Two golds, two bronzes and seventeenth place in the final medal table: the results of the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games were at the centre of a convivial evening with CONS president Christian Forcellini.
Below is the full press release.
2026 Mediterranean Games: great success for San Marino athletes in Taranto.
There was great enthusiasm and participation at the convivial evening dedicated to the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games, where San Marino’s athletes achieved outstanding results both in terms of medals and personal performances.
Guests of the evening included CONS president Christian Forcellini, accompanied by Annalisa Ciavatta, Head of Mission, and Maurizio Mazza, Deputy Head of Mission.
Before recounting the triumphant trip to Taranto, President Forcellini dwelt on the recent success of Sport in Fiera, an event that grows richer every year in terms of offerings and attendance: more than 11,000 visitors over the three days of the event.
The president then turned his attention to the Taranto Games, where our delegation achieved great sporting success. With two golds and two bronzes, San Marino finished in 17th place in the final medal table, also achieving prestigious results across various disciplines and several personal records.
The president emphasised that the Olympic medals won in Tokyo marked a turning point with the past. After Tokyo, we gained the awareness that San Marino too can achieve great results. It is no coincidence that, after Tokyo, our teams went on to achieve prestigious results at the Oran 2022 Mediterranean Games and at the Games of the Small States of Europe in Malta 2023 and Andorra 2025.
When we talk about sport, however, we cannot focus only on sporting results — we must also highlight that sport generates an extremely valuable return in terms of image, in every respect. For a small country like San Marino, therefore, sport does not represent merely a competitive outcome or a line item to be counted among costs, but a true investment of incalculable value. Sport is a driving force for promotion that, in a short time, reaches even the most remote places, carrying the name of San Marino to unimaginable locations.
There were many questions and much curiosity from the Panathlon members, who have always paid close attention to everything related to sport — not only in terms of results, but also in understanding and delving into the figures and governance behind it.
Annalisa Ciavatta then spoke, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the Games’ organisation. She underlined the strong public interest and the enthusiasm the Games managed to generate, while also pointing out some shortcomings in how the event was run. Claudio Stefanelli, who attended the Games as a table tennis coach, noted a few organisational and technical shortcomings, including changes to the scheduling of events made shortly before they were due to begin.
As always, however, Italy — despite the usual delays — managed to put its best foot forward and ultimately won praise and approval.
The evening concluded with applause from the Panathlon members, who greatly appreciated the work and professionalism of the guests.
