Off to the European Championships in Rome, the Azzurri competing on the first day

Start of the European Championships in Rome, the Azzurri competing on the first day

There will be 38 Italian athletes competing Friday on the first day of the European Championships in Rome.

Expected at the start 21 azzurri in the morning and another 17 in the evening session that will award five titles: first medals up for grabs in the women’s 20 km march, starting at 6:35 p.m. and finishing inside the Olympic Stadium at about 8 p.m. after running the track in the Foro Italico Park

The race will see Olympic champion and world bronze medalist Antonella Palmisano in action along with Italian record-holder Eleonora Giorgi and relay winner at the World Team Championships Valentina Trapletti.

At 10:20 p.m. it will be the turn of the live final of the mixed 4×400 relay: the Italian lineup with Luca Sito, Anna Polinari, Edoardo Scotti and Alice Mangione is defined.

There'è also a chance to improve the chrono in view of Olympic qualification for the quartet of Italy, which at the moment è is in with the second and last repechage time (3:13.56 of last year's European Teams Championships in Chorzow) but until June 30 other nations can also try to overtake the Azzurri.

Closing out the 5000 meters of European cross silver medalist Nadia Battocletti, Federica Del Buono and Micol Majori (22.40).