Word Athletics Championships in Paris (2003): men's pole vault

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We get to the race that for Italians marked the World Championships in Paris and for me all the athletics I saw live, maybe all sports. Difficult to describe the emotion felt: as someone who was dealing with much more important things said [Dante] "qui si parrà de tua nobilitate" ("here your nobility will show").

When I bought the tickets, it may have been May, I chose a place on the straight opposite to the finish line also to see pole vault, which in Paris takes place outside of that straight, but it was only because I am a fan o vertical jumps: I didn't think I would see an Italian protagonist. I had seen Gibilisco at the Golden Gala, which at the time was at the end of June: he had won, beating the Italian record twice, first with 5.77 and then with 5.82. In the following years, until a couple of years ago, it would have been enough to make him a candidate for the podium, but then with those measures he was just an outsider.

The level was such that the qualification was at 5.75 and they really got there. Some athletes show up directly at that measure, and two fail: Akverbukh pf Israel, European champion the year before, and Mesnil of France. With these fewer competitors, I begin to hope for a medal.

We arrive at the final day, Thursday 28th August. Gibilisco misses twice at 5.75 and seems doomed to close with 5.60 and arrive among the last. However, he retains its third attempt for 5.80, and clears them. This would already mean a good placement: there are not so many left. The turning point occurs at 5.85: when he clears them on first attempt and all the others don't, It begin to think "Should he win?" When two others, Brits of South Africa and Kristiansson of Sweden, clear them at the second I fear that the dream would end. They too weren't among the favorites of the eve: Brits in the 90s should have been Bubka's heir, then he got lost, Kristiansson was famous only as Kluft's husband.

You get to 5.90, and there Gibilisco does his masterpiece. In my mind, I have Gibilisco's body that bends over the bar, lapping it all along its length without ever touching it. If you watch the video on YouTube you will see something a little different, but to say it with Guccini's (Italian singer) words "in my imagination I have his image, heroes are all young and beautiful". I am now convinced that he will win: we still have to wait for 3 (the two above and Markov of Australia) to miss 5.95, but I am not afraid. They will miss.

The following day, seeing me with the Italian flag, the steward said, "Pérche" (pole). Italy is associated with so many things, but I didn't think it would ever be associated with pole vault.

16 years have passed: Tortu was 5 years old, Scotti 3, Iapichino 1 (and her mother, Fiona May, had returned to races, but with poor results). Two things I never imagined then: that the Italian record would remain at 5.90 and above all that that would still be the last Italian gold medal in World Championships. I would like to say still only a week, but I don't hope so much.