Worlds, Zane Weir and Leonardo Fabbri in finals in the weight, Larissa Iapichino in the long
Worlds, Zane Weir and Leonardo Fabbri in finals in the weight, Larissa Iapichino in the long
Disappointment for Italy in the 20 km march, the first race of the World Championships in Budapest: gold went to Spain’s Martin while Italy’s Massimo Stano (Games gold medalist in Tokyo in the 20 km, and world champion in Eugene in the 35) retired at the 17th kilometer after a race run far from the leading positions. Completing the podium were Sweden’s Kallstrom, silver medalist, and Brazil’s Bonfim, bronze. Eleventh place for the other Italian in the race, Francesco Fortunato with a time of 1h19″01.
“We have to take it philosophically, we hope in the 35km but I was convinced I could play for the gold – Stano’s words at the end of the race – I was fine and I’m sorry, I gave it my all but I had to withdraw in view of the next race. I realized that I could not get what I wanted, I started a mental decline. Martin showed that he is in great condition, I am happy for him.”
Never seen before: two Azzurri in the final at the World Championships in the shot put. It had happened at the Olympics before, not at the rainbow event. Goal achieved by Zane Weir who goes ahead with an excellent 21.82 in the second place of the elimination round, far exceeding the 21.40 required for the direct pass, but also by Leonardo Fabbri, able to pull out the useful measure in the third and last attempt with 20.74 in twelfth place, last of the qualifiers.
After an hour’s postponement due to rain, and warming up under water, European indoor champion Weir opens at 20.81 booking a place in the top twelve. Then the Italian, fifth at the Tokyo Games and fresh off a personal best with 22.15 a decade ago, places the shove that confirms his solid performance on the occasions that count. He remains in the balance until the last Fabbri, but can rejoice in the first major final of his career at the global level, after being the first of the excluded in Doha 2019. If Brazilian Darlan Romani (22.37) impresses, world record holder Ryan Crouser (21.48), who announced on the eve of the event that he was not in the best condition due to a physical problem, does not exaggerate. Back on the platform at 8.37 p.m. for the finals.
No final for the mixed 4×400 relay team composed of Lorenzo Benati, Ayomide Folorunso, Riccardo Meli and Alice Mangione, sixth in the first battery, and consequently already excluded without even being able to wait for the second ‘race’ to be included in the two repechage times. On the blue 3:14.56 inevitably weighs also the muscle discomfort felt by Benati at the exit of the last bend (47.15 the split detected for her split).
It will be a final without azzurri, that of the 3000 steeplechase. Twins Osama Zoghlami and Ala Zoghlami failed to pass the hurdle in the batteries, ninth in the second ‘heat’ (with 8:33.07) and tenth in the third (8:28.76), respectively, losing ground to the best in the hot stages of the race.
Larissa Iapichino qualified for the final of the women’s long jump, scheduled to start tomorrow at 4:55 p.m., by achieving a measurement of 6.73 on the first of her three jumps. The 21-year-old Florentine will thus be able to be at the start of a rainbow final for the first time, having missed it last year in Eugene.
Three go over 6.80: Tara Davis-Woodhall (USA, 6.87), Marthe Koala (Burkina Faso, 6.84) and Serbia’s Ivana Vuleta (6.82), while Iapichino is sixth. Superbly eliminated were U.S. Quanesha Burks (6.57) who had landed at 6.98 recently, British European indoor champion Jazmin Sawyers (6.41), Swedes Maja Askag (6.47) and Khaddi Sagnia (6.35) and Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk with three nulls.
