Italy competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This nation has competed at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except for the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. The Italian National Olympic Committee (Italian: Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano, CONI) sent the nation's smallest delegation to the Games since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. A total of 285 athletes, 162 men and 123 women, competed in 22 sports.
Italy left London with a total of 28 Olympic medals (8 gold, 9 silver, and 11 bronze), finishing eighth in the overall medal standings. Seven of these medals were awarded to the athletes in fencing, five in shooting, and three in boxing. Six Italian athletes won more than a single Olympic medal in London. After suffering a major setback from Beijing, Italy's team-based athletes recaptured their success at these games as the men's water polo team and the men's indoor volleyball team won silver and bronze medals respectively. For the first time since 1984, Italy did not win an Olympic medal in swimming, except for the open water marathon.
Among the nation's medalists were shooters Niccolò Campriani and Jessica Rossi, who broke an Olympic and a world record to win gold medals in their respective events. Two Italian athletes won gold medals for the first time in Olympic history: archer Michele Frangilli, who competed at his fifth Olympics, in team archery, and taekwondo jin Carlo Molfetta in men's super heavyweight division. Foil fencer Valentina Vezzali, who won gold and bronze in London, became one of the most successful Italian athletes in history, with a total of eight Olympic medals. Meanwhile, boxer Clemente Russo managed to repeat his silver medal from Beijing.
Medalists
| width="78%" align="left" valign="top" | Medal Name Sport Event Date Michele FrangilliMarco GaliazzoMauro Nespoli Archery Men's team Elisa Di Francisca Fencing Women's foil Daniele Molmenti Canoeing Men's slalom K-1 Elisa Di FranciscaArianna ErrigoValentina VezzaliIlaria Salvatori Fencing Team foil Jessica Rossi Shooting Trap Valerio AspromonteGiorgio AvolaAndrea BaldiniAndrea Cassarà FencingTeam foil Niccolò Campriani Shooting Men's 50 m rifle three positions Carlo Molfetta Taekwondo Men's +80 kg Luca Tesconi Shooting Men's 10 m air pistol Arianna Errigo Fencing Women's foil July Diego Occhiuzzi Fencing Men's sabre Niccolò Campriani Shooting Men's 10 m air rifle Alessio SartoriRomano Battisti Rowing Men's double sculls Massimo Fabbrizi Shooting Men's trap Clemente Russo Boxing Men's heavyweight Roberto Cammarelle Boxing Men's super heavyweight Italy men's national water polo team Water polo Men's tournament Valentina Vezzali Fencing Women's foil Rosalba Forciniti Judo Women's 52 kg Aldo MontanoDiego OcchiuzziLuigi TarantinoLuigi Samele Fencing Men's team sabre Matteo Morandi Gymnastics Men's rings Martina Grimaldi Swimming Women's 10 km open water Fabrizio Donato Athletics Men's triple jump Vincenzo Mangiacapre Boxing Men's light welterweight Mauro Sarmiento Taekwondo Men's 80 kg Italy men's national volleyball team Volleyball Men's tournament Marco Aurelio Fontana Cycling Men's cross-country Elisa BlanchiRomina LauritoMarta PagniniElisa SantoniAnzhelika SavrayukAndreea Stefanescu Rhythmic gymnasticsTeam
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Medals by sportSport TotalFencing3227Shooting2305Taekwondo1012Archery1001Canoeing1001Boxing0213Rowing0101Water polo0101Gymnastics0022Athletics0011Swimming0011Cycling0011Volleyball0011Judo0011Total891128
Delegation Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (CONI) selected a team of 285 athletes, 162 men and 123 women, to compete in 22 sports; it was the nation's smallest team sent to the Olympics since 1988. Italy did not qualify teams in basketball, field hockey, football, and handball. There was only a single competitor in badminton, track cycling, BMX cycling, equestrian dressage, trampoline gymnastics, weightlifting, and Greco-Roman wrestling.
The Italian team featured past Olympic champions, four of them defending (super heavyweight boxer Roberto Cammarelle, foil fencer Valentina Vezzali, judoka Giulia Quintavalle, and freestyle swimmer Federica Pellegrini). Vezzali, who competed at her fifth Olympics as the most experienced athlete, became Italy's first female flag bearer at the opening ceremony since 1996.
Two naturalized Italian athletes made their multiple Olympic appearances as individuals. Sprint kayaker Josefa Idem, the oldest of the team at age 47, became the first female athlete to compete in eight Olympic Games, although she played for the former West Germany in her first two appearances. Archer Natalia Valeeva, on the other hand, competed at her sixth Olympics as an individual athlete, having played under three different banners (the other two were the Unified Team and her native land Moldova). Along with Valeeva, two other Italian athletes made their sixth Olympic appearance: trap shooter Giovanni Pellielo and windsurfer and four-time Olympic medalist Alessandra Sensini. Along with Vezzali, three other athletes made their fifth Olympic appearance: archer Michele Frangilli, sabre fencer and two-time world champion Luigi Tarantino, and skeet shooter and former Olympic gold medalist Ennio Falco. Meanwhile, gymnast Erika Fasana, at age 16, was the youngest athlete of the team.
Other notable Italian athletes featured taekwondo jin and Olympic silver medalist Mauro Sarmiento, sabre fencer and former Olympic gold medalist Aldo Montano, and rifle shooter and multiple-time World Cup champion Niccolò Campriani.
| width=78% align=left valign=top | The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games: SportMenWomenTotalArchery 3 3 6Athletics 19 19 38Badminton 0 1 1Boxing 7 0 7Canoeing 5 3 8Cycling 8 5 13Diving 4 4 8Equestrian 2 1 3Fencing 9 9 18Gymnastics 6 12 18Judo 4 5 9Modern pentathlon 2 2 4Rowing 18 2 20Sailing 7 4 11Shooting 11 4 15Swimming 20 14 34Synchronized swimming 0 2 2Table tennis 1 1 2Taekwondo 2 0 2Tennis 3 4 7Triathlon 2 1 3Volleyball 14 14 28Water polo 13 13 26Weightlifting 1 0 1Wrestling 1 0 1 Total 162 123 285
Archery
Qualified six athletes.
Men AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankMichele FrangilliIndividual66237 (28) L 3–7Did not advanceMarco Galiazzo66236 (29) L 2–6Did not advanceMauro Nespoli67411 (54)L 2–6Did not advanceMichele FrangilliMarco GaliazzoMauro NespoliTeam19986colspan=2 (11)W 216–206 (3)W 220–216 (7)W 217–215 (4)W 219–218
Women AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankPia LionettiIndividual65219 (46)W 6–2 (14)W 6–4 (3)W 6–2 (11)L 2–6Did not advanceJessica Tomasi63544 (21) L 5–6Did not advanceNatalia Valeeva65024 (41)W 7–3 (9)L 2–6Did not advancePia LionettiJessica TomasiNatalia ValeevaTeam193710colspan=2 (7)L 199–200Did not advance
Athletics
Italian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):
On June 30, 39 Italian athletes were qualified with the A Standard, or as first 12 team relay, reduced to 38 because of an injury waiver for the champion of high jump (5 medals in international competitions 1st level), Antonietta Di Martino. On August 8, Alex Schwazer, the defending Olympic champion in the men's 50 km race walk, was disqualified after he failed the doping test for using the blood-boosting agent recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO).
Key Note – Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only Q = Qualified for the next round q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target NR = National record N/A = Round not applicable for the event Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round
Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankDaniele Meucci5000 m13:28.718colspan=2 Did not advance10000 mcolspan=4 28:57.4624Emanuele Abate110 m hurdles13.464 q13.354Did not advanceJosé Bencosme400 m hurdles49.353 Q50.076Did not advanceYuri Floriani3000 m steeplechase8:29.012 Qcolspan=2 8:40.0713Fabio CeruttiSimone CollioRosario La MastraDavide ManentiDiego MaraniJacques Riparelli4 × 100 m relay38.587colspan=2 Did not advanceRuggero PertileMarathoncolspan=4 2:12:4510Giorgio Rubino20 km walkcolspan=4 1:25:2842Marco De Luca50 km walkcolspan=4 3:47:1917
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionGianmarco TamberiHigh jump2.2121Did not advanceFabrizio DonatoTriple jump16.868 q17.48Daniele Greco17.004 q17.344Lorenzo PoveglianoHammer throw71.5527Did not advanceNicola Vizzoni74.7910 q76.078
Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankGloria Hooper200 m23.256Did not advanceLibania Grenot400 m52.133 Q51.183Did not advanceElena Romagnolo5000 m15:06.389 qcolspan=2 15:35.6915Silvia Weissteiner15:06.817colspan=2 Did not advanceNadia Ejjafini5000 m15:24.7014colspan=2 Did not advance10000 mcolspan=4 31:57.0318Marzia Caravelli100 m hurdles13.013 QDid not advanceGiulia ArcioniChiara BazzoniElena Maria BonfantiLibania GrenotManuela GentiliMaria Enrica Spacca4 × 400 m relay3:29.017colspan=2 Did not advanceRosaria ConsoleMarathoncolspan=4 2:30:0930Anna Incerticolspan=4 2:29:3829Valeria Straneocolspan=4 2:25:278Eleonora Giorgi20 km walkcolspan=4 1:29:4814Elisa Rigaudocolspan=4 1:27:367
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionSimona La MantiaTriple jump13.9218Did not advanceChiara RosaShot put18.3015Did not advanceSilvia SalisHammer throw10.8436Did not advance
Badminton
AthleteEventGroup StageEliminationQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankAgnese AllegriniWomen's singlesL 7–21, 14–21L 11–21, 15–213Did not advance
Boxing
Italy has so far qualified boxers for the following events
Men AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankManuel CappaiLight flyweightL 7–17Did not advanceVincenzo PicardiFlyweightL 16–17Did not advanceVittorio ParrinelloBantamweightW 18–7L 9–11Did not advanceDomenico ValentinoLightweightW 15–10L 14–16Did not advanceVincenzo MangiacapreLight welterweightW 20–14W 16–12L 8–15Did not advanceClemente RussoHeavyweightW W 12–10W 15–13L 11–14Roberto CammarelleSuper heavyweightW 18–10W 12–11W 13–12L 18–18+
Canoeing
Eight Italian athletes have qualified for the following events.
Slalom AthleteEventPreliminarySemifinalFinalRun 1RankRun 2RankBestRankTimeRankTimeRankStefano CipressiMen's C-196.40999.741196.4013Did not advanceDaniele MolmentiMen's K-191.401088.68888.689 Q96.373 Q93.43Pietro CamporesiNiccolò FerrariMen's C-2120.6414111.5510111.5513Did not advanceMaria Clara Giai PronWomen's K-199.662112.651599.663 Q176.6115Did not advance
Sprint AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalsTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankMaximilian BenassiMen's K-1 1000 m3:35.5437Did not advanceJosefa IdemWomen's K-1 500 m1:55.6193 Q1:52.2321 FA1:53.2235Norma MurabitoWomen's K-1 200 m43.8207Did not advance Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Road Men AthleteEventTimeRankSacha ModoloRoad race5:46:5199Vincenzo Nibali5:46:53101Luca Paolini5:46:059Marco PinottiRoad race5:54:04107Time trial52:49.285Elia VivianiRoad race5:46:3738
Women AthleteEventTimeRankMonia BaccailleRoad raceGiorgia Bronzini3:35:565Noemi CanteleRoad race3:36:0434Time trial41:51.1822Tatiana GuderzoRoad race3:36:0130Time trial41:48.9421
Track Omnium