Giuseppe Gibilisco at the national indoor championships (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
The Italian selectors Roberto Frinolli (men team) and Augusto D'Agostino (women team) announced the list of 15 athletes who will compete at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest (5-7 March).
The Italian team features three medal hopes:
The 2003 World outdoor Pole Vault champion Giuseppe Gibilisco, who set the national indoor record with 5.82 in Donetsk on 15 February.
The 1995 and 2001 world outdoor champion Fiona May (Long Jump), who is returning to her best form after her maternity leave in 2002 and leapt to 6.69 in Athens last Sunday.
The 2003 World bronze medallist Magdelin Martinez, who leapt to 14.62 for a national indoor record on 15 February in Karlsruhe.
Other athletes to watch are the 100 and 200 European bronze medallist Manuela Levorato in the 60 metres (seasonal best 7.21) and the 60 metres italian champion Simone Collio (seasonal best 6.58).
This is the Italian team for Budapest (names of athletes, their clubs and seasonal bests):
Men:
60 metres: Simone Collio (Fiamme Gialle) 6.58
60 metres: Andrea Rabino (Carabinieri) 6.65
3000 metres: Salvatore Vincenti (Fiamme Gialle) 7:51.89
60 hurdles: Andrea Giaconi (Fiamme Gialle) 7.72
Long Jump: Nicola Trentin (Fiamme Azzurre) 7.96
Triple Jump: Fabrizio Donato (Fiamme Gialle) 16.69
High Jump: Andrea Bettinelli (Fiamme Gialle) 2.24
Pole Vault: Giuseppe Gibilisco (Fiamme Gialle) 5.82
Women:
60 metres: Manuela Levorato (Tris Milano) 7.21
Long Jump: Fiona May (Cento Torri Pavia) 6.69
Triple Jump: Magdelin Martinez (Atletica 2000 Milano) 14.62
Triple Jump: Simona La Mantia (Fiamme Gialle) 14.25
High Jump: Antonella Bevilacqua (Atletica Asi Veneto) 1.93
Shot Put: Cristiana Checchi (Atletica 2000 Milano) 18.44
Shot Put: Assunta Legnante (Tris Milano) 18.33
