Massimo Stano
Years have passed since he was still a child playing with athletics in his hometown of Palo del Colle (Bari), first in the middle distance and then in the march, a specialty that has a glorious tradition in his homeland of Puglia and that one day was introduced to him like this, “It’s like when the bus is leaving, you have to catch up but you can’t run, only walk very fast.” From there to the Italian record (1h17:45) and double global gold was a long way.
One gold is missing… a olympic gold is forever. So is a world title. If there is one triumph that Massimo Stano lacks, it is only the gold medal at the European Championships. What better setting than the Olympic Stadium, in front of the home crowd, to try?
At the Rome 2024 appointment he will get there at the age of 32, a now mature, experienced athlete.
Two days will forever remain etched in the sporting memory of Stano, followed at Castelporziano, just outside Rome, by Patrizio Parcesepe, and a longtime training partner of the other Olympic champion Antonella Palmisano.
The first is Aug. 5, 2021, in Sapporo, site of the Tokyo Games road trials. An unstoppable progression in the final stretch of the 20 km to bend the resistance of the two Japanese Koki Ikeda and Toshikazu Yamanishi, silver and bronze medalists respectively.
Also the following year in Oregon, USA, the challenge is with a Japanese, this time Masatora Kawano, in a longer distance, the 35 km. And on this occasion, too, the Italian marcher is unleashed in the final kilometers when he settles the change of pace that takes him to the world title and the European record of 2h23:14. He has the podium at the European Championships in his sights: so far he has collected fourth place in Berlin 2018 and eighth in Munich 2022.
Stano is a great lover of Japan and its culture. He has studied the language, is a manga loyalist (One Piece above all), and at the Tokyo Olympics he bowed after the finish line as a sign of respect and friendship toward his Japanese rivals.
He is father to baby Sophie, born in February 2021 to his union with former middle distance runner and marcher Fatima Lotfi. After each victory he brings his thumb to his mouth to dedicate his success to her.
To promote walking, he created The Walking Stano project, a multi-stage solidarity event in various locations around Italy, inviting national and international champions to march together with fans.
Years have passed since he was still a child playing with athletics in his hometown of Palo del Colle (Bari), first in the middle distance and then in the march, a specialty that has a glorious tradition in his homeland of Puglia and that one day was introduced to him like this, “It’s like when the bus is leaving, you have to catch up but you can’t run, only walk very fast.” From there to the Italian record (1h17:45) and double global gold was a long way.
One gold is missing… a olympic gold is forever. So is a world title. If there is one triumph that Massimo Stano lacks, it is only the gold medal at the European Championships. What better setting than the Olympic Stadium, in front of the home crowd, to try?
At the Rome 2024 appointment he will get there at the age of 32, a now mature, experienced athlete.
Two days will forever remain etched in the sporting memory of Stano, followed at Castelporziano, just outside Rome, by Patrizio Parcesepe, and a longtime training partner of the other Olympic champion Antonella Palmisano.
The first is Aug. 5, 2021, in Sapporo, site of the Tokyo Games road trials. An unstoppable progression in the final stretch of the 20 km to bend the resistance of the two Japanese Koki Ikeda and Toshikazu Yamanishi, silver and bronze medalists respectively.
Also the following year in Oregon, USA, the challenge is with a Japanese, this time Masatora Kawano, in a longer distance, the 35 km. And on this occasion, too, the Italian marcher is unleashed in the final kilometers when he settles the change of pace that takes him to the world title and the European record of 2h23:14. He has the podium at the European Championships in his sights: so far he has collected fourth place in Berlin 2018 and eighth in Munich 2022.
Stano is a great lover of Japan and its culture. He has studied the language, is a manga loyalist (One Piece above all), and at the Tokyo Olympics he bowed after the finish line as a sign of respect and friendship toward his Japanese rivals.
He is father to baby Sophie, born in February 2021 to his union with former middle distance runner and marcher Fatima Lotfi. After each victory he brings his thumb to his mouth to dedicate his success to her.
To promote walking, he created The Walking Stano project, a multi-stage solidarity event in various locations around Italy, inviting national and international champions to march together with fans.