European Athletics Championsips in Rome - Day 5 (11-06-2024)

 Clicca qui per la versione italiana

Today, too, we have to start from the bottom, because you just can't not start with Gimbo. What more can we say about him? He won another title, on a great measure, but this time he thrilled more with his faults than with his successful jumps. In fact, he made a competition interesting that would have been a monologue with a Tamberi in a better shape.

 The race had started at 2.17, but he had entered the competition at 2.22, without charging the crowd for the first jump (he had done so for Lando instead) and easily cleared them. Six had cleared them on their first attempt, including the three Italians, and there were the first exits, including the German winner in 2018 (I hope you'll understand if I don't write down the name). At 2.26, the first fault: he shits the bar with his heel, while two, both Ukrainians, clear them on first. At 2.29 he misses the first two attempts badly, while the Ukrainian Lavskyy is the only one to make it. On the third he makes it, not even by that much, and two are left. At 2.31 the Tamberi we know is back: he clears them with a margin, while Lavskyy after his first fault saves two attempts at 2.33. They both missed 2.33 twice, but Lavskyy seemed to get closer, Tamberi won: he celebrated with the terrace, but then asked for 2.34 for his last remaining attempt. He clears them, but comes back limping, so there's a moment of panic, fearing he'll end up like in 2016. Instead, he celebrates and even asks to continue. He asks for 2.37 and widely clears it. He celebrates by going to the grandstand to embrace Mattarella, Mei and Malagò, then he even comes to our side, on the raised platforms

 In the morning, I had planned to miss a few races: I just couldn't get up in time to arrive at 9.35 a.m. At the umpteenth traffic jam, however, I feared I would not even make it to see the relays. Fortunately, parking and entrance (both pre-filtering and turnstiles) are quick, so I get in a little after 10.35: the women's long jump qualification has just started and they are announcing Iapichino's qualification in the first jump with 6.71. The qualifying mark is 6.70: 8 will hit it. Mihambo immediately shoots 7.03 (and I don't see it). The first pool of the decathlon is also underway: Dester, on the rise, reaches 41 metres and is tenth out of 13, Naidon is last, Meyer first. In the second pool Kaul in the third surpasses everyone with 49.89.

I settle towards the centre of the grandstand. Around me mostly British, to my left Norwegians, to my right Swiss and, further on, Finns. Below, Estonians, Swedes and even a Czech flag can be seen. Here and there in the stands, also quite a few Germans. When I move up a couple of rows, I meet my World Championship chair neighbour from Budapest again. As usual, only the Tevere stand is quite full (for a morning session), then there are a few people in the terraces, more in the South than in the North one, and in the Monte Mario finish area, the rest of the stadium is deserted.

 One sees perhaps more Swiss flags than Italian ones. The Italian supporters are mainly represented by a group of school kids in the south terrace: without them, you wouldn't even realise you were in Italy (besides, after five full days, the risk of not even remembering where we are exists). You wouldn't realise we were in Italy even from the scoreboard: it's the first time I've seen a scoreboard that always gives the results only in English (excluding English-speaking countries, of course). The public, however, applauds everyone: Bulgarian Mitkovse's qualification in the long jump was warmly welcomed even if no Bulgarians are seen.

After I missed the 110hs of the decathlon, with yet another mess of the starter, and the semifinals of the women's 800, the track events resume with the relay batteries. We start with the men's 4X400: Italy is in the first without Sito and Sibilio (in addition to the injured Re) finishes second with a time that, for a long time, we could not do even with all the best  (3:02.06). The second is faster: with Italy's time one would have finished seventh, followed by the 4X400 women: in the first one the Netherlands grabbed the third place in extremis, the last one good for qualification (from fourth it would not have been repechaged), the second one ended with a sprint to 5, of which Italy was last, but from the time of the first one it was immediately clear that it would have been repechaged, and so it is.

We move on to the 4X100. First the men's, then the women's. I had tried to go upwards, but still I hardly see the second leg of the outer 3-4 lanes. In the first, Great Britain makes the last changeover wrong and finishes last in 39.60. And to say that 39.10 was enough to pass! In the second, Italy controls and comes second in 38.40. In the interview, Simonelli shouts a ‘Daje’ that echoes throughout the stadium. In the women's event, Italy is in the first heat (and I risk missing it to get a drink, I thought I had more time). I see that it loses ground in the third leg and I think she made a mistake in the changeover (I didn't see, I was too far away): I will find out later that Kaddari had hurt herself, the problems in the changeover were a consequence, it still comes in fourth with 43.27 and comparing it with the men's results, I think it's enough, but no: in the other heat the fifth does 43.15 and we are out. It seems incredible to me, but then I think that not so long ago we would have been content even to send 2 out of 4 relays into the final.

 

Once the track events are over, many people leave, but less than on other occasions. Mostly the British leave, the Germans, Estonians and a few Italians (but not the kids) remain. The first pool of the decathlon pole vault is underway, then the second pool and the two pool of the javelin qualifiers remain. The pole vault pools are staggered, as has been the custom for a few years now. The two platforms placed side by side give some strange visual effects, both when there is warm-up in one and when both competitions are underway: sometimes it seems as if they are raising or lowering the bar while one is vaulting (of course it is the other pool's). The first pool starts at 4.40 and already Skotheim risks the 0, as will happen later to Meyer at 5.00 and, in the other pool, to Kaul at 4.70. At 5.00, both Italians come out, after having given the impression that they could make it, and 5 are left. It will end at 5.30, with Meyer clearingv and retiring. Meanwhile, there was the first pool of the javelin: season's leader Dehning opens with less than 75 metres, then improves, but remains the last of the qualifiers. The qualification is at 82 metres and 4 in the first pool and 3 in the second will hit it.

After the end the first pole vault pool, I thought I would consider whether to leave or not. At 2.35 p.m. the second pool of the javelin starts and I thought maybe I would only see the first round. Instead I go on, both to follow the second pool of the pole vault and to see if there are any excellent eliminations. When Weber, in the third round, does 85.01 and gets out of the way (he was 12th at the time) and in the PV there are 4 left at 4.90 I decide to go. There are so few throws left that I think I could see them through to the end at this point, but I'm too tired and hungry,

 I had thought of skipping the first pool of the javelin in the decathlon, the first field event of the evening, but when I read that the best would be there I wanted to try to watch at least some of it. However, I arrived at the stadium at around 7.30 p.m., and as soon as I had passed the first gate, I discovered that it was over. In the medal plaza I see some members of the national team staff, such as Vizzoni, with someone who looks like Folorunso to me, but it seems strange to me that she is there, since she has the race in the evening. Seeing her in the race, I confirm that it was her. After the turnstiles, I decide to get some food: there is a queue, but I fear it will be worse later.

I arrive at my place that Dester is throwing, and he throws very long: 63.17, which he later improves to 63.66, clearly first in the group and fourth overall. When the announcer says that he is seventh overall, I think I have misunderstood, it seems impossible to me that he has recovered so much, but it is true. My row is already full for a good part, and it will fill up even more. The blocks towards the centre of the Tevere are even fuller. The South terrace is full, of course, the one that is open, because the rows further up are closed. There were few people in the rest of the stadium, and even in the Monte Mario grandstand there seemed to be fewer than usual. This time the Italians are definitely predominant, then next to me there are two Belgians, in the area we see Britons and Norwegians. When their athletes win, Estonians and Swiss will be noticed, who in any case seemed less than usual.

  Before the start of the high jump, Mattarella arrives and the national anthem is played. Shortly after the high jump, another top-level competition begins: the men's triple jump. As on the other occasions, from my position one can get an idea of the measurement by looking at where he arrives with the step, and immediately Pichardo seems to be in danger of finishing in the box: it is 17.48, it seemed more, so much so that Diaz Fortun overtakes him with 17.52, On the second jump Pichardo seems even more to finish in the box with the step: 18.04. Diaz gradually got closer, but caught up in the hHJigh and track events, we did not notice him so much. Until on the Spaniard's fifth attempt we hear a roar from the landing area, and we realise that he has done something big: 18.18! in two over 18 metres.

 There was another field event, the women's javelin, but hardly anyone noticed, except, I imagine, those from the countries of the athletes involved. When the high jump finishes, it is in the fifth round, so I hope I will follow it more, instead I just watch a few throws, none of them decisive. The Austrian Hudson wins. The track events begin with the men's 400 hurdles. Sibilio is in lane seven, Warholm in eight, so I realise that I will not see them when they pass into the straight on my side. We arrive at the final straight with Warholm with a huge lead and Sibilio already clearly second. Then Sibilio seems to get closer, but the lead is too wide After the last hurdle for a moment I hope for a miracle, ms no, the gap is just too wide. Warholm does 46.99, so it becomes clear that Sibilio has set the Italian record, and in fact it is 47.50. In the women's race, at the entrance to the straight there is much more of a gap between Bol and second than between second and last, so one can still hope that Folorunso, who had started slowly, will get into the medal fight. Instead she finishes fifth.

Then there is the women's 10000 (and even there they have problems at the start). A leading group of 8 formed immediately, including 3 Italians and 3 British, at mid-race there were 5 left, at the 7th km there were 3: Battocletti, the Briton Keith and the Dutch Van Es. In the last two km there were many lapping (it seems to me that at the end there were 6 left unlapped), so that it was difficult to understand which was the leading group. However, Battocletti and the Dutchwoman arrive at 500 metres: the woman from Trentino starts and immediately takes an unbridgeable lead: after the 5000. she also wins the 10000.

 Next, the epilogue of the decathlon The announcer announced that Dester had to do 4'25’ for the Italian record. It seems very difficult, but he does it: 4'23"! He finished sixth with 8235 points, Estonia's Erm maintained first place, while Meyer, who after the pole vault and javelin seemed likely to fight for victory, gave in and finished fifth. We finish with the women's 200, with the Neita-Kambundji duel. In the final, the Swiss made the breakthrough and won by 1/100.

The spectators rush out, while the speaker reminds them of the medal plaza. The medal table says 20 medals Italy, 11 the second country France. How would someone have been treated who predicted this eight years ago?