Triple jumper Simona La Mantia, third in the 2005 world list with 14.69, confirmed her recent excellent results with a solid wind-assisted 14.51 (+3.3 m/s) which highlighted the Golden Group (with the best eight Italian teams) of the Italian Club Championships in Cesenatico (12 June).
“My results this year are more consistent and this makes me confident for the future”, said La Mantia.
The young athlete from Palermo did better than the World bronze medallist Magdelin Martinez, who won the Triple Jump in the Silver Group (which includes teams ranked between the ninth and the sixteenth place) with 14.18m, without a real opposition in her seasonal debut. Martinez had some technical problems.
Despite La Mantia’s recent progress Italian Fidal head coach Nicola Silvaggi chose Martinez for next weekend’s European Cup in Florence. However, La Mantia does not see this decision as a disappointment: “Magdelin is more experienced than me and deserves competing in Florence. I have other goals for this season: the Rome Golden Gala, the European Under 23 Champs in Erfurt and the World Championships in Helsinki”, concluded La Mantia.
Ivano Brugnetti, Olympic 20km Race Walking champion made a good test over the 10km distance winning in 39:31.35.
Levorato back from injury
European 100 and 200 metres bronze medallist Manuela Levorato took a last-minute decision to line up in both sprints where she returned to winning ways in 11.49 and 23.63 (wind +2.1 m/s), after two years out of contention due to serious injury problems. “I had a great feeling before competing. Coming back after two years of therapies to heal my tendon was not easy”, said Levorato.
The slow Cesenatico track prevented fast times in the men’s 100 metres. European and World Indoor finalist Simone Collio, who ran 10.29 in Lugano last week, won in 10.36 beating the Nigerians Uchenna Emedolu and Deji Aliu.
Italian record holder Ester Balassini (PB 71.28) won the women’s Hammer Throw with 68.66m in her last attempt beating her friend and rival Clarissa Claretti (67.19). Assunta Legnante set the italian seasonal best in the women’s Shot Put with 18.50.
One of the emerging italian athletes is the womne’s Javelin thrower Zahra Bani, who has recently climbed to second place in the Italian all-time list with 62.54 at the Turin Memorial Primo Nebiolo, won with a best release of 58.47. Bani was born in Mogadiscio (Somalia) where her grandfather emigrated. When the civil war broke out in Somalia in 1991, she and her family returned to Italy. Zahra’s first coach was the late Carlo Lievore, who held the men’s Javelin Throw world record from 1961 to 1964.
Chiaraviglio beats Gibilisco
Argentina’s German Chiaraviglio, World Youth champion in 2003 and World Junior silver medallist, took a surprising win in the men’s Pole Vault equalling the Italian Junior record with 5.50. Chiaraviglio defeated World champion and Olympic bronze medallist Giuseppe Gibilisco who did not vault higher than 5.40. Chiaraviglio (now coached by Vitaliy Petrov when he trains in Formia) has a joint Italian and Argentinian passport because his grandparents come from Northern Italy.
Gianni Carabelli lowered his PB in the 400 metres Hurdles with 49.49. The men’s Triple Jump win went to the revelation Emanuele Sardano (PB 16.82m this year) with a wind-assisted 16.72m. Nicola Ciotti cleared 2.26 in the men’s High Jump before three unsuccessful attempts at 2.30.
Italian club titles went to the Fiamme Gialle (which also won the European Club Champs in Lagos) in the men’s ranking and to Sai Fondiaria Roma on the women side.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
