Two Italians have brilliantly qualified for the semi-finals of the 400 meters at the European Championships 2024 in athletics, managing well on the lap of the Olympic Stadium in Rome and thus deserving the right to continue their adventure in this continental event, they will return to the stage tomorrow to try to earn their place in the final act.
There was great anticipation for the young Luca Sitoa great protagonist last night at the launch of the 4×400 mixed race and in the season capable of expressing itself in 45.35. The 21-year-old displayed simply peremptory classmaking Italian connoisseurs dream and suggesting that it has astonishing potential.
The blue lit up the scene: rocket start giving the impression of saving, luxury opposite straight, comfortable cornering and a final part in which he turned to see the situation behind him, slowing down and raising his torso at the end. The chrono released is sumptuous: 45.12 saving a lot, best European under 23 performance of the seasonstaff demolished, now going below 45 seems like a mere formality and at this point it begins to the Italian record also trembles (Davide Re’s 44.77 dated 2019).
Luca Sito left behind the Frenchman David Sombe (45.45), the Slovenian Rok Ferlan (45.52) and the Belgian Dylan Borlée (45.62). This is the best time of the round, but not only that: it became the third Italian in history behind Davide Re (44.77, 44.85, 44.94, 45.01, 45.07, 45.08) and Alessandro Sibilio (45.08), tying Matteo Galvan’s 45.12 which was the national record in 2016. Italian record under 23: we really dream big in these European Championships, perhaps not just entry into the final…
Edoardo Scotti he showed up galvanized on the starting blocks after winning the silver medal with the 4×400 mixed race yesterday evening. The Lombard started wisely and tried to manage the effort in the first three quarters of the race, he arrived in sixth position on the final straight and then opened his proverbial turbo, climbing up to second place with a time of 45.59 behind the Belgian Jonathan Sacoor (45.50) and ahead of the Frenchman Téo Andant (45.65).
Riccardo Meli tried to distribute the effort wellbut he got a little stuck in the final part and ended at fourth place in the second heat with a time of 46.17, behind the Swiss Lionel Spitz (45.37), the Portuguese Omar Elkhatib (45.80) and the British Alex Haydock-Wilson (46.04). The 23-year-old didn’t manage to get through the round despite his seasonal record: having adjusted Gorzow’s 46.36, his personal best is the 45.74 he ran last year in Nembro.
