adding team gold to the three individual medals they won on Saturday in the women’s foil.

Valentina Vezzali, Elisa Di Francisca – now a double gold medal-winner in London – and new world number one Arianna Errigo were in unstoppable form all day and took the title with a 45-31 victory over Russia.

That was especially sweet. The Russians were the defending champions, having defeated Italy by a single point – 22-21 – in the semi-finals in Beijing.

They even felt comfortable enough to bring on substitute Ilaria Salvatori for one bout near the end so she too could receive a gold.

She lost it 9-5, but it did not matter – their only other defeat in 27 three-minute contests during the entire competition was Vezzali’s in the very last head-to-head.

Bronze went to South Korea after they got the better of France 45-32, while hosts Great Britain finished eighth, beating Egypt, but then losing to Italy, Poland and Japan.

For 38-year-old Vezzali, their flag-carrier at the opening ceremony, it meant a sixth gold of her glittering career – and that equals the Italian record of fellow fencers Edoardo Mangiarotti and Nedo Nadi.

The police officer had hoped she would reach that landmark last Saturday. That would have made her the first woman in any sport to win solo gold in four successive Games, but she had to settle for bronze after losing to Errigo, who then lost to Di Francisca.