Pietro Mennea

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Pietro Mennea
200 m
Club
  • Avis Barletta (1967–1972)
  • Aeronautica Militare (1973)
  • Alco Atalanta Rieti (1974–1976)
  • Fiat C.E. Bari (1977)
  • Fiat Iveco Torino (1978–1980)
  • Capannelle Roma (1984)
  • A.C. Bergamo (1984)
Coached byCarlo Vittori
Retired28 September 1988
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • 100 m: 10.01 (1979)
  • 200 m: 19.72 (1979, AR)
  • 400 m: 45.87 (1977)
Medal record
International athletics competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games
 1 0 2
World Championships
 0 1 1
European Championships 3 2 1
European Indoor Championships 1 0 0
Mediterranean Games 8 1 0
Universiade
 5 0 2
World Cup
 0 1 0
European Cup 3 4 1
Total 21 9 7
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1980 Moscow 200 m
Bronze medal – third place 1972 Munich 200 m
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Moscow 4 × 400 m
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1983 Helsinki 4 × 100 m
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Helsinki 200 m
European Championships
Gold medal – first place
1974 Rome
 200 m
Gold medal – first place
1978 Prague
 200 m
Gold medal – first place
1978 Prague
 100 m
Silver medal – second place
1974 Rome
 100 m
Silver medal – second place
1974 Rome
 4 × 100 m
Bronze medal – third place
1971 Helsinki
 4 × 100 m
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 1978 Milan 400 m
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1973 Moscow 200 m
Gold medal – first place 1975 Rome 100 m
Gold medal – first place 1975 Rome 200 m
Gold medal – first place 1979 Mexico City 200 m
Gold medal – first place 1979 Mexico City 4 × 100 m
Bronze medal – third place 1973 Moscow 100 m
Bronze medal – third place 1973 Moscow 4 × 100 m
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1971 Izmir 200 m
Gold medal – first place 1971 Izmir 4 × 100
Gold medal – first place 1975 Algiers 100 m
Gold medal – first place 1975 Algiers 200 m
Gold medal – first place 1979 Split 100 m
Gold medal – first place 1979 Split 4 × 100 m
Gold medal – first place 1983 Casablanca 200 m
Gold medal – first place 1983 Casablanca 4 × 100 m
Silver medal – second place 1975 Algiers 4 × 100 m
World Cup
Silver medal – second place 1977 Düsseldorf 200 m

Pietro Paolo Mennea (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjeːtro menˈnɛːa]; 28 June 1952 – 21 March 2013), nicknamed la Freccia del Sud ("the Arrow of the South"), was an Italian sprinter and politician. He was most successful in the 200m event, winning a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and setting a world record at 19.72 seconds in September 1979. This record stood for almost 17 years – the longest duration in the event history – and is still the European record.[1] He is the only male sprinter who has qualified at four consecutive 200 metres Olympic finals: from 1972 to 1984.

Biography

Early life

Mennea, who was born in

Valeri Borzov and Larry Black
. Three more consecutive Olympic 200 metre finals would follow later in his career, the longest run ever in this event.

At the

European 200 m title in 1978 but displayed his capabilities in the 100 metres by also winning that event in Prague.[citation needed
]

200 metres world record

In 1979, Mennea placed first in the 100 metres and second in the 200 m behind

U.S. Olympic Trials.[4] As of November 2020, only seventeen athletes have recorded a better time over 200 metres than Mennea. His time stands as the current European record. He also held the low-altitude world record, 19.96, from 1980 to 1983, set in his home town of Barletta.[3]
On 17 August 1980, Mennea became the first sprinter to run under 20 seconds for the 200 metres three times.

Olympic champion

Entering the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Mennea was a clear favourite for the Olympic gold, in part because of the United States boycott of the Moscow Olympics. In the 200 metre final, Mennea faced reigning champion Don Quarrie and 100 metre champion Allan Wells. Mennea drew the outer most lane with Wells in lane 7 to his inside. Wells got out to a blistering fast start and closed on Mennea within the first 50 m. They approached the straight with Wells more than a two-metre lead on Mennea with Quarrie in second and Silvio Leonard, hampered by his lane 1 draw, in fourth. However, in the straight Mennea gained ground and passed Quarrie and Leonard and at the very end of the race, just beating Wells, winning the gold by a mere 0.02 seconds. Later in the games, he was the anchor man on the Italian bronze medal winning 4 × 400 relay team. He also competed in the 100 metres, reaching the semi-finals.[3][5]

Last years

In 1983, in Cassino, he clocked a manual 14.8 seconds in 150 metres, a world best time that he held until it was bettered by Usain Bolt in Manchester in 2009. Mennea, known in Italy as the la Freccia del Sud ("the Arrow of the South"), then announced his retirement, allowing himself more time for his studies. However, he came back from retirement soon and won a bronze medal in the 200 m at the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki. A year later, he competed in his fourth consecutive Olympic 200 m final, becoming the first person to do so. The defending champion finished in seventh, and retired from athletics for a second time afterwards. Again, Mennea made a comeback, and competed in his fifth Olympics in Seoul, where he was the flag bearer: he qualified for the quarterfinals of the 200 m, but he decided to withdraw from the competition and did not take part into the next round.

Mennea admitted that he had used

IAAF.[7]

After athletics

After his athletic career, Mennea worked as a lawyer and a sports agent.[4] He was a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004 elected on the list of The Democrats, but failed in his attempt to be re-elected. He also lobbied for independent doping testing.[8]

Death

Mennea died on 21 March 2013, in a Rome hospital from pancreatic cancer.[9][4][10][11][12] He was sixty years old.[4] On the day of his death, the Italian Railways announced that the new superfast train Frecciarossa ETR 1000, entering service in 2014, would carry his name.[13]

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Notes
1971 European Championships Finland Helsinki 6th 200 metres 20.88
3rd 4 × 100 m relay 39.78 [14]
1972 Olympic Games Germany Munich 3rd 200 metres 20.30
8th 4 × 100 m relay 39.14
1974 European Championships Italy Rome 2nd 100 metres 10.34
1st 200 metres 20.60
2nd 4 × 100 m relay 38.88
1976 Olympic Games Canada Montreal 4th 200 metres 20.54
6th 4 × 100 m relay 39.08
1978 European Indoor Championships Italy Milan 1st 400 metres 46.51
European Championships Czechoslovakia Prague 1st 100 metres 10.27
1st 200 metres 20.16
5th 4 × 100 m relay 39.11
7th 4 × 400 m relay 3:06.7
1980 Olympic Games Soviet Union Moscow 14th (sf) 100 metres 10.58
1st 200 metres 20.19
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.54
1982 European Championships Greece Athens 6th 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.21
1983 World Championships Finland Helsinki 3rd 200 metres 20.51
2nd 4 × 100 m relay 38.37
1984 Olympic Games United States Los Angeles 7th 200 metres 20.55
4th 4 × 100 m relay 38.87
5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:01.44
1988 Olympic Games Seoul 40th (qf) 200 metres DNS[15] [16]

Personal bests

Outdoor

Honors and awards

  • On 24 May 2012, the Mayor of Durrës, Vangjush Dako, bestowed upon Mennea the title of honorary citizen of Durrës.[17][18]
  • Furthermore, President of Albania Bamir Topi awarded Pietro Mennea with the "Medal of Gratitude" with citation: "For value and contribution as the former World record holder in Athletics and major figure in the Foundation "Pietro Mennea", created to help sport and research".[19]
  • The 2016 edition of "
    Sport Movies & TV - Milano International FICTS Fest" was dedicated to his memory.[20]
  • He also is in the
    FICTS "Hall of Fame".[21]
  • Asteroid
    M.P.C. 108697).[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ Rowbottom, Mike (23 March 2013) Pietro Mennea: Olympic sprint champion whose 200 metres world record stood for 17 years – Obituaries – News. The Independent (2013-03-23). Retrieved on 2015-07-09.
  2. ISBN 978-8864790923
    .
  3. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Pietro Mennea". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Pietro Mennea, Sprint Champion, Dies at 60". New York Times. Associated Press. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  5. ^ "Pietro Mennea – Results and Medalists". Olympics.org. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  6. ^ Pontani, Aligi (19 April 1994). "Mennea – Locatelli Atletica Spaccata Parolacce E Querele" (in Italian). repubblica.it. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  7. ^ Turnbull, Simon (13 September 1998). "Pietro runs a new show". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  8. Guardian.co.uk
    . Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  9. ^ "ITALIAN SPORT LOSES SPRINTING HERO PIETRO MENNEA – The European Olympic Committees". Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Addio a Pietro Mennea, il re dei 200". Corriere della Sera. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  11. ^ "L'atletica piange Pietro Mennea". Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  12. ^ "Atletica: Morto A Roma Pietro Mennea". Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  13. ^ Pietro Mennea sarà un Frecciarossa: la dedica più bella – La Gazzetta dello Sport. Gazzetta.it. 21 March 2013.
  14. ^ European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014 - STATISTICS HANDBOOK (PDF),
    European Athletics Association
    , pp. 412–420, retrieved 13 August 2014
  15. ^ Despite having qualified for the quarter-finals, Mennea did not start to the next round.
  16. ^ 21.10 in the first round.
  17. ^ Kryebashkiaku Vangjush Dako i jep titullin “Nderi i qytetit” legjendës botërore të atletikës Pietro Mennea Archived 29 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Durrës (in Albanian).
  18. ^ Dako i jep titullin “Nderi i qytetit” legjendës botërore të atletikës Pietro Mennea Archived 25 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Shekullin Online, 24 May 2012 (in Albanian).
  19. ^ Presidenti Topi dekoron z. Pietro Mennea me “Medaljen e Mirënjohjes”, President of Albania, 24 May 2012 (in Albanian).
  20. ^ "145 Projections from 63 Countries for "Sport Movies & Tv 2016". Accreditation for Press Conference: 8 November - Ficts". Ficts. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  21. ^ "FICTS Hall of Fame" (PDF).
  22. ^ "73891 Pietromennea (1997 ED23)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  23. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 6 February 2018.

External links

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