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Filippo Tortu
Filippo Tortu Juegos del Mediterráneo 2018 (cropped).jpg
Tortu at the 2018 Mediterranean Games
Personal information
Born (1998-06-15) 15 June 1998 (age 26)
Milan, Italy
Height 1.87 m
Weight 75 kg
Sport
Country Italy
Sport Athletics
Event(s) 100 m, 200 m
Club G.S. Fiamme Gialle
Coached by Salvino Tortu
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • 60 m: 6.58 (2019)
  • 100 m: 9.99 (2018)
  • 200 m: 20.10 (2022)
  • 4×100 m relay: 37.50 (2021) NR
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Italy
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 0 0
World Championships 0 1 0
World Relays 1 0 0
European Championships 1 1 1
European Games 0 1 0
Mediterranean Games 1 0 0
World U20 Championships 0 1 0
European U20 Championships 1 1 0
Olympic Games
Gold 2020 Tokyo 4×100 m relay
World Championships
Silver 2023 Budapest 4×100 m relay
World Relays
Gold 2021 Chorzów 4×100 m relay
European Championships
Gold 2024 Rome 4×100 m relay
Silver 2024 Rome 200 m
Bronze 2022 Munich 200 m
European Games
Silver 2023 Kraków-Małopolska 4×100 m relay
Mediterranean Games
Gold 2018 Tarragona 4×100 m relay
World U20 Championships
Silver 2016 Bydgoszcz 100 m
European U20 Championships
Gold 2017 Grosseto 100 m
Silver 2017 Grosseto 4×100 m relay

Filippo Tortu (born 15 June 1998) is an Italian sprinter with a personal best in the 100 meters of 9.99, the first Italian in history to break the 10 seconds barrier. He won the gold medal in 100 metres at the 2017 European U20 Championships and the silver medal at the 2016 World U20 Championships. He ran the anchor leg in the 4×100m relay of the Italian team that won the gold medal (the fifth fastest anchor of all time) at the 2020 Summer Olympics and at the 2024 European Championships, and the silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

At the individual level in the 200 metres he won the silver medal at the 2024 European Championships and the bronze medal at the 2022 European Championships. He is coached by his father, Salvino Tortu, a former Sardinian sprinter who moved to Lombardy.

Biography

Born in Milan to a Sardinian father, former runner Salvino, and a Lombard mother, Paola Confalonieri, he began to play sports at the age of eight years, dividing his time between track and field and basketball.

In 2010 and 2011, he won the title of fastest runner in Milan while competing in the categories prima media and seconda media (first and second years of middle school). He then started to dedicate himself entirely to track and field, coached by his father. In 2013, he won the 80 meters in the Italian championships in Jesolo (category cadetto) with a time of 9.09.

He finished third at the 2014 trials for the European Youth Olympic Games although he did not qualify. He did however qualify for the 200 meters, but in the preliminary race for the Youth Olympics he fell at the finish line; he broke both arms and as a result was not able to compete in the finals. In 2015, he broke the Italian youth record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.33, as well as in the 200 meters with a time of 20.92.

In 2016, he broke the Italian junior record of 100 meters in Savona, twice obtaining a time of 10.24; this record had been unbeaten for 34 years, and was held by Pierfrancesco Pavoni who ran the distance in 10.25 at the 1982 European Championships. A month later, he landed his first Italian title in Rieti, winning the final of 100 meters in 10.32. He took part in the European Championships in Amsterdam, where he qualified for the semifinals by winning with a time of 10.19, which was a new Italian junior record. He failed, however, to reach the final by 0.03 seconds. He also ran the final leg of 4×100 relay, landing a 5th place. He participated at the World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, where he won the silver medal in 100 meters with 10.24, behind the American Noah Lyles (10.17). In the same championship he participated in the 4×100 relay where they finished 7th.

At the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, Tortu competed in the men's 100m. He reached the semi-final but did not qualify for the finals. Tortu also ran the anchor leg in the 4×100 relay final, coming from behind to pip the GB team by one-hundredth of a second, running his leg with only 8.845 seconds and winning a historic gold.

National records

  • 100 metres: 9.99 (+0.2 m/s; Spain Madrid, 22 June 2018) - former Italian record
  • 4×100 m relay: 37.50 (Japan Tokyo, 6 August 2021), he ran final leg in the team with Lorenzo Patta, Marcell Jacobs, Eseosa Desalu

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Notes
2014 Youth Olympic Games China Nanjing Final 200 metres DNS
2016 European Championships Netherlands Amsterdam 9th (sf) 100 metres 10.19 Sport records icon PB.svg
5th 4×100 m relay 38.69
World U20 Championships Poland Bydgoszcz 2nd 100 metres 10.24
7th 4×100 m relay 40.02
2017 IAAF World Relays The Bahamas Nassau Heat 4×100 m relay DQ R170.7
European U20 Championships Italy Grosseto 1st 100 metres 10.73 (–4.3)
2nd 4×100 m relay 39.50
World Championships United Kingdom London 17th (sf) 200 metres 20.62 w
2018 Mediterranean Games Spain Tarragona 1st 4×100 m relay 38.49 Sport records icon GR.svg
European Championships Germany Berlin 5th 100 metres 10.08
Heat 4×100 m relay DQ R170.7
2019 IAAF World Relays Japan Yokohama Final 4×100 m relay DNF
World Championships Qatar Doha 7th 100 metres 10.07 SB
10th (sf) 4×100 m relay 38.11 NR
2021 World Athletics Relays Poland Chorzów 1st 4×100 m relay 39.21
Olympic Games Japan Tokyo 18th (sf) 100 metres 10.16
1st 4×100 m relay 37.50 NR
2022 World Championships United States Eugene 9th (sf) 200 metres 20.10 Sport records icon PB.svg
10th (h) 4×100 m relay 38.74 SB
European Championships Germany Munich 3rd 200 metres 20.27
2023 European Team Championships Poland Chorzów 5th 200 metres 20.61
2nd 4×100 m relay 38.47 SB
World Championships Hungary Budapest 25th (h) 200 metres 20.46
2nd 4×100 m relay 37.62 SB
2024 World Athletics Relays The Bahamas Nassau Final 4×100 m relay DQ
European Championships Italy Rome 2nd 200 metres 20.41
1st 4×100 m relay 37.82 EL

Personal bests

Outdoor
  • 100 metres: 9.99 (+0.2 m/s; Spain Madrid, 22 June 2018)
  • Fastest 100 metre anchor leg: 8.845 (Japan Tokyo, 5 August 2021)
  • 200 metres: 20.10 (+0.3 m/s; United States Eugene, 19 July 2022)
Indoor
  • 60 metres: 6.58 (Italy Ancona, 20 January 2019)

National titles

  • Italian Athletics Championships
  • Italian Athletics Indoor Championships
    • 60 metres: 2020

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Filippo Tortu para niños

  • 2018 in 100 metres (19th with 9.99)
  • 2019 in 100 metres (46th with 10.07)
  • 2020 in 100 metres (15th with 10.07)
  • List of Italian records in athletics
  • Italian all-time lists - 100 metres
  • Italian all-time lists - 200 metres
  • Italian national track relay team
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