During the Olympics, World Championships or European, it often happens that an athlete competes for “Fiamme Oro“or for the”Yellow flames“. It is not a secondary detail, but an all -Italian tradition of tradition: in Italy most athletes are enrolled in bodies such as Police, carabinieri, army or Guardia di Finanza. Why it is to be traced back to a question above all economicas unlike sports such as football, tennis, basketball and others, in less “rich” sports – such as athletics, fencing or swimming – sponsor and prizes earnings they are not enough To live and train full time. For this reason many Italian champions enter the sports groups of the state bodies: in particular Army, State Police, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, Air Force, Marina, Penitentiary Police and Fire Brigade.
Because Italian athletes enter the police: the advantages
Be “athletes-military” or be part of a police force offers concrete benefits: a fixed salary, cutting -edge training structures, technical support, access to physiotherapists and qualified athletic trainers, and the possibility of dedicating themselves completely to sport without having to work elsewhere.
Being part of one of these sports groups is also a guarantee of having a professional continuity and a Safe income even after withdrawing from competitive activity. To the last Olympics in Paris, about the 73% of the blue delegation belonged to a military sports group or civil bodies of the state: on 403 athletes of Italy team, 296 They also wore the uniform. A constant growth data: ai Summer games of Atlanta 1996only the 32% of the 111 blue athletes belonged to a military sports group. In the following years, the percentage has grown constantly, reaching the 70% In Tokyo 2020 with 268 military athletes. The trend shows clear and evident growth, with some exceptions: 34% A Sydney 2000, 33% to Athens 2004, 51% in Beijing 2008, 63% in London 2012 e 44% in Rio 2016.
This peculiarity of athletes-military has ancient roots. Already at the end ‘800athletes enrolled in the army, Marina and Guardia di Finanza participated in international competitions. At the London Olympics 1908, for example, Italy won gold in the Greek-Roman struggle with Enrico Porrosailor of the destroyer Castelfidardo.
The sporting situation in Italy and how the double uniform is obtained
In Italy, many athletes choose to support military career or in the civil bodies of the state, a typically national phenomenon linked to practical and structural reasons. In Italy, only four sports they still enjoy one professional status Recognized: Football (up to Serie C), golf, cycling and basketball (male series only). All the others, even those practiced at the highest international levels such as the Olympic disciplines, remain officially amateur.
There Sport reform He tried to introduce more “corporate” and professional models for companies and associations, but reality remains largely artisanal, with a decisive role of voluntary work. To this is added the absence of a structured school sports system: about the 60% of primary schools does not have gymsmaking it impossible to replicate the model of the US college.
In military sports groups and in the civil bodies of the State, the entrance takes place through public competitionsimilar to that of the police, but designed for those who have already achieved important results in sports at national or international level, certified by Coni. Those who pass the competition are enrolled as voluntary A fixed -term for four years (every two years the athletes are subjected to checks to confirm the stay in the group), with a salary equal to that of the equal degree staff, and assigned to the reference sports center.
At the end of the competitive career, the possible roads are different: you can remain in service as instructor or athletic trainerwork in military schools and sports centers, participate in internal competitions to advance in the career, or choose to take leave.
From the carabinieri on Fiamme Oro: the Italian champions who made the history of military sport
Over the years, the Italian military sports groups have produced a large number of samples, from historical heroes to contemporary athletes. In the Carabinieri Alberto Tomba passed, the legendary skier who after the Olympic golds came to the rank of Marshal, Raimondo D’Iezeo, Olympic and World Cup and Armin Pluricampione, and Armin Zoeggeler, myth of the sled with six Olympic medals.
Among the financiersNames such as Isolde Kostner, one of the first women in the body and ski champion, Domenico Fioravanti, first Olympic gold of Italian swimming at Sydney 2000, Giuseppe Gibilisco, world gold in the jump with the auction, Tania Cagnotto and Arianna Fontana, stand out respectively in swimming and short track respectively. To them are added Filippo Toru, an Olympic sprinter and Italian record holder of 100 meters.
In Fiamme Oro (State Police), historic champions such as Livio Berruti, Olympic gold on 200 meters in Rome ’60, Carlo Pedersoli (Bud Spencer) and Loris Capirossi have made school, while today Marcell Jacobs, Olympic gold in the 100 meters, Valentina Vezzali, Bebe Vio, Elisa Di Francisca, Gianmarco Tamberi, Massimo Stano, Federico Pellegrino and Sofia Raffaeli stand out. The Army sports centerborn shortly before the 1960 Rome Olympics, also includes non -Olympic disciplines linked to training, such as parachuting and Winter Triathlonand formed champions such as Marco Albarello (Nordic skiing), Marta Bassino (Alpine skiing), Diana Bacosi (shooting shot), Michela Moioli (Snowboard) and Fabio Basile (Judo).
The Blue flames (Prison police) count in cycling, athletics and ice sports, above all Carolina Kostner, while the Red flames (Fire Brigade) had Jury Chech as a flagshipthe in gymnastics.
