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Lorenzo Simonelli
«I always believe in it, I’m ready for the Olympics. I wanted gold and I got it” says the 22-year-old born in Tanzania and raised in Italy. Silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in the 60 hurdles, at five years old he moved permanently to Italy, the country of his father who works as an anthropologist and researcher while his mother is Tanzanian. He began in 2010, attending the Cecchignola Army facility in Rome, also practicing swimming until middle school before dedicating himself only to athletics under the guidance of Marta Oliva and the cadet category with Claudia Pacini. He revealed himself in the 2019 indoor season. In 2021 he became the national junior indoor record holder. Upon returning from an injury, in the 2022 season, he returned to growth with 13.59 and in the autumn he began to be trained by Giorgio Frinolli. Three times in 2023 he surpassed the best national performance under 23 in the 60 hurdles. In 2024, after running 6.59 in the 60 indoors, he became the absolute Italian record holder in the 60 hurdles, improving the record four times to 7.43 to win the world indoor silver. At his outdoor seasonal debut he also set the Italian record for the 110 hurdles with 13.21, improved in Rome where he ran in 13 and 05. Graduated from the scientific high school of applied sciences, he studies motor sciences. He lives in EUR and is a great basketball fan.
Francesco Fortunato
«It was my goal and today the fourth official, the crowd, was wonderful. Italy was missing a bronze, I got it! I’m tired but happy. The first two Karlstrom and McGrath have better personals than mine by a minute, the Swede who I am very good friends with has never lost yet this season. So, I knew I had to fight for bronze. Now I’m enjoying the moment, but then I’ll see you in Paris!”. Francesco Fortunato won the bronze medal in the 20 kilometers with a time of 1 hour 19 and 54, 41 seconds from the gold which went to the Swede Karlstrom.
Born in Puglia in 1994, he practiced football, swimming, tennis and volleyball but in 2008 he encountered athletics with cross-country running and middle distance running. Since August 2009 he began to dedicate himself to race walking under the guidance of former Italian athlete Antonio Lopetuso, obtaining fifth place in the Italian cadet championships a few weeks later. On his international debut he was fifth as a junior in the 2012 World Cup. Raised in Andria, he moved to Castelporziano in November 2013 to be followed by Patrizio Parcesepe. In 2024 he achieved success in the relay at the World Team Championships in Antalya together with Valentina Trapletti which is worth a place in Paris 2024. He loves running, especially during winter training, and is a fan of Caribbean dance. Graduated in accounting, he graduated in motor sciences
