Sara Carnicelli will make history when she takes to the streets of Oran, Algeria on Friday. She will have the unique honor of being the first athlete to represent The Vatican at an international multi-sport event.
Carnicelli, a 27-year-old distance runner, will be the sole representative of The Vatican in Oran. Her eligibility to represent the small city-state is linked to her mother’s employment as an administrative worker.
Monsignor Melchor Jose Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, head of The Vatican’s delegation in Oran, confirmed to Around the Rings, “she has the honor to be the first athlete representing The Vatican at a multi-sport games, in this case, the Mediterranean Games.”
He noted, “this is the first multi-sports Games where we are invited to as guests, and where we can compete.”
A delegation from The Vatican was present at the 2019 Games of the Small States of Europe in Montenegro, but were only allowed to observe. In Oran, Carnicelli will be allowed to compete alongside other athletes in a “non-scoring” manner.
“It is her second international competition, but here the level is really high,” said Sanchez de Toca y Alameda. “We are not at the level of the Olympics, but still, it’s something serious.”
The Vatican was invited to the event by local organizers. Athletica Vaticana, the federation for athletics in The Vatican, said the idea was also supported by Davide Tizzano, President of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (ICMG).
Sanchez de Toca y Alameda informed Around the Rings The Vatican’s delegation originally included two athletes, but that one athlete, middle distance runner Simone Adamoli, had withdrawn from the event shortly before it began.
Still, The Vatican’s participation has piqued the interest of many in the Athlete’s Village according to Sanchez de Toca y Alameda.
“Everyone is asking, ‘Vatican? What is Vatican? Where is the Vatican? I think it has arose sympathy and good will,” said Sanchez de Toca y Alameda.
He also delved into the nature of The Vatican’s participation in Oran, stating, “the nature of our presence here is a symbolic presence.”
“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 noted.
“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.”
On the state of expectations in The Vatican team, Sanchez de Toca y Alameda commented, “[Sara] is anxious and she has hopes, but the other team’s women, their personal best times…are really good.”
“We are far from the Kenyan, Ethiopian, and Ugandan athletes, but still it’s very hard,” he explained.
In terms of the challenge Carnicelli faces, he stated, “it’s interesting. It’s a half marathon. We will have roughly one hour of suffering, of emotions.”
Sanchez de Toca y Alameda will have to watch the race on the big screen in the Grand Stade as access to the course is difficult under current security measures.
Despite this, he asserted, “it’s nice. Everybody has been very excited about this first time.”
The women’s half marathon is set to start at 8:00 A.M. local time on July 1.
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