Soldiers of sport: CISM athletes battle for glory in Paris

PARIS (FRA) - As the Paris 2024 Olympics progressed into its twelfth day, the indomitable spirit of the military athletes from CISM Member Nations continued to capture the world's attention.

In the Track & Field arena, the Marathon Race Walk Relay Mixed event saw strong efforts, with Italy's Corporal Antonella Palmisano securing sixth place and Brazil's Sergeant Caio Oliveira de Sena Bonfim and Sergeant Viviane Santana Lyra coming in seventh.

The Women's Pole Vault event witnessed a remarkable performance from Switzerland's Private First Class Angelica Moser, who narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth with a commendable jump of 4.80 meters.

Kristjan Čeh (picture: Slovenia Olympic Team)

Slovenia's prowess in the Men's Discus Throw was highlighted by an impressive performance from Kristjan Čeh, who finished fourth with a throw of 68.41 meters. The event set a new Olympic record with Jamaica's Roje Stona throwing 70.00 meters to claim gold.

In the boxing ring, Brazil’s Sergeant Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu and Italy’s Corporal Diego Lenzi both delivered powerful performances, securing fifth place in their respective weight categories (-57kg and +92kg).

The Cycling Track events were fiercely contested. Italy's 1° Corporal Martina Alzini and her team finished fourth in the Women's Team Pursuit, narrowly missing the bronze to Great Britain. France's Sergent Victoire Berteau and her team achieved a commendable fifth place after a strong race against Germany.

Aleksandra Miroslaw (picture: Centralny Wojskowy Zespół Sportowy)

The Climbing event brought a thrilling victory for Poland. Aleksandra Mirosław triumphed in the Women's Speed event, defeating China's Lijuan Deng with a blistering time of 6.10 seconds, clinching the gold medal and bringing glory to her nation.

In the Weightlifting arena, Dominican Republic’s Sergeant Beatriz E. Piron Candelario placed seventh in the Women’s -49kg category.

In wrestling, Demeu Zhadraev, a Greco-Roman wrestler from the Central Sports Club of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan, secured a silver medal after advancing to the final in the 77-kilogram weight category. In the final match, Zhadraev faced off against Japan's Nado Kusaka, who won the bout with a score of 5-2. Armenia also celebrated a medal in Wrestling, with Private Malkhas Amoyan securing a bronze medal in the Men’s -77kg category after a hard-fought match against Aram Vardanyan from Uzbekistan.

Malkhas Amoyan (picture: United World Wrestling)

Italy's prowess in the water was displayed in the Artistic Swimming team event, where Corporal Linda Cerruti, Corporal Marta Iacoacci, Corporal Sofia Mastroianni, and their teammates finished eighth with a final score of 845.9670.

In Taekwondo, France's Soldat de 1ère Classe Cyrian Ravet earned a bronze medal in the Men’s -58kg category, defeating Italian Corporal Vito Dell’Aquila, who finished fifth.

Cyrian Ravet (picture: Ministère des Sports)

Lastly, the Sailing events saw Italy’s Corporal Chiara Benini Floriani finish fifth in the Women’s Dinghy with a total of 91 points, demonstrating skill and resilience on the waters.

The achievements of our military athletes in Paris 2024 will inspire future generations, both in their countries and within their military ranks, proving that the spirit of the Olympics transcends the boundaries of sport.

(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department)