Home » Nadia Battocletti is a giant in the 5,000 meters: she almost gets the bronze after a disqualification. But then the judges accept Kenya’s appeal. The Italian is fourth
Nadia Battocletti is a giant in the 5,000 meters: she almost gets the bronze after a disqualification. But then the judges accept Kenya’s appeal. The Italian is fourth
To the Olympic Games Of Paris the first blue medal in theAthletics was about to arrive from Women’s 5,000 meters. But in the end, after disqualifications and appeals, the bronze medal he could only caress her Nadia Battoclettia 24-year-old from Trentino, from Val di Non, who plays for the Fiamme azzurre, and was already European champion two months ago in Rome. The Italian middle-distance runner was the protagonist of a sensational race that also coincided with the Italian record in the specialty (14’31″64) that improved by just under 4 seconds the record that already belonged to her (recorded two months ago).
Battocletti has arrived at the finish line fourth thanks to a top-level performance that brought an almost historic result in a distance that has always been the prerogative of the superpowers of African national running. After the finish, one of the opponents who preceded the Italian athlete – the Kenyan Faith Kipyegon – was disqualifiedThe judges in fact evaluated a series of blows at the limit of the regulation, delivered with the arms a couple of laps from the end by Kipyegon against the Ethiopian GudafTsegay. Hence disqualification and last place for the Kenyan, who is also a specialist in the 1500, a distance in which she has excelled for years (she won the Games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo). However, Kenya appealed and the World Athletics commission – the international athletics federation – accepted it, reconfirming the ranking based on the order of arrival.
The gold medal went to another Kenyan, BeatriceChebetwho triumphed in 14’28″56 just ahead of Kipyegon and the Dutchman of Ethiopian origins SifanHassan. A short distance away is Battocletti.
The first declarations by Battocletti herself were extremely cautious – which proves her professionalism: “We must wait a bit – he told Rai microphones -, for now we’ll keep the fourth place with the national record with the management of the race”. “I’m really very happy with how the race went, I put the injury aside”, Battocletti said again, who then added. “The dark moments taught me to to rise stronger. Thanks to all the Italians who write to me every day. These things they make my heart burst with joy“. The reference to the injury is linked in particular to the fact that Battocletti should also participate in the race of 10 thousand.
