Furlani and Iapichino: “One brick at a time we will make pyramids”

Arm in arm, as we have for some time now. Mattia Furlani and Larissa Iapichino leap into the future together: he turned 19 at the beginning of February and she turned 21 in July, symbolizing the Italian athletics of today and tomorrow. Talented sons of art, both indoor world record holders under 20, have already demonstrated how much they can be worth. But their potential, essentially, is still to be discovered. Starting from this season so full of prestigious events. Starting with the Indoor World Championships, scheduled from today to Sunday at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

values

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The Rieti native, with only two races in 2024, with 8.34 achieved on 17 February in Ancona, leads the seasonal world list ex aequo with the Jamaican Wayne Pinnock, who however will not be there in Scotland. Among those registered for the world championship race, behind the policeman, are the Greek all-around champion Miltiadis Tentoglou (8.26) and the other Jamaican Carey McLeod (8.20). But several others, from the Americans William Williams and Jarrion Lawson to the Chinese Wang Jianan, will be the athletes to keep an eye on. The Fiorentina, on the other hand, has four matches in the pipeline. With the 6.80 obtained on the same occasion, in 2024 she is tenth in the world, yet in the Glasgow entry list, given the numerous withdrawals, she is fourth after the American Tara Davis-Woodhall (7.18), the German Mikaelle Assani (6.91) and the Nigerian Ese Brume (6.84).

on the platform

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If the defending champion Tentoglou and Davis, based on their experience, can be considered the favorites for the title, the prediction is open and the two Italians, repeating themselves close to their respective personals, will play as protagonists. In both cases there will be a direct final: 17 men announced, from 14 countries, with 7 Europeans (tomorrow at 11am Italian, 12pm local); 16 women, from 13 nations, with 8 Europeans (Sunday at 8.15pm). The platform is good: the records belong to Tentoglou himself (8.38) and to the Serbian Ivana Spanovic (6.99), both obtained by winning the 2019 European Championships. “It’s a bomb, it’s beautiful – Larissa said about it yesterday after testing it – I love it also the color. Let’s hope it’s a good omen. I always like competing indoors, because above all we jumpers feel the energy of the public and those around us. And then our national team is full of young people and enthusiasm. We’re going strong I really hope it continues like this.”

previous

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Mattia has only one experience in an indoor global event: last year at the European Championships in Istanbul. A mediocre 7.57 and, twelfth, goodbye to qualifying. For Larissa, however, it is already the fourth appearance: she was fifth at the European Championships in Torun 2021 (with 6.59 after the 6.70 in qualifying), tenth at the World Championships in Belgrade 2022 (6.57) and splendid silver twelve months ago at the European Championships in Istanbul (6.97), three centimeters from the British Jazmin Sawyers.

the parents

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Beyond sizes and placements, there are many points of contact between the baby blues. Starting from the parents, all four former (excellent) athletes and, in two/three cases, now coaches of their children. Furlani’s mother, Kathy Seck, of French-Senegalese origins, was a good sprinter and today it is above all she who follows Mattia’s preparation. With the collaboration of her husband Marcello, a 2.27 high in 1985. Larissa’s mother is none other than Fiona May, in the long run also two Olympic silvers and two world championship golds, with three participations in the Indoor World Championships (first in Paris 1997, fourth in Lisbon 2001 and sixth in Birmingham 2003). Dad Gianni, on the other hand, Larissa’s coach since June 2021, was the Italian record holder in the auction in 1994 with 5.70. He also boasts a presence in the world exhibition in the cinema: in Barcelona 1995, eliminated in qualifying.

the extras

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Both Mattia and Larissa, before exploding into athletics, practiced other sports: he basketball, she artistic gymnastics. Then both were Italian cadet champions in the first year of the category, but not in the current specialties: in the high hurdles for him, in the 300 hurdles for her. The Lazio native loves new technologies (he has just launched his own YouTube channel). Tuscany fashion. Mattia is expected to graduate from the sports science high school, she studies law.

good tradition

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There are five, out of a total of 26 (7 gold, 6 silver and 13 bronze) medals that the big man has given to Italy in the history of the Indoor World Championships. Only the disused 3000 race walkers (women’s) boast as many Italian podiums. Three bear the signature of Giovanni Evangelisti, third in the 0 edition of Paris 1985, in Indianapolis 1987 and in Seville 1991. One by Andrew Howe, also bronze in Moscow 2006 and one, the most precious, the one already mentioned by Fiona. “One brick at a time” wrote Larissa on social media after the 6.80 in Ancona. “We will make pyramids out of bricks” Mattia replied. The medal table needs to be updated.