The former high jump champion addresses the thieves: “It means years of training, sacrifices and renunciations, of choices. It’s not easy to win a medal at the Olympics”
For a sports champion, the medals won in his career are invaluable: Sara Simeoni, queen of the high jump, suffered the theft of what is most dear to her, thegold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympicsafter a memorable duel with East German Rosemarie Ackermann.
The thieves broke into the house in Rivoli Veronese where he lives with her husband and coach Erminio Azzaro and their son Roberto, they ransacked it taking away medals, cups and other trophies. The former high jump champion only discovered her theft when she returned home, after having taken part in a gastronomic festival in the village.
“Give me at least the gold won in Moscow”
Simeoni appealed to the thieves: “At least give me back the gold won in Moscow“. The silver medals won in Montreal and Los Angeles, on the other hand, were found under the bed where they had been thrown by the criminals. The discovery of the theft was a hard blow for Simeoni, who in connection with the Tg1 he confided: “It means years of training, of sacrifices and renunciations, of choices. It’s not easy to win a medal at the Olympics. It is the symbol of many expectations, it means everything“. “They took away so many memories from me and I would like at least to have this medal back, it’s not even gold, what do they do with it? For me it has a special meaning and value, for them nothing” concluded Sara Simeoni.
Simeoni’s palmares
Memories of a life studded with extraordinary results that led the Veronese champion, who turned 70 a few weeks ago, to be elected “Centenary Athlete” together with Alberto Tomba. A palmares that, in addition to the gold of Moscow, includes the silvers in Montreal 1976 and Los Angeles 1984but also the gold medal at the European Championships in Praguerepeating the world record at 2.01 achieved a month earlier, in August 1978 in Brescia.