Pietro Mennea facts for kids

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Pietro Mennea

Pietro Mennea, 1972
Personal information
Full name	Pietro Paolo Mennea
Nickname(s)	la Freccia del Sud ("the Arrow of the South")
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1952-06-28)28 June 1952 Barletta, Apulia, Italy
Died	21 March 2013(2013-03-21) (aged 60) Rome, Italy
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	73 kg (161 lb)
Sport
Country	Italy
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	100 m, 200 m
Club	Avis Barletta (1967–1972) Aeronautica Militare (1973) Alco Atalanta Rieti (1974–1976) Fiat C.E. Bari (1977) Fiat Iveco Torino (1978–1980) Capannelle Roma (1984) A.C. Bergamo (1984)
Coached by	Carlo Vittori
Retired	28 September 1988
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 10.01 (1979) 200 m: 19.72 (1979, AR) 400 m: 45.87 (1977)
Medal record International athletics competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 2 World Championships 0 1 1 European Championships 3 2 1 European Indoor Championships 1 0 0 Mediterranean Games 8 1 0 Universiade 5 0 2 World Cup 0 1 0 European Cup 3 4 1 Olympic Games Gold 1980 Moscow 200 m Bronze 1972 Munich 200 m Bronze 1980 Moscow 4 × 400 m World Championships Silver 1983 Helsinki 4 × 100 m Bronze 1983 Helsinki 200 m European Championships Gold 1974 Rome 200 m Gold 1978 Prague 200 m Gold 1978 Prague 100 m Silver 1974 Rome 100 m Silver 1974 Rome 4 × 100 m Bronze 1971 Helsinki 4 × 100 m European Indoor Championships Gold 1978 Milan 400 m Summer Universiade Gold 1973 Moscow 200 m Gold 1975 Rome 100 m Gold 1975 Rome 200 m Gold 1979 Mexico City 200 m Gold 1979 Mexico City 4 × 100 m Bronze 1973 Moscow 100 m Bronze 1973 Moscow 4 × 100 m Mediterranean Games Gold 1971 Izmir 200 m Gold 1971 Izmir 4 × 100 Gold 1975 Algiers 100 m Gold 1975 Algiers 200 m Gold 1979 Split 100 m Gold 1979 Split 4 × 100 m Gold 1983 Casablanca 200 m Gold 1983 Casablanca 4 × 100 m Silver 1975 Algiers 4 × 100 m World Cup Silver 1977 Düsseldorf 200 m

Pietro Paolo Mennea (born June 28, 1952 – died March 21, 2013) was a famous Italian sprinter and later a politician. People called him la Freccia del Sud, which means "the Arrow of the South." He was best known for running the 200-meter race.

Pietro Mennea won a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He also set a world record in the 200 meters in 1979, finishing in an amazing 19.72 seconds. This record lasted for almost 17 years, which is the longest time for that event! It is still the fastest time ever recorded in Europe. He is also the only male sprinter to reach the 200-meter Olympic final four times in a row, from 1972 to 1984.

Pietro Mennea: A Champion Sprinter

Early Life and First Races

Pietro Mennea was born in Barletta, Italy. He started his long running career in 1968. In 1971, he won his first Italian titles in the 100-meter and 200-meter races. He won 14 Italian outdoor titles in total.

He also won two indoor titles and five gold medals at the Mediterranean Games. These games are like a mini-Olympics for countries around the Mediterranean Sea. At the European Championships in 1971, he helped his team win a bronze medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay race.

Pietro first competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He reached the final of the 200-meter race, which was his best event. He won a bronze medal, coming in third place. He would go on to compete in three more Olympic 200-meter finals, a record for sprinters.

European Success and Challenges

At the European Championships in Rome, Mennea won the 200-meter gold medal. He also earned two silver medals in the 100-meter race and the 4 × 100-meter relay.

In 1976, he almost didn't go to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. But after many people in Italy asked him to, he went. He finished fourth in the 200-meter race. In 1978, he won the 200-meter European title again. He also showed how fast he was by winning the 100-meter race in Prague.

Setting a World Record

In 1979, Pietro Mennea made history. He competed in the World University Games in Mexico City. This city is high up, which can help runners go faster. On September 12, 1979, he ran the 200 meters in an amazing 19.72 seconds.

This time was a new world record! He broke the old record set by Tommie Smith in the 1968 Olympics. Mennea's record lasted for nearly 17 years. Even today, only a few athletes have run faster than him in the 200 meters. His time is still the fastest ever in Europe.

He also held a world record for the 200 meters at a lower altitude, running 19.96 seconds in his hometown of Barletta in 1980. He was the first sprinter to run the 200 meters under 20 seconds three times.

Becoming an Olympic Champion

When the 1980 Summer Olympics came around in Moscow, Mennea was a top favorite to win gold. Many American athletes did not attend these Olympics.

In the 200-meter final, Mennea was up against other fast runners. He started in the outside lane. Another runner, Allan Wells, started very fast. But Mennea pushed hard in the final part of the race. He caught up to Wells and won the gold medal by just 0.02 seconds!

Later in those same Olympics, he helped the Italian team win a bronze medal in the 4 × 400-meter relay race. He also ran in the 100-meter race, reaching the semi-finals.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1983, Mennea set another best time, running 150 meters in 14.8 seconds. This was a world best time for that distance until 2009. After this, he announced he would retire from running to focus on his studies.

But he soon came back! He won a bronze medal in the 200 meters at the first-ever World Championships in Helsinki. A year later, he competed in his fourth Olympic 200-meter final. He was the first person to do this! He finished seventh and then retired again.

Mennea made another comeback for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He was chosen to be Italy's flag bearer, which is a great honor. He ran in the 200 meters but decided to withdraw before the next round.

Life After Running

After his amazing running career, Pietro Mennea became a lawyer and a sports agent. He also entered politics. He was a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004. The European Parliament is a group of people from different European countries who make laws for Europe.

Pietro Mennea passed away on March 21, 2013, at the age of 60. To honor him, the Italian Railways named a new superfast train "Frecciarossa ETR 1000" after him.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1971	European Championships	Helsinki	6th	200 metres	20.88
			3rd	4 × 100 m relay	39.78
1972	Olympic Games	Munich	3rd	200 metres	20.30
			8th	4 × 100 m relay	39.14
1974	European Championships	Rome	2nd	100 metres	10.34
			1st	200 metres	20.60
			2nd	4 × 100 m relay	38.88
1976	Olympic Games	Montreal	4th	200 metres	20.54
			6th	4 × 100 m relay	39.08
1978	European Indoor Championships	Milan	1st	400 metres	46.51
	European Championships	Prague	1st	100 metres	10.27
			1st	200 metres	20.16
			5th	4 × 100 m relay	39.11
			7th	4 × 400 m relay	3:06.7
1980	Olympic Games	Moscow	14th (sf)	100 metres	10.58
			1st	200 metres	20.19
			3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:04.54
1982	European Championships	Athens	6th	4 × 400 m relay	3:03.21
1983	World Championships	Helsinki	3rd	200 metres	20.51
			2nd	4 × 100 m relay	38.37
1984	Olympic Games	Los Angeles	7th	200 metres	20.55
			4th	4 × 100 m relay	38.87
			5th	4 × 400 m relay	3:01.44
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul	40th (qf)	200 metres	DNS

Personal Best Times

These are Pietro Mennea's fastest times in different races:

• 100 meters: 10.01 seconds (set in Mexico City, 1979)
• 200 meters: 19.72 seconds (a world record, set in Mexico City, 1979)
• 300 meters: 32.23 seconds (set in Rieti, Italy, 1979)
• 400 meters: 45.87 seconds (set in Formia, Italy, 1977)

Honors and Awards

Pietro Mennea received many honors for his achievements:

• In 2012, he was made an honorary citizen of Durrës, a city in Albania.
• The President of Albania gave him the "Medal of Gratitude." This was for his amazing running career and for his work with the "Pietro Mennea" Foundation, which helps sports and research.
• The 2016 "Sport Movies & TV - Milano International FICTS Fest" was dedicated to him.
• He is also in the FICTS "Hall of Fame."
• An asteroid, 73891 Pietromennea, was named after him!

See also

In Spanish: Pietro Mennea para niños

• Men's 200 metres world record progression
• List of flag bearers for Italy at the Olympics
• Italy national athletics team – Multiple medalists
• Italian all-time lists – 100 metres
• Italian all-time lists – 200 metres
• Italy national relay team
• FIDAL Hall of Fame
• Italy national athletics team – More caps
• List of Italian records in athletics