Andrew Howe in the men's Long Jump in Ancona (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Ancona, ItalyJumpers grabbed the headlines at the Italian Indoor Championships during the weekend (18/19) in Ancona, a central Italian town on the Adriatic Coast. The second best ever Italian performance indoors was set by Andrew Howe in the men’s Long Jump with a 8.10m leap, a 17.24 win in the men’s Triple Jump by Fabrizio Donato, a High Jump battle between twin brothers Nicola and Giulio Ciotti, and Simona La Mantia’s 14.24m women’s Triple Jump were the highlights.
Second best jump of his career
Andrew Howe, the reigning World Junior champion in the 200m and the Long Jump, booked his berth for the upcoming 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Moscow (10 -12 March) with 8.10m performance on his third attempt, which climbed the Los Angeles-born athlete to second place in the national indoor all-time list behind Giovanni Evangelisti, who leapt to 8.26 italian record in 1987. Howe’s effort which tied the national under-23 record (also held by Evangelisti) was the ninth best jump of the 2006 season. In a consistent series, he had two more jumps beyond 8m (8.07 and 8.02).
Howe was making his second appearance in the 2006 indoor season after a one-month training period at the UCLA University in California. Just one week ago the young italian won at the Tyson Invitational meeting in Fayetteville (Arkansas) with 7.94m.
This weekend’s 8.10m was the second best performance of his career, just one centimetre off his 8.11 outdoor PB which earned him the World Junior title in 2004. Unfortunately, his season was ruined in 2005 by injuries.
“I felt well today although I know that I have to improve my run-up,” confirmed Howe. “But I am very confident after one month at the UCLA University. It was a great experience. I had the chance to meet long jump legends Mike Powell and Carl Lewis there. This year I will focus on the Long Jump. I will run some sprint races outdoors in preparation…now I need tougher tests before Moscow. I will compete in the long jump at the European Indoor Cup in Liévin in my last test before the World Indoor Championships.”
Donato continues in fine form
Italian Triple Jump indoor and outdoor record holder Fabrizio Donato, who recently leapt to 17.33m in the Ancona venue, currently making him the third best jumper of 2006 indoor season, reconfirmed his good form with his fourth 17m jump of this season. Donato, who is coached by former triple jumper Roberto Pericoli, clinched the national title with 17.24m defeating 2001 World Indoor champion Paolo Camossi, who also made the team for Moscow thanks to his second place with 16.85m in the final round.
“I have jumped consistently over 17 metres this season. I think that it is the dream for every triple jumper. The birth of my daugther Greta in November is having a positive impact on my results”, said Donato, who is married to 400 and 800 metres specialist Patrizia Spuri.
Ciotti twins tussle again
With the Ciotti twins Nicola and Giulio, jointly leading the Italian seasonal list with 2.31m clearances in Hustopece (Czech Republic) in January, the men’s High Jump was expected to be the main attraction of these championships. Nicola, fifth at last summer’s World Champs in Helsinki, who is in especially good form having backed up this result with two wins in Bucarest (2.30) and Novi Sad (2.31) and a second place in Stockholm with 2.28, duly took the title on count-back in a competition which was very long with frequent interruptions. Both brothers cleared 2.25 on their second attempt but Giulio had needed two jumps at the opening height of 2.16 which Nicola jumped it on his first attempt.
Last year's European indoor finalist Andrea Bettinelli, who also set the qualifying standard for Moscow when winning the Maromme High Jump in France with 2.28, had to be content with third place with 2.21. The Ciotti twins will make-up the Italian team in the Russian capital.
“It was a long and difficult competition,” said Nicola Ciotti. “Only the italian title mattered today. The last time we competed for the national team together in the same event was many years ago when we were juniors. I want to reach the final and repeat my result of Helsinki (5th)”
La Mantia is Moscow bound
Simona La Mantia, the reigning European U23 champion, began her indoor season with a qualifying mark for Moscow of 14.24m, the sixth best jump in the world this year.
“I needed this competition to improve my run-up and my jumping technique,” said La Mantia. “After I reached the qualifying standard for Moscow with 14.10 in the third attempt, I was more relaxed. But I am not content and I was determined to increase my seasonal best. Achieving the sixth best performance in the world this year does not mean too much for me. I am aware that some of the best rivals have not peaked yet. I think that the final in Moscow would be a great result. Before Moscow I will compete next week in Athens”,
La Mantia, reached the World Indoor final in Budapest two years ago after setting a national under 23 in the qualifying round with 14.49. Her close friend Chiara Rosa, a European U23 bronze medallist in the Shot Put, continued her recent progress improving her indoor PB to a solid 18.41, which ranks her ninth on the world seasonal list. Rosa, had already set the qualifying standard for Moscow during the current winter season. “I knew I was in good shape. What makes me happy is that I am throwing consistently over 18 metres”, said Rosa.
Di Martino continues comeback
High jumper Antonietta Di Martino, 2001 World Championships High Jump finalist, has showed a good return to form this winter after sustaining many injuries that had hampered her promising career. Di Martino, who qualified for next month’s World Championships in Moscow by clearing 1.92m twice during the current indoor season in Dessau and Stockholm, took the Italian title clearing 1.91 before failing her three attempts at 1.94.
Elisa Rigaudo, winner of the 2004 IAAF Walking Challenge, clinched the 3km Race Walking title with a solid 12:10.61 without a real opposition. “I walked many kilometres this winter to prepare the World Cup in La Coruna and the European Championships in Gothenburg. It was a good test for the period of the year”, said Rigaudo.
Italian walking hope Giorgio Rubino, the European junior 20km bronze medallist, took 5km title clocking 19:33.73.
Francesco Scuderi clinched an emotional win in the men’s 60 metres in 6.69, a time which qualifies him for Moscow in his comeback season two years after being struck down by Bechet Syndrom, a serious disease which affects the immune system.
European indoor finalist Silvia Weissteiner easily reached the Moscow qualifying mark in the 3000m with 8:59.75. Another middle distance athlete who will fly to Moscow is 800m runner Elisa Cusma who won the 1500 metres in 4:17.17. In Moscow, Cusma will run 800m, a distance where she produced a good 2:01.87 in Vienna, a result which ranks her second in the all-time Italian list behind former 1500 metres Olympic champion Gabriella Dorio (2:00.85 in 1982).
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
