Valerio Arri

Valeriano Pompeo Maurizio " Murissi " Arri, known as Valerio Arri ( born June 22, 1892 in Portacomaro ( Asti ), Italy, † July 2, 1970 ) was an Italian athlete and as a marathon runner medal winner at the Olympic Games.

Valerio Arri first appeared in 1912 in the sporty since 1905 discharged solely for French and Italian athletes run more than 18 km from Nice to Monaco in appearance, where he finished 9th overall. For his participation in 1913 it was only enough for 11th place. His first known victories he celebrated 1917 at Cross runs for about 7 km, at the time a member of the U.S. Ausonia in La Spezia. In 1918 he moved to the U.S. Barriera di Nizza in Turin and won a road race on a turning point haul from Turin to Moncalieri about 12 km. However, over shorter distances he could convince, he was in the 1918 5000 -meter run champion the region of Piedmont.

In 1919 came the sporty breakthrough for Arri. When first edition of the Turin Marathon, he ran on the 42.75 km long track with 2:40:47,6 hours as the leaders home. A few months later Arri won in Milan over a distance of 48 km with 3:13:41 hrs also the title of Italian champion in the marathon.

These successes Valerio Arri helped him to participate in the marathon at the Summer Olympics in Antwerp in 1920. When with 42.75 km longest ever discharged at the Olympic Games marathon Arri showed a tactically astute performance. So he was not impressed by the tremendous pace of lying in the lead runners and ran his own race in the area of ​​9 square. Only on the last 5 km, it increased its speed, while the runners ahead of him were weaker. By crossing the finish line he had been able to overtake 6 competitors, eventually reaching as the third place and the bronze medal. Nevertheless, Arri annoyed because he felt in the target still so fresh that he believed he would have declined to fight for victory can. To prove this, he suggested the stadium grandstand three handsprings that should have thrilled the audience and the present Pierre de Coubertin.

After the Olympics, stay out of other sporting successes. Arri frequently changes the club. At the Turin Marathon 1921 he occupied the 4th place and 3rd place in 1923.

In 1996, awarded in honor of the first winner at the Turin Marathon by the organizers of the Premio Valerio Arri, who became in subsequent years to an important distinction in the Italian Athletics. With the price an athlete or sportsman of the country is annually honored that or who has made ​​an outstanding contribution to the national sport.

The rankings at the Olympic Games for Valerio Arri:

• VII Summer Olympic Games in 1920, Antwerp Marathon - BRONZE in 2:36:32,8 hrs ( Hannes Kolehmainen gold, with FIN 2:32:35,8 hours; silver to Jüri Loss man, EST with 2:32:48,6 hours)