Italy jumping into gold has a finally happy face of Larissa Iapichino and Andy Diaz’s emotion. At the Athletics Indoor European Championships in Apeldoorn there is a lot of bluebecause after the silver of Mattia Furlani always from the Dutch platform, the Tuscan champion, daughter of art, takes the indoor title in the long run with a leap among the greats: Plana at 6.94 and triumphs 27 years after mom Fiona May. The silver two years ago in Istanbul, always indoor, and now the most precious medal won in front of the Switzerland Annik Kalin (6.90) and the German Malaika Mihambbo (6.88) arrives. “I wanted it to the end, I am happy, I am proud of myself – the words of the blue, who jumped in the gold in front of mom and dad – is my first senior titleMy starting point, I leave here. Fiona mom? I beat it … I won the title with three centimeters more. It was the race where I wanted to do this step. I dedicate it to all those who are resilient in what they do, as I did, I got up and I never stopped trying. ” And the male triple is also tinged in blue: the champion born in Havana graduated by the continent, in a race with Italy great protagonist. The bronze goes to Andrea Dallavalle, who starts with a good jump at exactly 17 meters. The German Max Hess is immediately afraid with 17.43, instead Diaz does not do better than 16.37, in third provisional place. But then the Italian-Cuban trained by Fabrizio Donato begins to be seen and lands at 17.05, however giving 22 centimeters to the detachment.
The real Diaz is the one who takes off to a super 17.71 with the fifth leap: the best world performance of the year, four centimeters from his Italian record (17.75 outdoors) and two with a longer measure of always indoors for a blue. For Dalla Valle the race continues with 16.84 and nothing done for Hess who strengthens the action too much and does not complete the ‘jump’. Last jump: Dallava sketches the jump, he cannot close it, but he enjoys the medal: he is again on the podium three years after the silver outdoor conquered in Munich in 2022. The null of Hess, silver after four bronzes in a row, delivers the victory to Diaz. With gold already around the neck Diaz tries to increase, Plana near her best jump, but is null of just half a centimeter. Third blue title in the history of the event, after Donato in Turin 2009 (sixteen years and one day ago) and Daniele Greco in Goteborg 2013. “It was difficult but fun. I adjusted my run -up and my anxiety and I managed to make the right leap – says Diaz, born in Havana, who fled Italy where with Fabrizio Donato, his coach, found his second life -. ‘I am here is the title I give to this medal. My dream was to sing the anthem of Mameli and the day has arrived, I am very excited, the time has come to sing the hymn ». And the platform, this time of the Upper, also gives the bronze with Matteo Sioli who, at the age of nineteen, is already the protagonist at the absolute level, after the Under 20 World Silver last summer. It rises to 2.29 per second that is worth the podium. Fourth the other blue Manuel Lando. Four medals, two golds and two bronzes that make Italy smile.