09/06/2012
Nebiolo Memorial 2012 – New records at the Torino Meeting!

June 8,2012 – For many of us, the Torino Meeting is still the same one which was born in 1963, as if there had been no interruptions. From 1963 to 1983 Torino saw the realization of an event in which the greatest names of international and national athletics were present, from Livio Berruti to Sara Simeoni, from “el Caballo” Alberto Juantorena to Sebastian Coe. The Meeting was interrupted in 1983, ending with an incredibile performance by Said Aouita. After 12 years, with the same enthusiasm and more expendable funds, the Meeting of Torino returned a fixed appointment for the joy of a loyal and affectionate audience.
In 1995, thanks to Riccardo D’Elicio, Diego Bastino, Franco Arese (one of the protagonists of the “old Meeting”), Ludovico Perricone and Gianni Romeo, the Great Athletics comes back to Torino. From then on, the Torino Meeting had a double soul: on one side the great and acclaimed champions, on the other the young emerging talents.

Athletes like Hicham El Guerrouj and Marion Jones – just to mention two of the many – moved their first international steps from here, side by side with world reknown athletes like Marlene Ottey, Fiona May, Ivan Pedroso, Tatiana Lebedeva, Oscar Pistorius, Dayron Robles…

These famous names were joined this year by other important athletes like Ivan Ukhov, Ariane Friedrich, Chaunte Lowe, Dwain Chambers and the Italians Emanuele Abate, Simona La Mantia, Assunta Legnante, Chiara Rosa…

Just a month and a half before the inauguration of the Olympic Games in London, the Torino meeting proved to be exciting and full of great numbers. More than 5000 were the spectators present on the stands of the Nebiolo stadium, ready to cheer the Paralympic world record in the shot put realized by Assunta Legnante and an amazing Italian record in the men's 110 hurdles with Emanuele Abate.

 The programme was composed of 13 races with more than 150 athletes, for two hours of pure competition.

The great names of Italian and world athletics got on the track in front of a grandstand which hosted many special guests, including the Deputy President and Councillor for Sport of the Torino Province and CONI Regional President Gianfranco Porqueddu, the Council Treasurer of the Torino  Province Marco Antonio D'Acri , the Councillor for sport of the Municipality of Torino Stefano Gallo, the Pro-Rector of the University of Torino Sergio Roda, the Administrative Director of the University of Torino Loredana Segreto, Ms. Giovanna Nebiolo, FIDAL President Franco Arese, FIDAL Secretary General Renato Montabone and many other important names of world and national athletics.

At 7 p.m. the Meeting was opened by a parade of CUS Torino athletes, then at 8 p.m. the competitions started, broadcasted live on RAI SPORT 2.

First was the men's high jump, and the Russian athlete Ivan Ukhov won the gold medal with 2.25 mts. The women’s high jump was won by the German Ariane Friedrich, who jumped higher than all other athletes reaching 1.92 mts. (same measure realized by the American Chaunte Lowe, who was second, and Svetlana Radzivil, third).

The men’s 100 meters was won - as expected - by the English athlete Dwain Chambers in 10.29 (the damp track did not allow him to get under 10.18, standard A time at the Olympic Games), while the women’s competition was won by CUS athlete Martina Amidei in 11.42, realizing her personal best and the minimum for the Europeans in Helsinki (June 27-July 1, 2012).

Chambers declared to be "very pleased with the track and the atmosphere that reigns at this Meeting. I would be honored to return to Torino next year. 10.29 is a good time even though I thought I could go even below that time, and so of course I'll work harder in the next days to get closer to the Olympic minimum". The eyes of Amidei were full of joy: "I worked hard to achieve this time and I am delighted with this result. The minimum for the Europeans was a dream that tonight I was able to achieve in front of this great audience.

One of the most felt competitions was the shot put won by the German athlete Christina Schwanitz with 18.99 mts. Second arrived our Chiara Rosa with 18.06. A Paralympic world record was realized by Assunta Legnante (who recently entirely lost her sight) with 15:22 (not homologated).

The triple jump was won by Simona La Mantia with 14.29 mts, second was the Russian Viktorija Valyukevich with 14.14 mts. Eleonora D’Elicio arrived 4th, realizing her new personal best (13,60 mts).

The men’s 110 hurdles and the women’s 100 hurdles were won respectively by Sergey Shubenkov in 13:21 and Lolo Jones in 12.97.

The American athlete declared to be very satisfied with her performance: "the race in Oslo last night was not good at all. Here in Torino, I found a good feeling with the track and everything has gone well”. Third place, Italian record and minimum to participate in the Europeans in Helsinki for Emanuele Abate (13:28): "I did not start well but in the final I managed to finish third. I am accustomed to this type of competition, but this time a great performance came along with the Italian record: I am very happy about this. I dedicate the record to my coach. Of course I would love to win a bronze also in Helsinki! "

The men’s 400 was won by Pavel Maslak 45.17 (Poland record). The men’s and women’s 800 were won respectively by Mohamed Hamada (1:44.98) and Yusneysi Santiusti (2:00.93). The longest run of the 2012 edition of the Meeting, the 5000 men, saw at the highest step of the podium the Kenyan Ezekiel Meli (13:22.90). The men’s 200 meters which closed the competitions was won by Davide Manenti in 20.76 (personal best for him and minimum for the Europeans).

A special thanks goes to all the sponsors of the event, especially to Powerade ION4 and Iren, Volunteers Association Primo Nebiolo, the entire staff of the Nebiolo stadium, the Municipality of Torino, the Fire Department, the Police and the interpreters of  TuttoEuropa school who, this year, supported the Meeting for the entire event.

This edition of the Meeting was characterized by a strong collaboration with the 3rd District of the Municipality of Torino that created, on the day of the meeting, an "event within the event" organizing a Sports and Volunteering Festival in the streets of Parco Ruffini. In addition, the University and the Polytechnic of Torino were present at the Nebiolo Stadium not only with their highest representatives, but also with hundreds of Italian and foreign students, who in the afternoon took part in “Universities on the Move - Erasmus international Fair”, a great international university event that took place at Palaruffini.

CUS Torino Organizing Committee aims to fix the new appointment with the Primo Nebiolo Memorial in June 2013.