Pietro Mennea
Encyclopedia
Pietro Paolo Mennea (ˈpjɛtro menˈnɛa; born June 28, 1952) is an Italian
former sprinter and politician
, who was the 1980 Moscow Olympic 200 meter Champion, and also held the 200 m world record
for 17 years.
, started his long international athletic career in 1971, where he won the first of his 14 Italian outdoor titles in the 100/200. He went on to win 2 Indoor titles at 60/400, along with 5 Mediterranean Games Golds in 100/200.
He competed at the European Championships with a third place in the 4 x 100 m relay. He made his Olympic debut at the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
, where he made the final of the 200 m, his strongest event. He crossed the line in third place, behind Valeri Borzov
and Larry Black
. Three more Olympic 200 metre finals would follow later in his career.
At the 1974 European Championships, Mennea claimed the 200 m gold in front of his home crowd in Rome
, while also placing second behind Borzov in the 100 m and the 4 x 100 m.
After some poor performances in the 1976 Olympic season, Mennea decided to skip the Olympics, but when the Italian public protested Mennea went to Montreal
. He did make it to the final of the 200 m, but saw Don Quarrie
take the gold, leaving the Italian in fourth. He again placed fourth when the Italian relay team just missed out on the bronze.
In 1977 he finished 2nd in the world cup 200, where a photo finish separated him from Clancy Edwards of America.
He successfully defended his European 200 m title in 1978, but displayed his capabilities on the 100 metres by also winning that event in Prague
.
In 1979, Mennea was 1st in the 100, and 2nd in the 200 behind Allan Wells
of Great Britain in the European Cup. But afterwards since he was a student in political sciences, took part in the World University Games, which were held on the high-altitude track of Mexico City
. His winning time in the 200, 19.72, was the new world record, beating the former world record by Tommie Smith
set on the same track in the 1968 Summer Olympics
. The record held out for seventeen years (Mennea also held the low-altitude world record from 1980 to 1983: 19.96, set in his home town, Barletta), and was finally beaten by Michael Johnson
at the US Trials for the 1996 Summer Olympics
. As of May 2011 still only seven athletes recorded a better time on 200 metres than Mennea's world record.
The world record holder was also one of the favourites for the Olympic gold in Moscow
, also because of the American boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
. He competed in the 100 metres where he reached the semi-finals. In the 200 m final, Mennea faced reigning champion Don Quarrie
, and 100 m champion Allan Wells. Wells seemed to be heading for the gold, but Mennea slowly drew closer on the straight, and edged the Scotsman for the gold by 0.02 seconds.
In 1983, in Cassino
, he clocked a manual 14.8 seconds in 150 metres, a world best time that he held until it was bettered by Usain Bolt
in Manchester
in 2009.
Mennea, known in Italy as the Freccia del Sud ("Arrow of the South"), then announced his retirement, allowing himself more time for his study. However, he came back from retirement soon, and won a bronze medal in the 200 m at the inaugural World Championships
in Helsinki
. A year later, he competed in his fourth consecutive Olympic 200 m final, becoming the first person to do so. The defending champion finished in seventh, and retired from athletics for a second time afterwards. Again, Mennea made a comeback, and competed in his fifth Olympics
in Seoul
, but did not make it through the heats of the 200 m.
Mennea later admitted that he had used human growth hormone during his career. Although the usage of the substance is banned in modern-day competition, it was not banned at the time by the International Amateur Athletic Federation.
Mennea was a member of the European Parliament
from 1999 to 2004 elected on the list of The Democrats, but failed in his attempt to be re-elected.
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...
former sprinter and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who was the 1980 Moscow Olympic 200 meter Champion, and also held the 200 m world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for 17 years.
Biography
Mennea, who was born in BarlettaBarletta
Barletta is a city and comune located in the north of Apulia in south eastern Italy. Its current population is 94,140.It is famous for the Colossus of Barletta, a bronze statue, representing a Roman Emperor...
, started his long international athletic career in 1971, where he won the first of his 14 Italian outdoor titles in the 100/200. He went on to win 2 Indoor titles at 60/400, along with 5 Mediterranean Games Golds in 100/200.
He competed at the European Championships with a third place in the 4 x 100 m relay. He made his Olympic debut at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where he made the final of the 200 m, his strongest event. He crossed the line in third place, behind Valeri Borzov
Valeri Borzov
Valeriy Borzov is a Soviet athlete; an Olympic; former president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, and the Ukrainian Minister for Youth and Sports. In 1972 he won both the 100 m and 200 m sprint events for the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games in Munich.-Career:Born in Sambir, Drohobych Oblast,...
and Larry Black
Larry Black
Larry Jeffery Black was an American athlete, winner of the gold medal in the 4 x 100 m relay and silver medal in the 200 m at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich....
. Three more Olympic 200 metre finals would follow later in his career.
At the 1974 European Championships, Mennea claimed the 200 m gold in front of his home crowd in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, while also placing second behind Borzov in the 100 m and the 4 x 100 m.
After some poor performances in the 1976 Olympic season, Mennea decided to skip the Olympics, but when the Italian public protested Mennea went to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. He did make it to the final of the 200 m, but saw Don Quarrie
Don Quarrie
Donald O'Riley Quarrie C.D is a former Jamaican athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s....
take the gold, leaving the Italian in fourth. He again placed fourth when the Italian relay team just missed out on the bronze.
In 1977 he finished 2nd in the world cup 200, where a photo finish separated him from Clancy Edwards of America.
He successfully defended his European 200 m title in 1978, but displayed his capabilities on the 100 metres by also winning that event in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
In 1979, Mennea was 1st in the 100, and 2nd in the 200 behind Allan Wells
Allan Wells
Allan Wipper Wells MBE is a former Scottish athlete, who became Olympic Champion in the 100 metres at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.-Biography:...
of Great Britain in the European Cup. But afterwards since he was a student in political sciences, took part in the World University Games, which were held on the high-altitude track of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. His winning time in the 200, 19.72, was the new world record, beating the former world record by Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...
set on the same track in the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
. The record held out for seventeen years (Mennea also held the low-altitude world record from 1980 to 1983: 19.96, set in his home town, Barletta), and was finally beaten by Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
at the US Trials for the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. As of May 2011 still only seven athletes recorded a better time on 200 metres than Mennea's world record.
The world record holder was also one of the favourites for the Olympic gold in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, also because of the American boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
. He competed in the 100 metres where he reached the semi-finals. In the 200 m final, Mennea faced reigning champion Don Quarrie
Don Quarrie
Donald O'Riley Quarrie C.D is a former Jamaican athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s....
, and 100 m champion Allan Wells. Wells seemed to be heading for the gold, but Mennea slowly drew closer on the straight, and edged the Scotsman for the gold by 0.02 seconds.
In 1983, in Cassino
Cassino
Cassino is a comune in the province of Frosinone, Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio.Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Rapido and Liri rivers...
, he clocked a manual 14.8 seconds in 150 metres, a world best time that he held until it was bettered by Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 2009.
Mennea, known in Italy as the Freccia del Sud ("Arrow of the South"), then announced his retirement, allowing himself more time for his study. However, he came back from retirement soon, and won a bronze medal in the 200 m at the inaugural World Championships
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
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...
. A year later, he competed in his fourth consecutive Olympic 200 m final, becoming the first person to do so. The defending champion finished in seventh, and retired from athletics for a second time afterwards. Again, Mennea made a comeback, and competed in his fifth Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, but did not make it through the heats of the 200 m.
Mennea later admitted that he had used human growth hormone during his career. Although the usage of the substance is banned in modern-day competition, it was not banned at the time by the International Amateur Athletic Federation.
Mennea was a member of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
from 1999 to 2004 elected on the list of The Democrats, but failed in his attempt to be re-elected.
External links
- Official website
- Fondazione Pietro Mennea Onlus
- Sports Reference
- Bio
- video containing Mennea's 19.72