Olympics, Jacobs, Tortu, Tamberi: appointment with history

All in less than three hours: from 12.10, when the race will start on the platform, to 14.50, when the world will stop to see who is his fastest man

From our correspondent Andrea Buongiovanni

@abuongi

August 1
– Tokyo (Japan)–

Sunday 1 August 2021: the date that could change the history of Italian athletics and sport. Marcell Jacobs and Filippo Tortu will chase the final of the 100, goal at the Olympics never reached by an Italian athlete, and then who knows, even try to get on the podium. At the same time, Gianmarco Tamberi will look for a medal in the top one. All in less than three hours: from 12.10, when the race will start on the platform, to 14.50, when the world will stop to see who is his fastest man.

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Jacobs

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Jacobs, in particular, faces a huge opportunity. After what was confirmed yesterday in the heats, with that 9 ”94 that has touched up his Italian record by one cent, he can legitimately aspire to a memorable feat. The prediction, with Canadian De Grasse and American Baker as the most dangerous possible opponents, is open. So why not believe it? He has always been in a hurry, Marcell: born in the United States, he arrived in Italy at the age of two to stay there. At eleven, after trying other sports, he decided that athletics was what he did for him. At fourteen, he rejected middle school, but he understood that, with books in hand, he would never be a sprinter (even if he later graduated from high school), at twenty he became a father for the first time, at twenty-six children has three. At the end of that straight, glory awaits him: he can reach it.

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Cake

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Different speech for Tortu: the prodigy boy – in 2018, at the age of 20, the first Italian to break down the ten-second wall in the 100 – in recent months, for many reasons, has not shone. But yesterday, with 10 ”10, seasonal staff, he proved to be in recovery. And above all that, when it counts, he is there. As he did at the Doha 2019 World Championships, seventh and second blue in a world championship final of the specialty after Pierfrancesco Pavoni in Rome 1987. Better not to underestimate him. You know how to look at things in perspective, Filippo. Go as it goes, on his talent, his positivity and his maturity, you can always count.

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tamberi

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After five years of waiting, the gong is about to strike. Gimbo, after the injury that prevented him from participating in Rio 2016, has spent the last part of his life thinking about this day. In the legs he has important measures, but he must find continuity and solve some small technical problems. If he succeeds, no goal will be precluded. Because there are numerous quality opponents, but no one seems to be worth many centimeters more than him. And character can make a difference. The progression will be severe: 2.19, 2.24, 2.30, 2.33, 2.35 and so on, two centimeters at a time. Any mistake can be fatal. Gianmarco knows this. At each attempt a piece of career will be played.

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