When Team Italy hits the training hall, everyone knows about it. The Italians aren't afraid to thump and howl on the platform, and at the 2025 European Weightlifting Championships, Team Italy brought out some new blood.
- Remind Me: Throughout Paris qualification, Team Italy rose to prominence online for their fiery personalities on (and off) the competition stage.
Italy has fielded an 8-athlete roster in Chisinau, Moldova; five women and three men. On Apr. 14, we got our first glimpse at some of the Italian newcomers — and their potential.
Get the Latest: 2025 European Weightlifting Championships Results
Team Italy | 2025 European Weightlifting Championships
Many of Team Italy's most famous weightlifters aren't in Chisinau this year, including Giulia Imperio (49KG), who recently underwent shoulder surgery, and Sergio Massidda (61KG), Italy's most consistent international performer.
We're sure you'd recognize Ludovica Delia (55KG), or Oscar Martinez (81KG). So here's a closer look at some of Italy's fresher faces:
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Christian Di Maria (55KG)
- 15 years old
- 1 Youth international appearance
- 190KG best total at 49
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Greta De Riso (59KG)
- 17 years old
- 7 international Youth and Junior appearances
- 198KG best total at 59
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Chiara Piccinno (64KG)
- 24 years old
- 5 international Youth and Junior appearances
- 196KG best total at 59
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Martina Chiacchio (64KG)
- 24 years old
- 2 international U23 appearances
- 205KG best total at 64
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Lorenzo Tarquini (89KG)
- 21 years old
- 2 international Youth & Junior appearances
- 323KG best total at 81
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Genna Toko Kegne (76KG)
- 21 years old
- 1 international appearance
- 227KG best total at 76
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly included Lucrezia Magistris (59KG) and Giulia Miserendino (71KG) as attending this competition based on the event's start book dated 8 April.
Italy's freshman class shows a lot of promise. In the training hall, we were treated to their now-famous lifting style; swift, aggressive, and brimming with emotion.
While some of them lack long, extensive international resumes, many of these athletes have already medaled at the Youth and Junior/U23 European Weightlifting Championships in the past.
We'll have to see if their luck holds in Chisinau.
Elsewhere: Mihaela Cambei Dominates 2025 European Weightlifting Championships
Go Big or Go Home (Empty-Handed)
Let's backtrack a bit. For better or worse, the perils of qualifying for the Paris Olympics last summer forced Team Italy into the limelight in international weightlifting.
- From the Expert: "[Team Italy] load what they need to break into the top 10, try to lift those numbers, rinse, and repeat," remarked Weightlifting House magnate Seb Ostrowicz in 2023.
This "go big or go home" mentality cultivated both tears and triumph for Team Italy; 49-kilogram superstar Imperio bagged a European Weightlifting Championships win three years ago, but she also bombed thrice whilst making her bid for the top 10 in the world. Imperio didn't make the cut for Paris.
In 2021, in Tokyo, Italy grabbed three Olympic medals. But they fell from grace three years later in Paris, winning only one bronze — an accolade mired in ongoing controversy.
Still, their approach has proven to be appealing to weightlifting fans at large. Many of Italy's first-string athletes boast hundreds of thousands of social media followers.
We've seen them magnetize eyeballs in the training hall and stadium as well, even if three-for-six performances are considered good days on the platform for the Italians.
- By the Numbers: At the 2024 Olympics, Team Italy's three weightlifters —Sergio Massidda, Antonino Pizzolato, and Lucrezia Magistris, made only 22% of their competitive attempts on stage.
Team Italy regardless remains one of the most exhilarating rosters in Europe. Catch them in action live on Weightlifting House TV, or read up on the details at our Results hub.
