Athletics, triumph at the European Championships: Italy looks to the World Championships

The chest once again full of medals makes the Italian athletics raise their glasses. The expedition to the European Championships in Birmingham with Italy as the leader confirms that the event held two years ago in Rome "is not a coincidence" says the president of Fidal, Stefano Mei, taking stock of the event in the final stages. And it also represents a driving force for the Capital's candidacy for the 2029 and 2031 World Cup. "Steps forward have been made - underlines Mei -. Our candidacy was found to be 'very strong': we have government guarantees, more solid than other cities. The Italian system is united to support the candidacy: Municipality, Region, Government and sports institutions, not all of which are single-minded, work together because it has been understood that the project is excellent, the best of all. I believe we have a good chance but let's go fight against difficult competitors."

Meanwhile, on the track, on the platform, marching or running, Made in Italy athletics shows itself to be increasingly fit: how can we further raise the bar for such a healthy movement? "There is still too much abandonment, between the ages of 20 and 23. Many athletes who perhaps do not express themselves at their best in that age group, could give a lot if put in ideal conditions. We cannot lose them - adds Mei -. What we can do, beyond financial support, is to make the athlete feel 'unique', even when things go badly. We must invest and try to 'do no damage': personal coaches and clubs already provide refined material that we must prepare for the great events. In all this, we are the best in Europe despite the lack of facilities. It would be a good idea for local administrations to find any way to create athletics fields, not necessarily 400 meters and 9 lanes".

In the meantime, we need to toast the successes and the many Italian medals at the European Championships: "There was no match between Rome and Birmingham, in terms of hotels, transport and much more. And with these medals we also respond to those who said that Rome had been easy in terms of results..." concluded the president of Italian athletics, launching the candidacy of Rome which, with so many champions, also dreams of organizing the world showcase.