Athletics, European Indoor Championships: Iapichino and Stecchi in the long and auction finals

by our correspondent Andrea Buongiovanni

4th March
– ISTANBUL (Turkey)

Not only Marcell Jacobs, Samuele Ceccarelli and the sprinters in the morning of the third day of the Euroindoor in Istanbul. Italy adds two more names to the list of its finalists. They are those of the Florentine financiers Claudio Stecchi, promoted in the auction and Larissa Iapichino, promoted in the long run. Both authoritatively, beyond the extent required for direct qualification.

He

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There will be nine of them on Sunday afternoon trying to pole vault onto the podium. The financier, to pass the task, must climb up to 5.75 of the required measure. He does it after having climbed over the bar set at 5.40, 5.55 and 5.65 on the first attempt. At that point in the race – a real and very long race – there are still twelve of them and you have to climb to the next altitude: 5.75, in fact. The first attempt by Giuseppe Gibilisco’s pupil is only sketchy, the second successful. And even with a certain margin. Only the Greek Emmanouil Karalis has a clear path. The German Torben Blech and the Belgian Ben Broeders make a mistake like the blue (the first at 5.40, the second at 5.65). Among the possible favourites, only the Dutch Menno Vloon leaves us. For the rest, absent Mondo Duplantis and with the fatigue of the day before in everyone’s legs, the forecast remains open.

She

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As, always on Sunday afternoon, it will be that of the women’s long final. For Iapichino, two attempts are enough to fulfill her task. Followed by father-coach Gianni from the grandstand, in the first he lands at 6.62, in the second at 6.66, an inch beyond what is required. Mission accomplished. Demonstrating an important stability, even in the run-up. And obviously giving up the third test. The Serbian Ivana Spanovic-Vuleta did better (6.98 in the first attempt, best continental result of the year), the German all-around champion Malaika Mihambo (6.87 in the third), the Swedish Khaddi Sagnia (6.74 in the third), the British Jazmin Sawyers ( 6.71 to the first) and the Swiss Annik Kalin (6.65 to the second). Larissa, therefore, arrives in the final as sixth. But she counts on the tranquility with which she archived the engagement.

The others

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The rounds of the session give Italy another four promotions (but there are also three other failures). The protagonists of the first are the hurdlers (direct promotion for the first three of each heat to the semi-finals at sixteen on Sunday morning). Men do three out of three. Paolo Dal Molin, the usual textbook start, wins his heat with a 7”71 which is worth the sixth overall time. Baby Lorenzo Simonelli is third in his with 7 ”72 (eighth), as Hassane Fofana with 7” 79 (sixteenth). The women instead make one out of two: Elisa Di Lazzaro places third in her race with 8″10 (fourteenth) and is promoted, Nicla Mosetti does no better than seventh (8″30), twenty-eighth and is eliminated. Like Mattia Padovani and Pietro Riva in the 3000m: the first, making his debut in the national team, does 7’54″31 (10th in heat), the second 7’58″89 (8th). It can’t be enough. Dario Dester is unlucky in the heptathlon: the Cremonese does 6”93 in the 60 and 7.28 in the long run, fifth in both races and in the partial general classification. But on the third and last attempt to jump he hurts his left rectus abdominis (suspected distraction, he will undergo tests on Monday). His European Championships end here.