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| SAMELE Luigi |
| NOC |
Italy
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| Gender | Men |
| Born |
25 Jul 1987
in Foggia, ITA
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| Height | 1.90 m |
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Further Personal Information |
| Residence |
Bologna, ITA |
Sport Specific Information |
| Club / Team |
GS Fiamme Gialle [ITA] / Virtus Scherma Bologna [ITA]: |
| Name of coach |
Andrea Terenzio [Virtus], ITA |
Further Personal Information |
| Occupation |
Police Athlete |
| Languages |
English, Italian |
Sport Specific Information |
| Why this sport? |
He followed his older brother into the sport. |
| Handedness |
Left |
General Interest |
| Nicknames |
Gigi (oasport.it, 13 Feb 2022; Instagram profile, 01 Aug 2021) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Sport should be fun, first and foremost. I have had too many friends in fencing who were phenomenal, but had not learned to lose due to their high expectations. More than celebrating a victory, you have to understand how to recover from a defeat." (fanpage.it, 15 Jan 2021) |
| Famous relatives |
His partner Olga Kharlan has represented Ukraine in fencing. She won medals at the Olympic Games in 2008, 2012, and 2016, including team sabre gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing. She also competed at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 19 Apr 2022; ilrestodelcarlino.it, 07 Mar 2022) |
| Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning silver in both individual and team sabre at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (Instagram profile, 24 Sep 2021; Instagram profile, 01 Aug 2021) |
| Hobbies |
Playing video games, music. (Instagram profile, 23 Mar 2021; Italia Team Facebook page, 23 Mar 2020) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Training Regime |
"In the off-season I do a lot of gym and athletic training, a lot of cardio and little attention to detail. Once we get close to competitions, quantity is lost to focus on quality. I also do pilates two afternoons a week. I find it very useful, as it rebalances the body and helps me avoid injuries. I also work a lot on my core as well as on elasticity and balance. The latter is fundamental for the sport I do. I will continue to do so even when I stop being an athlete." |
Further Personal Information |
| Family |
Partner Olga Kharlan |
General Interest |
| Most influential person in career |
Coach Andrea Terenzio. (Instagram profile, 01 Aug 2021) |
| Hero / Idol |
Ukrainian fencer [and his partner] Olga Kharlan, Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. (oasport.it, 13 Feb 2022; Instagram profile, 01 Aug 2021) |
| Other information |
TRAINING ORGANISER
He and his partner, Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, helped arrange for several Ukrainian fencers to train with the Virtus Scherma Bologna club in Italy following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Samele also organised fundraising to allow them to compete in international events. "That they are able to compete is the best result we could have aspired to. All the sporting results that will come will be irrelevant to the happiness we feel in seeing them return to live peacefully and enjoy fencing." Following the outbreak of the conflict Kharlan travelled from Bologna to the Romanian border with Ukraine to help her family flee. Kharlan, her sister and nephew then travelled to Budapest, Hungary where they met Samele and drove back to Bologna. "I was against it at the beginning because I was afraid, but with a heavy heart I told her to leave, and that we would find a way to get home. I was afraid she wouldn't come back, but after some time she managed to cross the border and get to Hungary. I took the first plane and left." (bolognatoday.it, 13 May 2022; fanpage.it, 12 Mar 2022) |
| Injuries |
In March 2023 he missed a tournament in Budapest, Hungary, due to back pain. (Instagram profile, 24 Mar 2023) |
| Olympic Games |
| 2020 |
2 |
Individual Sabre |
Tokyo, Japan |
| 2020 |
2 |
Team Sabre |
Tokyo, Japan |
| 2012 |
3 |
Team Sabre |
London, England |
| World Championships |
| 2023 |
6 |
Team Sabre |
Milan, Italy |
| 2022 |
3 |
Team Sabre |
Cairo, Egypt |
| 2022 |
Quarterfinal |
Individual Sabre |
Cairo, Egypt |
| 2019 |
3 |
Team Sabre |
Budapest, Hungary |
| 2018 |
2 |
Team Sabre |
Wuxi, China |
| 2017 |
3 |
Team Sabre |
Leipzig, Germany |
| 2010 |
2 |
Team Sabre |
Paris, France |
| 2006 |
7 |
Team Sabre |
Turin, Italy |
| European Championships |
| 2023 (Team) |
2 |
Team Sabre |
Kraków, Poland |
| 2019 |
3 |
Team Sabre |
Düsseldorf, Germany |
| 2017 |
2 |
Team Sabre |
Tbilisi, Georgia |
| 2013 |
1 |
Team Sabre |
Zagreb, Croatia |
| 2012 |
8 |
Individual Sabre |
Legnano, Italy |
| 2010 |
1 |
Team Sabre |
Leipzig, Germany |
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