VECCHI Irene

Personal Information

Family Husband Marco Ciari, son Gregorio [2023]

Residence Livorno, ITA

Occupation Police Athlete

Languages English, Italian

Higher education Political Science - University of Pisa: Italy

License number 10061989000

Club

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Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? She began the sport at age eight at a fencing school in Livorno, Italy.

Why this sport? Her mother was working at a fencing hall and decided to enrol her in classes. "I still remember my first day, I would not leave the house to go to the hall, my feet propped up at the door and Giulio, my younger brother, pulling me from the other side. I still have a clear image of how I was dressed. Having overcome the obstacle of setting foot in the gym, it was love at first sight."

Club / Team GS Fiamme Gialle [ITA] / Frascati Scherma [ITA]:

Handedness Right

General Interest

Hobbies Travelling. (Instagram profile, 18 Mar 2021)

Sporting philosophy / motto "Sabre is my passion. It has given me so much that I will carry in my heart forever. On dark days it can also be quite painful because in the end you fight with yourself to overcome the limits that you encounter along the way." (oasport.it, 26 Apr 2019)

Famous relatives Her husband Marco Ciari has represented Italy in fencing, and won silver in team sabre at the 2009 World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. He has also coached the Italian wheelchair fencing team. (corrieredellosport.it, 27 Nov 2023; SportsDeskOnline, 21 Jun 2019; Instagram profile, 21 Jun 2019)

Other information OLYMPIC FRUSTRATION
She said she was disappointed after the Italian women's sabre team finished fourth for the second Olympic Games in a row, following a comeback win for the Republic of Korea in the bronze-medal match at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. "The disappointment is huge. It has been five long years with one goal in mind, and not reaching it is painful. It seems a bit of a curse. We saw the monster of five years ago in Rio again. We were ahead, they [the Korean team] had nothing to lose and managed to recover. You see a thousand comebacks over a season, it is not the first nor will it be the last. It is part of fencing. We tried until the end to recover and are sorry not to have made it. We must also be able to accept defeat and recognise that in recent years our opponents have also become more competitive." (Instagram profile, 10 Aug 2021; iltelegrafolivorno.it, 31 Jul 2021)