Desalu was born in Casalmaggiore in 1994 and he fell in love with athletics as a child following the Italian long jump champion Andrew Howe. ‘He is the reason why I am here, every time I see him I thank him for this,’ says the sprinter.

The magical night in Tokyo is still fixed in Fausto’s mind. “When I passed the baton to Tortu and finally saw the time of 37.50 on the scoreboard, I had a crazy adrenaline rush. Then we stood on the podium and sang the Italian anthem, a beautiful emotion,’ Desalu recalls. “If I had to choose one person who was in Tokyo to take with me to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships in June? A good question, I would definitely think of my mum or my adoptive grandparents. Maybe I would bring them all together in one person and take them with me in Rome’.

In the meantime, Fausto is planning the outdoor season to come back stronger. ”Last year I was only able to take part in a couple of competitions, which unfortunately were not enough to get back into the ranking. I have a great desire to return to compete on the track, last month I was in South Africa to train, and now I have the desire to show who I really am,’ Desalu closes.

Credit photo: Colombo\FIDAL

The Italian sprinter only discovered athletics in the spring of 2016 through the student competitions, having previously played as a football player for Sardinian club La Palma Monte Urpinu and he used to play as a winger. In love with the Eternal City and supporter of As Roma, he will compete at the Olympic Stadium, the home of his favourite team: “I’d like to see some of the football players follow us and get involved,” Patta revealed.

A graduate in sports science, he has become a specialist in passing the baton in the relays: “How did that happen? There is no specific reason, I like the relay. I put myself out there and learn from my older teammates. I’m quite good at it”.

Patta has determination and enthusiasm without any fear for the competition inside Italian team: “We are ten sprinters for four places? I’m not afraid of competition, it helps me to live better and to give my best during the training and in the races”.

After the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, Lorenzo is looking for Paris 2024 Olympic Games: “Even the gold we won in Tokyo was complicated, the same will be true in Paris. As defending champions, we will do everything we can to repeat our success”.

Credit photo: Grana\FIDAL

Ayomide is the daughter of a religious teacher and a Pentecostal pastor, she is attending medical university, and on the track, she continues to work to improve: “Track and field is a fairly individual sport, where often you are against yourself. However, behind every athlete, there’s always a collective effort, with dedicated staff guiding the athletes to reach their peak mental and physical conditions. When we come together as a group, the energy of each athlete among us multiplies. A teammate who performs well stimulates you and gives you strength.”

Among the opponents that Folorunso will face at the European Athletics Championships in Rome will be the Dutch world champion Femke Bol, with whom she shared a training base in South Africa in recent months. “Working with such a talented girl and the group of internationally acclaimed athletes that gathered around her helped me understand how to train better: in addition to talent, there is an important mindset. Over the years, I have observed Femke Bol a lot, when training ends she always dedicates herself to specific sessions to strengthen certain parts of the body. Fortunately, it’s a approach I’ve adopted since I was young, but watching such a strong athlete made me understand that this is the right path. In order to improve, you must never neglect the details.”

In addition to hurdles, Folorunso is also one of the pillars of the Italian 4×400 relay team, with which she has won silver and bronze at the indoor European Athletics Championships. “We are a very close-knit group, with a beautiful story. The medals we have won encourage us for the upcoming challenges and make us dream big.”

Roma 2024 is the next opportunity to make history again together with her Italian teammates.

Credit photo: Grana\FIDAL

Always very active on social media, she can be considered an Italian athletics “influencer”. “My dream is to publish a specific photo, but I am superstitious and will not say which one”.

The next step is the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, a city that is like a second home for Gaia. “I’ve been living in the Capital for six years. I’m often in Ostia (the closest beach to Rome), where is the pine forest where I spend most of my time running, and I am looking to compete at the Olympic Stadium where I have been for the Golden Gala Meeting, which I attend as a child. I can’t wait to run there again”.

Like her, other Italian athletes are hoping to do well at the Foro Italico Park next June, but Sabbatini is not afraid of the competition. “Having strong athletes at the Italian level charges me a lot. It represents one more reason to do better, we motivate each other on. the movement is growing more and more. We are going to see some big things”.

Credit photo: Colombo\FIDAL

Arese is a surname that means a lot to Italian athletics. Franco Arese, former president of FIDAL and now chairman of Karhu, the official supplier of technical equipment to Roma 2024, won the European 1500m title in Helsinki in 1971 as an athlete. “This is another sign of destiny. With Franco Arese we know each other and talk often, even though we are not related. It would be magical to emulate him and win gold in the Olympic Stadium,” admits Pietro.

This optimism also stems from the magical moment experienced by the Italian athletics team. “The atmosphere in the Italian team is light and very stimulating. I think this is the reason for the many positive results. The cohesion among the athletes and the fact that everyone appreciates the victories of the others is a fundamental help that allowed us, for example, to win the Silesia 2023 European Athletics Team Championships. I hope that the same spirit will help us to win more in June,” concludes Arese, who, two years after finishing fourth in the 1500m final at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships, is now aiming for a medal.

Credit photo: Grana\FIDAL

Weir reveals the secrets of his discipline: “The most important feature for the shot putter and for any high-level athlete is probably the awareness, the ability to understand yourself, to know how to behave in high-stress situations or under pressure,” Zane explains, “so you have to understand how to act on and off the field.”

Weir, holder of the second all-time Italian performance in the shot put with a measurement of 22.44 meters behind Italian record holder Alessandro Andrei (22.91 meters), knows how to handle delicate moments: “Sometimes the best way is to forget everything else and isolate yourself from what is happening around the platform. You need to focus on the sensations, on the event and gather the right energies.”

Some of them also from his friend and “colleague” Leonardo Fabbri, the other successful Italian shot putter, silver medalist at the World Championships in Budapest and bronze medalist at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, who is ready to participate together with Zane in the upcoming European Athletichs Championships in Rome: the two Italian athletes dream of a night as absolute protagonists in front of the home crowd in the final scheduled on June 7 at the Olympic Stadium.

It’s great to train and work with such a talented and disciplined athlete as Leo,” Weir admits. “It’s a beautiful thing, we compete against each other, but at the same time we collaborate with each other. I feel very lucky. We are trying to open a new era for the shot put in Italy, taking it to a level never reached in history. Working together, we can do it.“

Credit photo: Grana\FIDAL