In a crowded conference room ofthe press conference of the 2023 edition of the Grifone Meeting took place meeting that collects the legacy of the Castiglione Meeting, which last year has climbed the international rankings, placing itself in 49th place in the world ranking, out of almost 1300 events entered in the ranking, and in first place in Europe on the Challenger circuit.
On Saturday 27 May, starting at 15:30 and live on RaiPlay, over 170 athletes will compete representing 29 different nations. The Grifone Meeting, thanks to a super performing track, confirms its great appeal with the presence of 98 international medals,including Olympic silver Sashalee Forbes and the multiple European and world medalists Adam Gemili and Amel Tuka, as well as the presence on the track of 78 italian champion to which are added some of the emerging names of national athletics.
During the conference it was also announced the addition of the women’s high jump to the programme, including Alessia Trost, Idea Pieroni and Marta Morara.
The interviews:
The Mayor of Grosseto Antonfrancesco Vivarelli Colonna took the floor first:“bringing this event to Grosseto is a dream come true, the Grifone Meeting is the classic example of how to create a sports related industry and this presentation comes the day after the delivery of the recognition to the Southern Tuscany Maremma Area as European Community of Sport 2024. We have been a point of reference for athletics for years now, thanks to a favorable climate and top-level facilities; our events are recalled as an example in the international arena. I invite young people and their families to be present in the stands on Saturday“
The meeting director Elisabetta Artuso got to the heart of the technical aspect underlining the close proximity of the local associations: “the track is amazing and so many athletes who competed here last year have asked us to come back. Having been a high-level athlete, I can say with certainty how the city’s facilities can contribute not only to professional activities but also to the creation of famous sports tourism. This year we have the pleasure of having two of the most important meetings in Italy and Europe in Tuscany – recalling the Golden Gala which will be staged in Florence on 2 June – I hope for a great afternoon not only of results but also an opportunity for families and young people to meet at the Zecchini Stadium.“
The competitions
Sprint: opening of meetings with the B series of 100m and a national 200m. In the 100hs the Polish Klaudia Wojtunik and Klaudia Siciarz find the multiple Spanish champion Teresa Errandonea and the Italian indoor champion Nicla Mosetti. 400m with the bronze of the last Europeans Alex Haydock-Wilson at the start, with him the Mexican U20 world silver Luis Ferreiro and the Azzurri Edoardo Scotti, Lorenzo Benati and Riccardo Meli. Then the 200m with the 4 times European champion Adam Gemili and the bronze of the Commonwealth Games Yupun Abeykoon while in the 100m, where Gemili will be back on track, there will be the Jamaican Oshane Bailey; a lot of Jamaica also for women where the Olympic silver medalist Sashalee Forbes meets her compatriot Jura Levy, world bronze medalist in the 4x100m, for Italy Irene Siragusa, Alice Pagliarini and Chiara Melon.
Middle distance: all the best italian exponents of fast middle distance will run in Grosseto. In the 800m the European cross country champions Gaia Sabbatini and Federica Del Buono, together with the winner of the 2022 Italian title Eloisa Coiro, will face the Polish Sarna, Megger and Czpala. In the 1500m attention to Ludovica Cavalli and Elena Bellò, entered together with the Ethiopians Mekonen and Ksanet, with them also the 6 times Italian champion Giulia Aprile. The 5000m race which will be set to world-class rhythms by the Kenyan Selah Jepleting, with the last-minute addition of Aurora Bado.
Men’s 800m with world silver and bronze Amel Tuka and European indoor silver Mateusz Borkowski, Simone Barontini and Francesco Pernici defend the blue colors. In the 1500m the U20 world champion Melkeneh Azize is added, with him his compatriot Addisu Wegene and many Italians, including Joao Bussotti, Mohad Abdikadar, Matteo Guelfo and the medalist at the Tokyo Paralympics Ndiaga Dieng. In the 3000m Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda protagonists together with the South African champion Chameton, last minute addition that of the Eritrean U20 World Champion silver Merhawi Mebrahtu.
Jumps: the Ecuadorian record holder Yuliana Angulo and the Polish champion Magdalena Bokun are the women to beat in the long jump, a competition with a lot of Italy including Ottavia Cestonaro, Arianna Battistella and the young Marta Amani, medalist at the last Under 20 World Championships. Pole vault of the highest level with the presence of the defending champion, and Norwegian record holder, Lene Retzius who will face the blue Roberta Bruni, attention also to the young italian prodigy Great Nnachi. Men’s long jump that sees two athletes with personal over 8 meters: Thapelo Monaiwa from Botswana and Muhammed Anees Yahiya from India.
Schedule
15:30 – 100m Special Olympics
15:40 – 100m F (B)
15:50 – 200m F (National)
16:00 – Opening Cerimony
16:30 – 100hs F (Wojtunik – Siciarz – Mosetti)
16:35 – High Jump F (Trost – Pieroni)
16:45 – 100m M (B)
16:50 – Long jump F (Bokun – Angulo – Amani – Battistella – Cestonaro)
17:00 – Pole Vault F (Retzius – Bruni – Nnachi)
17:00 – 400m M (Haydock – Ferreiro – Scotti – Benati)
17:10 – 800m F (Sarna – Czpala – Sabbatini – Del Buono – Coiro)
17:20 – 800m M (Tuka – Borkowski- Barontini)
17:30 – 200m M (Abeykoon – Gemili)
17:40 – 1500m F (Mekonen – Galant – Cavalli – Bellò)
17:50 – 1500m M (Wegene – Azize – Bussotti – Abdikadar – Ndieng)
17:50 – Long jump M (Thapelo – Yahiya)
18:00 – 5000m F (Jepleting – Gitonga – Bado)
18:20 – 3000m M (Abdilmana – Kiprop)
18:35 – 100m F (Forbes – Levy)
18:40 – 100m M (Gemili – Bailey
International Athlete
Adam Gemili (100m/200m)
Yupun Abeykoon (200m)
Wilson Haydock (200m/400m)
Amel Tuka (800m)
Monawa Thapelo (Lungo)
Sashalee Forbes (100m)
Jura Levy (100m)
Klaudia Siciarz (100hs)
Selah Jepleting (5000m)
Lene Retzius (Asta)
Italian athlete
Simone Barontini (800m) europeo U23, nel 2022 per la prima volta sotto l’1’45”
Alice Pagliarini (100m)
Gaia Sabbatini (800m)
Federica Del Buono (800m)
Ludovica Cavalli (1500m)
Elena Bellò (1500m)
Nicla Mosetti (100hs)
Marta Amani (Lungo)
Roberta Bruni (Asta)
Great Nnachi (Asta)
Nations
Algeria, Arabia Saudita, Bosnia, Botswana, Brasile, Burundi, Congo, Ecuador, Etiopia, Eritrea, Francia, Gran Bretagna, India, Italia, Jamaica, Kenia, Marocco, Messico, Norvegia, Olanda, Polonia, Portogallo, Rep. Dominicana, Senegal, Spagna, Sri Lanka, Svizzera, Togo, Uganda
Medals
Olimpiadi (1 argento) – Mondiali (2 ori, 4 argenti, 7 bronzi) – Europei (9 ori, 1 argento, 2 bronzi) – Paralimpiadi (1 bronzo) – Mondiali U20 (2 ori, 6 argenti, 2 bronzi) – Mondiali U18 (1 argento) Europei U23 (3 ori, 8 argenti, 5 bronzi) – Europei U20 (4 ori, 4 argenti, 7 bronzi) – Europei U18 (3 ori, 1 argento, 2 bronzi) – Altri titoli (+20 tra Giochi Commonwealth, Mondiali Staffette, Campionati Asiatici, Campionati Africani, Universiadi)
