A gold medal, MPV, and finally inner peace for Italy volleyball star Paola Egonu at Paris 2024 Olympics

A year ago, Paola Egonu’s international career hung in a delicate balance, having quit the Azzurre in 2022 after facing racial abuse on social media following the team’s semi-final exit at the world championships.

On Sunday (11 August), Egonu stood as an Olympic champion. She was named MVP of the Paris 2024 women’s volleyball tournament for spearheading Italy’s charge to their first-ever medal at the Games, under coach Julio Velasco.

Want to talk about the perfect response? There it is.

“Yes, let's say that I found my peace of mind where I give 100 per cent,” Egonu said following Italy’s 3-0 victory in the final over Tokyo 2020 gold medallists USA. “But in situations where I might not feel comfortable, trying to play tactically - whether it's taking out a main attacker or simply creating confusion to strengthen our defence - helped me a lot.

“It means a lot. It means being able to get back up and embark on another adventure with this team, this group.”

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Paola Egonu: 'This is the best day'

Velasco was appointed in November, replacing Davide Mazzanti who had been in charge since 2017. Mazzanti was sacked after a disappointing 2023 campaign; he also left Egonu, who had been part of the fold for a decade, out of selection.

Velasco, the 72-year-old guru from Argentina, was the breath of fresh air Italy needed. Nigerian by blood, Egonu, in particular, found him to be the mentor she needed.

“You could say that Velasco's lessons every day were worth it,” said Egonu, who led all scorers with 22 points (18 kills, four blocks) against USA. “There was so much determination and a strong desire to give our best, even in the small things, even if they aren’t my specialty.

“He managed to build the team, bringing together each person’s strengths and trying to cover for potential weaknesses. And personally, he reassured me.

“I have to say that the mindset we had was to focus on playing our game every day and creating that stability, which has been evident from the beginning - from summer until now.

“This is the best day. It's the competition that every athlete dreams of, and having my family, my boyfriend and my friends here supporting me is wonderful.”

In the run-up to the Games, Velasco’s Italy won the Volleyball Nations League and climbed to the top of the world rankings.

The momentum carried over to Paris, where they dropped just one set in six games en route to their first-ever Olympic medal - a gold - after having never made it past the quarter-finals in six previous appearances.

At the heart of the comprehensive Italian run was Egonu, who was named to the Dream Team as the top outside hitter. She was the competition’s joint second-highest scorer alongside Brazil’s Gabriela Braga.

After finally restoring inner peace, Egonu found accolades of all kinds in Paris - and hopes it stays that way.

“From the first days, from the peace we experienced this summer, how good it felt. There was support when the days were a bit darker, hence the calmness of summer.

“I think it's something indescribable - that volleyball in Italy is thriving, and we need to keep it going.

“I dedicate this to my grandfather who passed away. He always followed me, raised me a certain way and told me that one day we would win it.

“So, I’m happy.”