Graffiti celebrating Italian volleyball player Paola Egonu vandalized after Italy wins Olympic gold

Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Rome’s mayor and several others have denounced the defacing of a street-art celebration of Paola Egonu. She helped lead Italy to its first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s volleyball in Paris and has faced years of racist abuse at home. Egonu was born in Italy to parents of Nigerian origin. She was named tournament MVP after she led Italy to beat the U.S. defending champions on Sunday. Hours after the Games ended, street artist Laika celebrated Egonu with a work of graffiti opposite the Rome headquarters of the Italian Olympic Committee. Entitled “Italianness,” the graffiti showed Egonu spiking a ball that had the words “Stop racism, hatred, xenophobia,” on it. On Tuesday, someone painted the figure’s dark skin pink.