FLORENCE, May 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Some give up a victory to restore the correct result, others stop their race to help an injured opponent, while others choose fairness at a decisive moment. These are the gestures that the 2026 "Young Athletes" Fair Play Menarini Award has chosen to celebrate, honouring three young athletes who have put loyalty and solidarity above victory.
Their stories will take centre stage at the press conference on 4 June at the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) in Rome, where the stars of the 30th Fair Play Menarini International Award will also be revealed. A common thread will thus link the winners of the "Young Athletes" Award to international champions who will receive the award on 2 July in Florence: stories united by the same values.
This year's first award winner, Alberto Belluzzi, turned a fencing bout into a lesson in integrity. During the Italian Under-23 Championships in Caorle, the fencer realised that he had been awarded an extra victory. The referee's oversight would have excluded his opponent from the next round, but Alberto immediately reported the error to the officials, insisting the result be corrected.
Gloria Tinaburri's actions also exemplify the noblest principles of sport: during the Endurance World Championships in France, the young rider stopped her own race to help a competitor injured in a fall. Showing clarity and composure, Gloria handled the emergency for forty minutes, securing the horses, reassuring the injured rider, and coordinating the rescue efforts, before resuming the competition.
Finally, volleyball player Matteo Pasqualetti embodied the values of loyalty and fair play. During the Under-13 finals, at a tense moment in the match, the young player from Virtus Roma Pallavolo spontaneously admitted a block touch that had gone unnoticed by the referees, forfeiting an advantage for his team.
"Through their actions, Alberto, Gloria and Matteo have demonstrated extraordinary integrity and selflessness," said Luca Lastrucci, Valeria Speroni Cardi and Filippo Paganelli, members of the Board of the Fair Play Menarini Foundation. "The spirit that drives these three young athletes is the very same spirit that the Fair Play Menarini Award has been celebrating for thirty years through the stories of undisputed legends of world sport."
The grand finale of the 30th edition will take place on 2 July at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, celebrating the 2026 winners and the finest stories in international sport.
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