Sporting event delegation
Vatican City symbolically competed at the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria, from 25 June to 6 July 2022. The nation's appearance at these games marked its debut in the Mediterranean Games and in any international multi-sport event.
After being present as observers in the 2019 Games of the Small States of Europe and as guests in the 2022 Championships of the Small States of Europe, the delegation was invited by local organizers to compete in the 2022 Mediterranean Games and fielded one athlete in the sport of athletics, who competed in the women's half marathon. Since the nation's participation in the Games was unofficial and symbolic, the delegation's results were recorded in a "non-scoring" way.
Background.
Before the country's participation at the Games, a Vatican delegation was present at the 2019 Games of the Small States of Europe in Budva, Montenegro, as observers, as they were barred from competing due to the absence of a National Olympic Committee. They were then scheduled to officially compete at the 2021 Games of the Small States of Europe held in Andorra la Vella, Andorra, through a partnership with the Italian Olympic Committee signed in 2018, but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to avoid scheduling conflicts with the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were rescheduled to be held in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
The nation was also present at the 2022 Championships of the Small States of Europe, held in Marsa, Malta, an athletics competition composed of member countries of the Athletic Association of Small States of Europe. Sara Carnicelli, one of the runners on the team, unofficially placed third in the women's 5000 metres. However, the team was unplaced as team members were guests and were recorded in a "non-scoring" way, so the results had no effect on the ranking. The two members, Sara Carnicelli and Emiliano Morbidelli, were awarded with honorary medals.
Delegation.
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It’s bearing witness of friendship through sport, of connecting the two shores of the Mediterranean, which is something that Pope Francis has always been fighting for, he says the Mediterranean has to be the Mare Nostrum, and not the Mare Mortum; not a dead sea, but a common sea. If we can attract media attention to these [goals], an awareness; we are happy with this.
Melchor Sánchez de Toca Alameda, "Vatican City primed for debut at Mediterranean Games"
The nation was invited by the local organizers of the Games and was supported by Davide Tizzano, the president of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games, citing it as a "symbolic opportunity". The delegation consisted of three people: the head of the Vatican's sports department in the culture ministry, Melchor Sánchez de Toca Alameda; runner Sara Carnicelli, who got eligibility to represent the Vatican through her mother being an employee as an administrative worker in the nation; and runner Simone Adamoli, who was also set to compete but withdrew before his event.
Athletics.
Following Adamoli's withdrawal from his event, the Vatican's sole athlete, Sara Carnicelli, competed in the women's half marathon alongside competitors such as Olympians Rkia El Moukim from Morocco, Souad Aït Salem from Algeria, and eventual winner Giovanna Epis from Italy. Her event started on July 1 at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium, and she eventually ended the race in 1:17:21, placing ninth unofficially. However, she is unplaced in the ranks as the nation was invited as guests and their results were recorded in a "non-scoring" manner.
After her participation in the race, she became the first athlete to compete for the Vatican City in any international multi-sport event.
References.
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