Athletics World Championships, Dallavalle fourth, Ihemeje fifth in the triple. Iapichino eliminated in the long run

Italy, waiting for Massimo Stano and his 35 km walk, signs a fourth place (with Andrea Dallavalle in the triple), a fifth (with Emmanuel Ihemeje in the same race), an eighth (with the women’s 4×100) and sends another relay (the women’s 4×400), the third out of five, in the final. At this point (after the seven in Doha 2019), there are at least nine places in the top eight. From Helsinki 2005, as many as only in Berlin 2009. Waiting, in fact, for Stano. The five gold medals of Tokyo are far away, some medals and some points are certainly missing from the appeal. But the overall balance, which includes two national records, is not negative. The percentage of promoted with respect to those who have participated in rounds or qualifications also says so. It is 51% (20 out of 39): in Doha it was 33 (24 out of 36).

The triple

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Another fourth place, the third, after those of Gianmarco Tamberi in the top and Sara Fantini in the hammer, to be placed alongside a fifth. Andrea Dallavalle, capable of the best Italian placement ever in a triple final (17.25) and Emmanuel Ihemeje (17.17) deserve only applause. Yet, in the mouth, a little bitterness remains. Because the podium, for the 22-year-old from Piacenza, remains no more than six centimeters. And for the 23-year-old from Bergamo of Nigerian parents, therefore, at 14. The race, at the top, is immediately decided. The Olympic champion, the Portuguese Pedro Pablo Pichardo, on the first attempt shoots a 17.95 (+0.3) and mortgages the title. Nobody will approach him. Even Hugues Zango, standard bearer from Burkino Faso, immediately flies away: 17.55 (+1.4) and silver in the safe. All that remains is to fight for the bronze. Dallavalle in turn places the best jump of the day at the opening (-0.2), he is third until the second lap when the Chinese Yaming Zhu lands at 17.31. It will be proof that the third step of the podium is worth. Because then the financier tries (17.16, waiver, 17.12, null, void). But in vain. A different race for Ihemeje, a student at Oregon University who performs on the platform at home, in front of friends and schoolmates. His series, in order, presents a null, a 17.03 (which places him in a provisional sixth place), a 16.69, a 16.81, a 16.71 and, finally, the 17.17 which allows him to overtake the American Donald Scott ( 17.14) and to hit the fifth final position. What is certain is that the blue specialty, with two like this – and without forgetting Tobia Bocchi – has a guaranteed future.

The words

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“Six centimeters are few – admits Dallavalle – there is a bit of regret. But I cannot fail to be satisfied anyway, considering that I also had to deal with some physical problems (persistent pain in an ankle, ed). My goal was to improve Tokyo’s ninth place. Now, to make the definitive qualitative leap, I lack a bit of experience ”. “It took me a while to find my rhythm – explains Ihemeje – but after the 11th Olympic place this result launches me towards the next matches with many ambitions. Working with your head down and believing in it: this is my recipe for further growth “.

4×100 women

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Zaynab Dosso (11 “57), Dalia Kaddari (10” 36), Anna Bongiorni (10 “63) and Vittoria Fontana (10” 36): the girls, after the Italian record of the battery (42 “71), worsen by 21 / 100 and close the final in eighth place (repeating they would have been sixth). According to official surveys, net of the quality of the exchange rates (which appeared good), 13/100 were lost in the first fraction, 22 in the second and 2 in the fourth, with a gain of 16 in the third. There remains the satisfaction of having brought the Italian relay only for the third time to the final, out of eighteen editions of the event, after Tokyo 1991 and Doha 2019 (two seventh places). Considering the average age of the quartet, there is something to be optimistic about. The title meanwhile, surprisingly, goes to the United States (Jefferson, Steiner, Prandini, Terry) which, with 41 ”14 (best world performance 2022), mock Jamaica (Nelson, Thompson, Fraser, Jackson) by 4/100. Jackson clocked an extraordinary 9 ”66, but that’s not enough. The bronze is from Germany (42 ”03).

4×400 women

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Anna Polinari (53 ”18 from the blocks), a tireless Ayo Folorunso (51” 29), Virginia Troiani (53 ”30) and Alice Mangione (51” 65): the women’s 4×400 is back in the final after nine years. The blue quartet, however, in the final in Moscow 2013, sixth at the finish line, was then disqualified for loss of the baton and so it is necessary to go back to Seville 1999 to find a final placement (De Angeli, Spuri, Carbone, Niedertaetter were eighth). The 3’28 ”72 of Mangione and her companions – all fierce-is worth the fourth place in the second semifinal (absent Bahamas), the sixth overall time and the first among the fished out. The fastest time is that of the United States (3’23 ”28) which, hastily recalled from Los Angeles, in the second stage ranks Allyson Felix, with 50” 61 the best of the quartet. Talitha Diggs, an athlete born in 2002, one year after her first participation in the national championships, daughter of Joetta Clark, who took part in the event for the last time in 2000 … Italy, in the final that will conclude the World Cup (at 4.50 on Monday in Italy), it will start in the second lane, with Switzerland in first, Belgium in third and then, in order, Jamaica, United States, Great Britain, Canada and France.

4×400 men

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Red disc for Lorenzo Benati (46 “64 standing still), Vladimir Aceti (45” 75), Brayan Lopez (45 “73) and Edo Scotti (45” 31): their 3’03 “43 is worth fifth place in the second semifinal (the Dominican Republic absent) and the tenth overall time, 30/100 from promotion. Also in this case the best quartet is that of the United States (2’58 ”96).

Larissa and Elisa

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In the morning session the eliminations of Larissa Iapichino and Elisa Di Lazzaro had arrived. The 20-year-old long-distance runner, in qualifying, after two nulls, is good at not getting lost, lands at 6.60 (-0.4 m / s) and is tenth (direct qualification at 6.75 or for the first twelve). But the measure arrives at the beginning of the third jump round and the blue, when she finishes, loses four places. Decisive. Six of them, led by the American Quanesha Burks (6.86), go over 6.75. Di Lazzaro’s battery of 100 obstacles is more anonymous: the Trieste transplanted to Spain, with 13 ”16 (-0.4) in the last one, is sixth and does not go beyond the 29th overall time. A 13 ”12 would have been needed. The best of her, the Nigerian Tobi Amusan, flies in 12 ”40 and files her African record by 1/100. Two out of four Americans mess and are eliminated: Nia Ali and Alaysha Johnson.