Getty Image
Italy was not happy with what transpired in a men’s fencing final that ended with Hong Kong winning a gold medal, and Pizza Hut locations in the Chinese territory pounced on the opportunity to troll the country that invented their signature dish with a promo involving a very divisive topping.
There’s been no shortage of drama since the Olympics kicked off in Paris, and we were treated to a major dose thanks to what went down when Italy’s Filippo Macchi faced off against Cheung Ka Long of Hong Kong for a gold medal in the individual men’s foil final on Monday.
Italy has historically been the team to beat in fencing at the Olympics, as the 39 gold medals it had collectively racked up in various events heading into the Paris Games was more than any other country could boast about.
With that said, Cheung secured the first fencing gold for Hong Kong in Tokyo in 2021 and was looking to defend his title in an incredibly tight match with Macchi where the Italian was leading by 14-12 at one point (one away from the number required to clinch the top spot on the podium).
Cheung was eventually able to stage a comeback and secure the gold with a 15-14 victory after winning a sudden death point that required the judges to turn to a video review after both men celebrated due to the split-second difference between the final touches.
Italy’s national Olympic Committee disagreed with the ruling to the point where it filed an official complaint (it’s worth noting Macchi graciously conceded defeat), and its president implied geographic bias had come into play when it came to the final ruling, saying:
“The situation is clear. If you have referees which you draw, the first is from [South] Korea, the second from [Chinese] Taipei, you need to change them.”
That beef led to Hong Kong supporters flooding Cheung’s Instagram comments with sacrilegious statements about various approaches to adulterating classic Italian cuisine, and Pizza Hut locations in the region got in on the action by informing customers they could add pineapple to their order for no extra cost for a limited time.
Touché.