Tamberi and Iapichino break records in view of the World Cup. And Jacobs promises: “A protagonist in Budapest”
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In just over a month, the World Athletics Championships will start in Budapest (August 19-27), and Italy is starting to warm up its engines. From two different locations, Chorzow (Poland) and Espoo (Finland) comforting news arrives from two blue stars.
In the Polish meeting of the Diamond League Gianmarco Tamberi suddenly lit up after a slow start, taking off at 2.34 – his best performance of 2023 – in the first duel of the season with the other Tokyo 2020 champion, Mutaz Barshimfirst with 2.36.
At the Under 23 European Championships in Finland Larissa Iapichinowho will turn 21 on Tuesday, won by immediately dropping a 6.93 which closed the competition even before it started, setting the Italian category record, her personal outdoor record and the best European seasonal jump of 2023. For the Florentine trained by his father Gianni Iapichino and daughter of Fiona May it was the last competition in the youth categories, before dedicating himself to much higher levels starting from the Budapest World Championships.
A promising day for athletics, in which also Marcell Jacobs he finally seems confident after the physical problems: “I’m very happy right now because we managed to get through a period from which it seemed we couldn’t get out of it”.
Tamberi, the errors and the flight at 2.34
In Chorzow Gianmarco Tamberi was called to the first confrontation with his friend from Qatar, protagonist of the iconic shared gold at the Tokyo Olympics. More linear in interpreting the challenge, without making mistakes for a long time, while the blue started immediately making mistakes at 2.20, then at 2.27, and again at 2.30, but at that height instead of leaving the race he entered with decision, placing the best jump of the season on his second attempt. To then exceed 2.32 without hesitation. At 2.34, Barshim also began to make mistakes, who needed two jumps while one was enough for the 31-year-old blue. But with the race now restricted to two dear friends, it was the Qatari champion who crossed the 2.36 mark while Tamberi came very close, filling his confidence for the World Championships.
