Caironi embraces special friendship behind Italy’s 100m sweep at Tokyo 2020

Italy’s Martina Caironi says friendship formed on the athletics track is one of the strongest bonds that she could ask for.

That is why the two-time Paralympic gold medallist calls her achievement of sweeping the women’s 100m T63 with her friends at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games “magic”.

In arguably one of the most iconic moments of the Games, rising sensation Ambra Sabatini led Italy’s 1-2-3 finish in her Paralympic debut, followed by Caironi and Monica Graziana Contrafatto at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.

Photos and videos of the three athletes competing in the pouring rain and celebrating by striking the famous pose from the film Charlie’s Angels went viral on social media and stole hearts of sports fans in Italy and beyond.

One year since the Games, this friendship has become a motivation for Caironi, 33, to improve in the sport. And she showed just that in May by rewriting Sabatini’s world record at a meet in Eugene, Oregon.

Picture-perfect moment

Caironi, who won the 100m T42 at both Rio 2016 and London 2012, said completing a clean sweep at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games was a “dream” for the Italian trio.

“I remember the day before (the competition) we were discussing what we should do if we arrive 1-2-3. I said, ‘No, I don’t want to talk about this,’ because I thought it was bad luck talking about it,” Caironi said.

“I think Monica proposed the Charlie’s Angels (pose) and I proposed (doing a) can-can,” she added. “We knew we could do it. My concern was about a false start or something that would happen to me, not to the others because I’m always thinking about me.”

In the final race, the three Italians came from behind, with Sabatini winning in world-record time in her Paralympic debut.

Running in the lane next to Sabatini, Caironi realised a few metres before the finish line that she would not be able to cross before her teammate.

“But when it finished, wow, it was a magic moment because we were there with three flags, making jokes, making a show with the rain,” Caironi said.

“And then the moment of the medal ceremony was big because even though I was second, the Italian anthem was playing. So we were there, three of us singing, crying. And I think all of Italy was crying at that moment.”

Motivation

Finishing with a silver medal behind Sabatini, who she calls her “young sister”, inspired Caironi to challenge herself even more after the Tokyo Paralympics.

“The fact that I got a silver instead of gold, of course, it was strange and hard as well for me. But I think that the best way to lose the crown was this one,” she said. “In fact, that motivated me a lot.”

Caironi said it felt strange to chase another athlete because she had led the field for most of her career since she took up Para sports in 2010, three years after she was in an…