Lives proud but eliminated: the world championships are over

The Friulian out in the 1,500 battery. The move to the semifinals remained 41 cents away

A contest of courage, which however was not enough for her to pass the turn. The Sintayehu Vissa World Championships ended after the 1,500 heats.

In Eugene, Bertiolo’s middle-distance runner, making her absolute debut in blue, finished in twelfth place in the second series with a time of 4’07”33.

To go to the semifinals he would have had to run 41 cents faster. In the end, her heat turned out to be the fastest, with four repechages out of six total and with the British Katie Snowden passing as tenth with 4’06”92.

The 26-year-old from Friuli of Ethiopian origins played it all out, but was conditioned by a couple of contacts with Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu, struggling to find a good position in the group. To show the extent of Vissa’s performance, in the first heat the other Italian Gaia Sabbatini qualified with the fifth place and with a time of 4’07’82. A time higher than that of Bertiolo’s girl, but enough to earn the semifinal.

Finally, the other blue in the Eugene race was eliminated: Federica Del Buono finished tenth in the third series. The time of 4’08”42 forced her to finish her world championship prematurely. In the end, Vissa’s time was the best among the blue.

In any case, Sinta still brings home a considerable amount of international experience. It must always be said that, despite living and competing in the United States, he was making his absolute debut at these levels and with the national team.

He has certainly learned a lot, understanding how to behave at such an event. The entry into the semifinal would have embellished his 2022 he, which however is not yet finished: in August the European Championships in Munich are scheduled, to which he will go since he is in possession of the minimum.

Meanwhile, within a year, the girl who grew up in the Athletics 2000 of Codroipo lowered her staff to 4’04”64 (regional record), improving by 12 seconds. She graduated NCAA university champion (she competes with the University of Mississippi) and was able to reach the blue. She also turned out to be the only regional athlete present at the world championship.

A review, the world championships, which from 2009 to today as regards Friuli Venezia Giulia has had entirely “pink” appearances. The first of the series was Anna Giordano Bruno from San Vito, who competed in 2009 and 2011, the latter year in which Marzia Caravelli (100 hurdler) from Pordenone made her debut.

Caravelli also participated in the editions of 2013 (100 obstacles) and 2017 (400 obstacles) together with another Pordenone, Alessia Trost, engaged in the high jump then also in 2019. Three years ago among the Friulian women also the palmarina Tania at the start Vicenzino (in the long jump).

Just Trost, absent in Eugene due to injury, will know in the next few days if she will be elected to the IAAF Athletes Commission. Voting, which began two days ago, closes on 20 July.