World Gymnastics Championships: Targhetta, Italy on the podium on horseback after 113 years

Gabriele Targhetta secured a silver medal on the pommel horse at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, ending a 113 year wait for Italy to stand on a podium in this specific apparatus. The twenty year old gymnast finished behind Armenia’s Hamlet Manukyan, who claimed the gold with a score of 15.300. Targhetta recorded his personal best of 15.233, missing victory by just sixty seven thousandths of a point. This achievement marks the first time an Italian has reached the final podium for the pommel horse since Paris 1913, when Olympic champion Giorgio Zampori won the title. The competition concluded with a high level of technical execution, featuring eight gymnasts who performed routines without major errors. Behind the top two finishers, fellow Armenian Mamikon Khachatryan took bronze with a score of 15.000. For Targhetta, the result breaks a longer drought for Italian artistic gymnastics, which had not won a world medal since the 2021 edition in Kitakyushu. Born in Monza, the athlete trains under coach Gianmatteo Centazzo at the Spes Mestre club. Centazzo represented Italy at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and previously won medals at the Mediterranean Games and the 1993 Universiade. Targhetta described the moment as a dream, noting he competed against legends of the sport. He dedicated the medal to the national team, the State Police force that employs him through its Fiamme Oro unit, and teammate Lorenzo Bonicelli. Bonicelli, who suffered a severe injury on the rings last year, was present in the stands to watch the final. Targhetta emphasized the dedication required for the discipline, stating that his training sessions on the pommel horse last between one and a half and two hours daily, excluding warm up and strength work. He expressed intent to improve his execution scores and increase difficulty by adding extra rotations on the handles. Andrea Facci, president of the Italian Gymnastics Federation, praised the quality of the final, calling Targhetta’s performance extraordinary given the young age of the athlete. Facci highlighted that Targhetta became European champion in Zagreb earlier this year before achieving world runner up status. The federation noted these results demonstrate the gymnast’s readiness for future competitions, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Looking ahead to the remaining finals scheduled for Sunday, attention turns to Manila Esposito on the balance beam and Yumin Abbadini on the horizontal bar. Abbadini already qualified for the final by placing among the world’s top eight gymnasts. Targhetta offered encouragement to Abbadini, promising to cheer from the audience as Abbadini had done for him during the pommel horse event. The atmosphere in Rotterdam remained focused on supporting the Italian delegation as they conclude their participation in the championships.