Paralympic: Italy takes the Athletics World Championships, gold in the 100 for Maxell Amo Manu

There is Italy that makes history at the Paralympic World Athletics Championships in Paris. A piece of the sporting one and a piece of the social one. First the party for the gold medal of Maxell Amo Manu in the 100 meters, then the emotion for the debut of Valentina Petrillo, the first transgender athlete in a world championship with the blue shirt. In the middle a fourth place which is worth the Paralympic entry for Marco Cicchetti, young but full of experience, in the 100 meters of his category and the conquest of an unexpected semifinal, but for this reason even more beautiful by Arjola Dedai always in the 100 meters for blind athletes, together with her guide Alessandro Gabiati. How beautiful was the fourth day at the Charlety stadium in the French capital. The new great sprint sensation for athletes with leg amputees below the knee is blue.

Ghanaian origin

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Paralympic athletics bows before Maxcel Amo Manu, Ghanaian origin and Italian citizenship, leg amputated after a moped accident on his way to work in 2017, first racing prosthesis worn in 2021 and in just two years capable of reaching the roof of the world. The blue phenomenon makes the history of speed in Paris by triumphing in the 100 T64 in 10.71, first gold for Italy in these championships The Costa Rican Sherman Guity, silver, is eight cents behind while the third place goes to the German Felix Streng (10.85) . His words are overflowing with happiness: “Mamma mia, how exciting! I feel a mix of emotions, I’m very happy, I feel like crying but I can’t. I can’t wait to go to the team and staff, to hug and kiss everyone. I had a really bad start but I really wanted to win. Now we want to take it all.” Maxcel is a name that has similarities with that of Marcell Jacobs, from whom he explains that he was inspired: “Sometimes I’ve thought about it, but he’s certainly faster than me. I like being associated with him because I learned certain things just by watching him. I am inspired by him and I hope that he too can be inspired by me. I also hope to be a source of inspiration for others too”. He has a beautiful dedication and great awareness: “I dedicate this victory to all people in difficulty, not only amputees, but all those in difficulty who don’t know how to get out of it. You have to try, try, try because it happened to me too and now I’m world champion. I still can not believe it. Never give up.” Not only is the result historic in the race of Valentina Petrillo, the visually impaired sprinter from Campania who lives in Bologna and marked the historic moment for the world Paralympic movement of the participation of a transgender athlete. By winning her heat in the 400 meters she reached tomorrow evening’s final, where she arrives with a good time that puts her behind only the unreachable Omara Durand, the greatest sprinter in history among the visually impaired. “They are in my most beautiful dreams. I thank Luca Pancalli, who said that today a beautiful page of history is being written, and the president of Fispes, Sandrino Porru, for having welcomed me right from the start. This is my World Cup, nobody could take it away from me. This track is beautiful. With my run I want to send a message above all to the world of those without disabilities because in the Paralympic universe we ensure that diversity becomes an opportunity for everyone”. In the final of the 100 T44s, 24-year-old Marco Cicchetti grabbed fourth place and a second pass for Paris 2024 in a race introduced for the first time in the world programme: “I’m very happy, especially considering that the past few days have been very hard because I had a fever high. That’s why I didn’t expect to be able to conquer this slot. I gave it my all and when I heard that Maxcel had won, I felt an incredible energy, he really pushed me”. On July 14, the Italian record holder will also be ready for the long jump, his specialty of choice where he has already won a European bronze medal around his neck in 2021: “Now I have broken the ice in view of my race where I will be better physically. It will be difficult because I will race together with the T64s, but I will give 120% like I did today”. Arjola Dedaj comes out of the World Cup with his head held high. After the sixth place in the long T11, Dedai was able to overcome the first round of the 100m with a personal best of 12.95 and a great improvement of 36 hundredths of a second. In her semifinal she is third in 13.11, but despite the ninth place in the general classification she fails to reach the final: “I can say I’m in heaven, I’ve been trying for a long time to get under 13 seconds and today I did it . After suffering a bit from the excitement over the long run, today I took to the track serene and light and this is where the result came from. I am very satisfied and this is also thanks to my guide Alessandro whom I publicly thank for the perseverance of a year and a half. This is proof that if we have the guides, we can do it.” And then a special thought for the family: “I dedicate this race to my little Leonardo and my husband Emanuele who follow me from home because with their support and their collaboration we have managed to crown this dream”.

Queens of Tokyo

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Thursday was an intense day for the Azzurri as well as the Petrillo final. In the morning, captain Assunta Legnante enters the scene to defend her F11 discus title. The emerging sprinter T64 Giuliana Chiara Filippi will immediately try to get involved in the 100m rounds to attempt the final in the afternoon. At 19.25 the long-awaited moment arrives to see the three protagonists of the Tokyo Paralympics, Ambra Sabatini, Martina Caironi and Monica Contrafatto back on track again in the hunt for a trio of medals in the 100 T63. The last commitment for Italy is entrusted to Riccardo Bagaini in the qualifications of the 400 T47.