News03 Aug 2017


Italy vows an end to recent global medal drought at IAAF World Championships London 2017

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Yadisleidy Pedroso, Margherita Magnani and Kevin Ojiaku at the Italian pre-champs press conference in London (© FIDAL Colombo/FIDAL)

There was a spirit of defiance today at the Casa Atletica Italiana in Bishopsgate over the nation’s podium prospects in London following the barren time endured at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing two years ago, and at last summer’s Rio Olympics.

The Italian team’s technical commissioner Elio Locatelli commented with a wry grin: “We come from two zeros in medals at Beijing and Rio. It won’t happen here.”

His stance was mirrored by 1500m runner Margherita Magnani, who said: “Italian athletics is not dead. We are going to show that here.”

Magnani added that she had planned to move up to the 5000 and 10,000m this season, but had been prevented from doing so because of an injury to her foot.

Long jumper Kevin Ojiaku, who set a personal best of 8.20m in Turin on 21 May, was in ebullient mood.

“I’m in good shape,” said the 6ft 5in athlete, whose mother is Italian and whose father is Nigerian. “I want to improve on what I have already done this year.”

Yadisleidy Pedroso, the Cuban-born 400m hurdler who won the Italian championship in season’s best of 55.09 last month, is also looking forward to these Championships with newfound optimism.

Pedroso, who set an Italian record of 54.54 shortly after becoming eligible to compete for her new country in 2013, reached the Rio Olympic semi-finals last year despite a preparation period undermined by injury.

This season she has found her best form again, and last month, in the stadium where she will compete next week, she ran her second fastest time, 54.87, in the Muller Anniversary Games IAAF Diamond League fixture.

“I’m hoping to make the final in London because it is maybe the first time I have arrived at a big championship in very good shape,” she said. “Also, watching the others makes me think I have a chance.

“In the past I did not have the best fitness and maybe people around me were so much faster. But this time the final is a realistic goal.”

Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF

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