Filippo Tortu, record touched before Worlds

The words of Filippo Tortu

Second career time four hundredths off personal best, good test before departure for World Championships in Eugene.

Olympic relay champion Filippo Tortu (Yellow Flames) runs a season’s best of 20.15 (+1.2 wind) in the 200 meters in La Chaux-de-Fonds. On the Swiss track, the realm of speed, the Italian was third in the race to the resounding 19.63 of Cuban Reynier Mena, who before today had a personal best of 20.04 and suddenly became the tenth duecentrist of all time. Second place for French Meba Mickael Zeze who drops to a sumptuous 19.97 (from his limit of 20.41). “I am really happy – Tortu’s comment – after the Absolute we needed a reaction of pride. Today there were perfect conditions to compete, so I could have done even a little less. Anyway, I take the positive side and I am satisfied with this test, which I am convinced will serve me a lot for the next races.”

Stronger than that, he had run only last September in Nairobi, in 20.11, buoyed by a wind behind him of +2.0. This season, the 23-year-old from Brianza had debuted in the 200 with a windy 20.41 in Doha and then repeated in 20.40 at the Golden Gala at the Olimpico in Rome. It is worth noting the extraordinary afternoon of Cuban Mena and Frenchman Zeze, who, on a track particularly beloved by sprinters, before their astounding times in the 200, had both darted 9.99 in the 100 final (+1.6 wind).