Pietro Mennea
Pietro Paolo Mennea ( born June 28, 1952 in Barletta, † March 21, 2013 in Rome ) was an Italian athlete. With 19.72 s he held for 17 years the world record over 200 meters; the time still exists today as a European record.
Life
Pietro Menneas interest in athletics has claims to 1968 aroused as he watched the 200 - meter world record-breaking run by the American Tommie Smith at the Olympic Games in Mexico City on TV. On the medium-haul without success, he focused on the sprint distances and began to run for the Italian National Team at the age of 17 years. The first international medal win in Menneas long career turned a at the European Championships 1971 in Helsinki, when the Italian 4x100 - meter relay team won bronze. At the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, he was third on 200 meters. His rather moderate step length of 2.30 meters, he compensated by its high pace and stamina.
In 1974 he was European champion in the 200 meters in Rome. About 100 meters and in the 4 x 100 - meter relay, he reached the second rank, respectively. After some poor performances in the 1976 season Mennea decided not to participate in the Olympic Games in Montreal. After protests in the Italian public, he changed his mind. About 200 meters after all, he was fourth, also with the sprint relay. At the European Championships 1978 in Prague, he won both 200 and 100-meter gold medal.
1979 took Mennea, physics, and later political science at the University of Bari studied part in the World Student Championships, which were held in the high altitude of Mexico City. With its reached on September 12th, 1979 victory time of 19.72 s he beat the world record of his idol, Tommie Smith. This record time should be only 17 years later, undercut on June 24, 1996 by Michael Johnson and improved to 19.66 s. It has been criticized that the world record had come about only because of the altitude. However Mennea held from 1980 to 1983 with 19.96 s, erected in his home town of Barletta, the world record for deeper layers.
The world record holder was one of the favorites for the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, mainly because of the boycott of the United States. Mennea struck in the 200 - meter final, the British Allan Wells to three hundredths of a second and was Olympic champion.
Mennea, in Italy as Freccia del Sud (, Arrow of the South ') known then announced his resignation in order to have more time for his studies. However, he was soon after his comeback and won at the World Athletics Championships 1983 in Helsinki the bronze medal over 200 meters. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles Mennea was the first athlete ever had one behind the other reached for the fourth time the final run over 200 meters; in the end he finished seventh. After a second resignation was followed by a second comeback. At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, however, he failed about 200 meters already in the heats.
In 1998 he became general manager in Italian football club Salernitana Calcio. From 1999 to 2004 Mennea was on the list of Democratici Member of the European Parliament, but managed not to re-elect. 2002 was also a candidate for mayor of the city of Barletta unsuccessful.
Mennea succumbed to cancer at the age of 60 years.