Marcello Fiasconaro
Encyclopedia
Marcello Luigi Fiasconaro (born July 19, 1949) is an Italian
-South Africa
n athlete, who in 1973 set a world record in the 800 m.
to an Italian father and South African mother, Fiasconaro spent his youth in this South African coastal city.
His father, Gregorio, was born in Castelbuono, Sicily. A pilot for Italy during World War II, the elder Fiasconaro was shot down over East Africa and taken to South Africa as a prisoner of war. He married Mabel Marie, a South African woman from Pietermaritzburg
, and settled in Cape Town, where he was appointed professor of music at the University of Cape Town
.
Marcello Fiasconaro's first passion was rugby
. After playing for the Villagers Rugby Club in Cape Town, he was selected for the Western Province
under 20 team.
He only switched to athletics at the age of 20. Fiasconaro discovered his running talent after the president of the Celtic Harriers Running Club at the time, Stewart Banner, suggested that the rugby team train with his runners to get fit. Banner became Fiasconaro's trainer.
athletes Danie Malan and Donald Timm.
In 1970 Fiasconaro won the 400m at an athletics meeting in Potchefstroom, South Africa. His feat attracted the attention of Italian discus thrower Carmelo Rado, who asked about Fiasconaro's citizenship. When Rado heard of Fiasconaro's Italian origins, he drew the matter to the attention of the Italian athletics authorities.
Fiasconaro was invited to participate in Italy, where he set a new Italian record of 45.7 seconds over the 400 metres, winning the title of Italian Champion at this distance.
Already among the fastest 7 men in the world over 400 meters, he acquired an Italian passport in 1971. At this point Fiasconaro spoke very little Italian
. Although he at first needed an interpreter to communicate, he learnt Italian from his team mates. He started living in Italy for six months of each year to race for the Italian Athletics Federation.
In 1971 Fiasconaro won a silver medal in the 400 metres at the European Championship in Helsinki
. His time of 45.49 seconds was beaten in Italy only in 1981. He also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 m relay, in which he ran the final leg. In 1972 he set an indoor world record in the 400 metres with 46.1 seconds.
But Banner and his charge concluded that Fiasconaro lacked the speed for the 400 m, and should concentrate on the 800 m instead. In 1973 Fiasconaro broke the Italian 800 m record five times, and won the South African Championships over the same distance at Potchefstroom. During the same year he equalled Dicky Broberg's South African record of 1.44.7 - a joint feat that survived for 25 years afterwards.
Fiasconaro was a favourite to win the 800-metre European Championship in Rome in 1974. After leading for over 600 metres at a fast pace, he tired and was passed by the surprise winner, Yugoslavia's Luciano Susanj
. In the home straight Fiasconaro fell back to seventh place.
In 1974 Fiasconaro participated in 800 metres in the Sunkist Invitational Indoor Track Meet in Los Angeles, California.
. The favourite was Josef Plachy, a Czech who had reached the 1968 final and the 1972 semi-final in the 800 m at the Olympic Games. Plachy possessed a devastating finish. Banner and Fiasconaro's tactics were to go out fast. The plan nearly backfired when Plachy managed to stay with Fiasconaro for most of the race, before finally falling back over the last 150 metres.
On his return to South Africa, Fiasconaro went on 10-day partying spree. He paid the toll for his overindulgence when he was easily beaten in the United States soon afterwards. In trying to recapture his form, he overtrained. A stress fracture in his foot signalled the beginning of the end of his brief meteoric career.
At the European Championships in 1974 he developed problems with his Achilles tendon. The constant injuries and pressure to compete led him to take a year-long sabbatical from athletics.
Fiasconaro's world record of 1:43.7 seconds was beaten at world level three years later, but is still the Italian record - perhaps the most long-lived Italian athletics record in any discipline.
His talent as an all-round athlete was tested in an appearance in the 1976 heat of The Superstars, a television sports competition that pitted athletes against one another in disciplines other than their own. Although he placed 5th overall, Fiasconaro came first in the 50 m swimming and soccer skills events, and second in 15m pistol shooting.
In 1977 he turned out for the Concordia Roma team.
In 2009 he was living in Johannesburg's Benmore suburb. The Italian consul to South Africa awarded Fiasconaro the Cavaliere Ordine
al Merito della Republica Italiana, described as "the highest honour that can be bestowed on an Italian civilian".
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n athlete, who in 1973 set a world record in the 800 m.
Early life
Born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
to an Italian father and South African mother, Fiasconaro spent his youth in this South African coastal city.
His father, Gregorio, was born in Castelbuono, Sicily. A pilot for Italy during World War II, the elder Fiasconaro was shot down over East Africa and taken to South Africa as a prisoner of war. He married Mabel Marie, a South African woman from Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, and settled in Cape Town, where he was appointed professor of music at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
.
Marcello Fiasconaro's first passion was rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
. After playing for the Villagers Rugby Club in Cape Town, he was selected for the Western Province
Western Province
Western Province or West Province may refer to:*Western Province, Cameroon*Western Province, Rwanda*Western Province *Western Province *Western Province *Western Province, Sri Lanka...
under 20 team.
He only switched to athletics at the age of 20. Fiasconaro discovered his running talent after the president of the Celtic Harriers Running Club at the time, Stewart Banner, suggested that the rugby team train with his runners to get fit. Banner became Fiasconaro's trainer.
Athletics career
In his second 400m race at Stellenbosch University's Coetzenburg track, Fiasconaro beat the favourites, SpringbokSpringbok colours
Springbok colours were historically awarded to South African teams and individuals representing the country in international competition. With the arrival of South Africa's new democratic regime in 1994, the name 'Springbok' was abandoned by the various control boards since they felt that the term...
athletes Danie Malan and Donald Timm.
In 1970 Fiasconaro won the 400m at an athletics meeting in Potchefstroom, South Africa. His feat attracted the attention of Italian discus thrower Carmelo Rado, who asked about Fiasconaro's citizenship. When Rado heard of Fiasconaro's Italian origins, he drew the matter to the attention of the Italian athletics authorities.
Fiasconaro was invited to participate in Italy, where he set a new Italian record of 45.7 seconds over the 400 metres, winning the title of Italian Champion at this distance.
Already among the fastest 7 men in the world over 400 meters, he acquired an Italian passport in 1971. At this point Fiasconaro spoke very little Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. Although he at first needed an interpreter to communicate, he learnt Italian from his team mates. He started living in Italy for six months of each year to race for the Italian Athletics Federation.
In 1971 Fiasconaro won a silver medal in the 400 metres at the European Championship in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. His time of 45.49 seconds was beaten in Italy only in 1981. He also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 m relay, in which he ran the final leg. In 1972 he set an indoor world record in the 400 metres with 46.1 seconds.
But Banner and his charge concluded that Fiasconaro lacked the speed for the 400 m, and should concentrate on the 800 m instead. In 1973 Fiasconaro broke the Italian 800 m record five times, and won the South African Championships over the same distance at Potchefstroom. During the same year he equalled Dicky Broberg's South African record of 1.44.7 - a joint feat that survived for 25 years afterwards.
Fiasconaro was a favourite to win the 800-metre European Championship in Rome in 1974. After leading for over 600 metres at a fast pace, he tired and was passed by the surprise winner, Yugoslavia's Luciano Susanj
Luciano Sušanj
Luciano Sušanj is a Croatian politician, sports worker and former track athlete who competed for Yugoslavia. Sušanj was successful in international competition over 400 and 800 meters, but is best known for winning the 800 meters European title in 1974.In the 1990s Sušanj started a political...
. In the home straight Fiasconaro fell back to seventh place.
In 1974 Fiasconaro participated in 800 metres in the Sunkist Invitational Indoor Track Meet in Los Angeles, California.
World record
The most outstanding moment in Fiasconaro's career came in the evening of June 27, 1973, in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. The favourite was Josef Plachy, a Czech who had reached the 1968 final and the 1972 semi-final in the 800 m at the Olympic Games. Plachy possessed a devastating finish. Banner and Fiasconaro's tactics were to go out fast. The plan nearly backfired when Plachy managed to stay with Fiasconaro for most of the race, before finally falling back over the last 150 metres.
On his return to South Africa, Fiasconaro went on 10-day partying spree. He paid the toll for his overindulgence when he was easily beaten in the United States soon afterwards. In trying to recapture his form, he overtrained. A stress fracture in his foot signalled the beginning of the end of his brief meteoric career.
At the European Championships in 1974 he developed problems with his Achilles tendon. The constant injuries and pressure to compete led him to take a year-long sabbatical from athletics.
Fiasconaro's world record of 1:43.7 seconds was beaten at world level three years later, but is still the Italian record - perhaps the most long-lived Italian athletics record in any discipline.
Other sports
After a year he returned to play rugby in Italy in 1976, playing with Concordia Insurance in Milan for several seasons.His talent as an all-round athlete was tested in an appearance in the 1976 heat of The Superstars, a television sports competition that pitted athletes against one another in disciplines other than their own. Although he placed 5th overall, Fiasconaro came first in the 50 m swimming and soccer skills events, and second in 15m pistol shooting.
In 1977 he turned out for the Concordia Roma team.
Later life
After suffering from injuries which prevented him from participating in the Montreal Olympics in 1976, Fiasconaro returned to South Africa in 1978, where he married his girlfriend, Sally.In 2009 he was living in Johannesburg's Benmore suburb. The Italian consul to South Africa awarded Fiasconaro the Cavaliere Ordine
al Merito della Republica Italiana, described as "the highest honour that can be bestowed on an Italian civilian".