The European Athletics Championships have deluded and tired the Azzurri: the possible reasons for the flop in Paris 2024

THE’Athletics Italian comes from three years of unexpected and much deserved glory. After decades of drought in which Italian athletics was almost completely at a standstill without achieving results, in three years the movement has brought home five Olympic golds to Tokyothe first European Cup of its history and several victories and placings in world cup and Europeans. The very last Europeans, those of Rome held between 7 and 12 June lastbut today I’m on the dock of the accused. In fact, it is noticeable a huge one difference with the Paris Olympicsnot only with regards to the fight for the podiums, which is obviously much tougher in the Olympic context, but above all for the performance hey timesin some cases much worse than the sweet Roman days.

If Marcell Jacobs, Nadia Battocletti And Peter Arese have improved their performance, with the sprinter capable of reaching a new olympic final in the 100 meters and go down to 9”85the middle distance runner even bronze for a few hours, before the Kenyan’s appeal was accepted Kipyegonbut still capable of printing a new italian record in the 5000 with 14’31”64 and the specialist of the 1500 meterseighth in the final and with another Italian record in 3’30”74, the others all did badly. Even Larisa Iapichinodespite an excellent fourth place finish, then said he had not done the race he wanted to do, while a separate discussion is valid for Mattia Furlans, the only one Olympic medal currently conquered in Paris. He is beyond the concept of form to be acquired, he is a absolute champion and this Olympic bronze is just the first step towards who knows what future destinations.

The European champions that Italy fielded in Paris together with Jacobs and Battocletti, were Lorenzo Simonelli in the 110m hurdles, Leonardo Blacksmiths in the shot put, Antonella Palmisano in the 20 kilometer march and Will be Jockeys in the hammer throw. For various reasons, their Olympic experience was very unsatisfactory. Fabbri made a very long null on the first throw, then he threw very badly when the platform was dry. He wanted and could have made up for it, but the rain practically prevented him from continuing the race. Only fifth at the end with 21.70, in a season in which he had thrown over 22 meters with great consistency.

Lorenzo Simonelli won the 110m hurdles at the European Championships with a space-age 13″05held his own against the American Hollowaythen Olympic gold, in the meeting of Monte Carlo but in Paris he melted and went out in the semi-final running in 13”40In Paris the silver was won with 13”09. Antonella Palmisano in Rome showed to be in great shape, she continued to declare in these days a state exceptional physique but she stopped during the 20km and couldn’t keep up in the last fraction from the mixed march in pairs with Maximum I’m tiredending sixth. Only at the end of this race was it discovered that he had marched with the Covid and even once he passed, his condition was terrible. Finally Sara Fantini opens another chapter which also includes Chituru WingsPhilip Tortu, Alexander SibilioLuca Sito, Zaynab BumpValentina Trapletti, who all ran or marched far below of their possibilities and above all of the times of Rome and this season in general.

This evidence, which is more than a simple clue, leads to the classic question that other national teams have often been too on top of their game for a event pre–Olympic: the Europeans of Rome have created a peak of form at a different time than Olympics? And along with this, it is possible that the great Roman days of June have created a sense of confidence too high, which has partly blocked and partly made relax too many athletes when they then arrived on the huge stage of Paris 2024? A univocal answer is not possible, but as has happened to other teams and other athletes throughout history, having two topical events in the same season is never a good thing. How many Americans have done badly at the Olympics because they were first focused on overcoming the trials internal? Many protagonists of European athletics have jumped the competition in June or they arrived there in a growing condition, but not at the top. Italy was “with its back to the wall” from this point of view, because having the possibility and in a certain sense the obligation Of honor the home Europeans was almost necessary. Having done so is not a sin. Very more annoying is to think about who decided to place that competition at that time of year, close to the Games Olympic. He made a mark on Italian athletics joke in some cases atrocious, but go back now it is no longer possible.