Rome 2024 appointment a "great challenge" for twice Olympic champion Bianchedi

Olympic champion fencer Diana Bianchedi, left, says her appointment as Rome 2024 secretary general is a "great challenge" ©Getty Images

Rome 2024's newly appointed secretary general Diana Bianchedi admiited spearheading the Italian capital's bid to host the Olympic Games is a "great challenge".

The 46-year-old, a two-time Olympic champion fencer, was confirmed in the role yesterday after it was announced that Claudia Bugno would be making a surprise departure to take up an unspecified management job.

Bianchedi will be charged with coordinating Rome's efforts, along with the bid's President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.

"I am very excited," said the Barcelona 1992 and Sydney 2000 team foil gold medallist.

"Becoming part of the Rome 2024 Committee for me is like going back home, back to my world.

"I am ready to face this great challenge and bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the city I live in.

"The Games are a dream for every athlete, they are a target, an event reached only after a great effort and sacrifices.

"But they are also a time for sharing, an extraordinary experience that will stay in everyone’s heart.

"It is an event that changes people's lives and the look of a city and of an entire nation.

"We will fight until the very last moment to make it happen, to give our children and our capital this great celebration of sport.

"Today Rome and Italy have a great opportunity and I am absolutely ready to face this challenge."

Diana Bianchedi will work with the bid's President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo ©Getty Images

Bianchedi has held many governance jobs within Italian sport, having been the deputy vice-chairman of the country's Olympic Committee, chairman of the Athletes' Commission, an executive member of the Anti-Doping Scientific Committee and the President of the Merit Commission.

Rome is up against Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles and Paris in the battle for the 2024 hosting rights, with the International Olympic Committee due to elect a host at its session in Peru's capital Lima in 2017.

Di Montezemolo said yesterday: "Diana Bianchedi will now take us into an exciting new phase for the bid.

“As well as being an undisputed champion, Diana is an experienced and capable manager.

“Her proven knowledge of the world of sport will be an important added value to Rome 2024, a project that focuses on the athletes.”