‘La Pista di Pietro’, an esosport project
“La Pista di Pietro” is an initiative that complements the project “Betty’s Garden” and aims to create new athletics tracks dedicated to the legendary athlete Pietro Mennea, using as a base surface material obtained from the recycling of end-of-life sports shoes, bicycle tyres, and inner tubes.
The wife of the Olympic champion of the 200 meters at Moscow 1980 and world record holder for 17 years, Manuela Olivieri, has joined the initiative by donating a pair of her husband’s running shoes — a symbolic gesture to show that every “Pista di Pietro” will contain a small portion of material from these iconic shoes.
In March 2015, in Rome, during the presentation of the initiative, Paolo Masini, then the Councilor for Sports and Schools of the Municipality of Rome, who came up with the idea of pairing “Il Giardino di Betty” with “Peter’s Runway”, said: “The shoes of one of the greatest champions will be the true ‘mother yeast’ present in the fibers of the material that will make up all the surfaces we will create together.“
The flooring, made by transforming worn-out sports shoes, will carry with it a part of the dream of the great athlete: to continue running.
Biography of Pietro Mennea
Born in Barletta (Bari) on June 28, 1952, passed away in Rome on March 21, 2013; height 1.79 meters, weight 68 kg. Coach: Carlo Vittori. Appearances for the National Team: 51. In 1979, world record holder in the 200 meters with 19.72. Olympic Champion (1980) in the 200 meters, European Champion (1978) in the 100 meters and (1974 and 1978) in the 200 meters.
Graduated in accounting and physical education, and with a degree in political science. Initially coached by Professor Mascolo, he quickly transitioned from middle distance to sprinting. Previously, he had also played some football.
In his first year as a junior, he joined the National Team, and in his second year, he won the Italian title in the 200 meters. Professor Vittori took him under his wing from the 1971 season when Pietro won the 200 meters at the Mediterranean Games and the Italian Championships. In 1972, he reached the podium at the Olympics, in 1973 he won at the Universiade, in 1974 at the European Championships, and in 1975 again at the Mediterranean Games and the Universiade.
His best years were from 1977 to 1980, when he became the best 200-meter sprinter in the world, setting a world record of 19.72 at the 1979 Universiade in Mexico City (wind: 1.8 meters per second) and winning an Olympic gold in 1980 in Moscow, where he triumphed in a furious finish against Scottish sprinter Allan Wells (20.19 vs. 20.21).
He then retired for almost two years, returning to competitions at the end of 1982, and remained a protagonist, starting from the winter of 1983 (indoor world record in the 200 meters). He retired at the end of 1984 but returned to competition in late 1987 and participated in his fifth Olympic Games in Seoul. He greatly improved the national records: 100 meters down to a 10.0 manual time (Milan, 1972) and 10.01 (Mexico, 1979), which was also a European record.
He also achieved a remarkable 45.87 (1977) in the 400 meters. His most impressive performances can be seen in what he did at the 1978 European Championships in Prague: between heats and finals, 10 races in 6 days, with an extraordinary 44.4 in his final effort, a leg in the 4×400 relay; and after the 1980 Moscow Olympics, he ran 8 200-meter races in about fifty days, both in Europe and the Far East, winning them all, with an average time of 20.07.
He also had a successful career in politics and public service, eventually entering the European Parliament.
Curriculum
Italian Titles: 1974, 1978, 1980 100 meters – 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984 200 meters – 1974 4×100 meters – 1974 4×200 meters
Olympic Games: 3rd in 1972 (200 meters), 4th in 1976 (200 meters), eliminated in the quarter-finals in 1980 (100 meters), 1st in 1980 (200 meters), 3rd in 1980 (4×400 meters), 7th in 1984 (200 meters), 4th in 1984 (4×100 meters), 5th in 1984 (4×400 meters), eliminated in the quarter-finals in 1988 (200 meters).
World Championships: 3rd in 1983 (200 meters), 2nd in 1983 (4×100 meters).
European Championships: 6th in 1971 (200 meters), 3rd in 1971 (4×100 meters), 2nd in 1974 (100 meters), 1st in 1974 (200 meters), 2nd in 1974 (4×100 meters), 1st in 1978 (100 meters), 1st in 1978 (200 meters), 5th in 1978 (4×100 meters), 7th in 1978 (4×400 meters), 6th in 1982 (4×400 meters).
European Indoor Championships: 1st in 1978 (400 meters).
European Junior Championships: 5th in 1970 (200 meters), 6th in 1970 (4×100 meters).
World Cup: 4th in 1977 (100 meters), 2nd in 1977 (200 meters).
European Cup: 2nd in 1975 (100 meters), 1st in 1975 (200 meters), 3rd in 1975 (4×100 meters), 2nd in 1977 (100 meters), disqualified in 1977 (4×100 meters), 1st in 1979 (100 meters), 2nd in 1979 (200 meters), 4th in 1979 (4×100 meters), 2nd in 1983 (200 meters), 1st in 1983 (4×100 meters).
Performances 100 meters:
- 10.01 (1) Mexico City 4-9-79
- 10.15 (1) Turin 4-8-79
- 10.15 (1) b2 Split 23-9-79
- 10.18 (1) Bologna 19-9-79
- 10.19 (1) b2 Prague 29-8-78
- 10.19 (1) Turin 24-6-80
- 10.20 (1) Turin 12-7-75
- 10.22 (1) Lignano Sabbiadoro 18-8-79
- 10.23 (4) Zurich 20-8-75
- 10.23 (4) Milan 1-7-78
- Manual times:
- 10.0 (2) Milan 16-6-72
- 10.0 (1) Palermo 10-9-75
- 10.0 (1) Lisbon 3-6-79
Performances 200 meters:
- 19.72 (1) Mexico City 12-9-79
- 19.96 (1) b9 Mexico City 10-9-79
- 19.96 (1) Barletta 17-8-80
- 20.01 (1) Rome 5-8-80
- 20.03 (1) Tokyo 20-9-80
- 20.03 (1) Beijing 27-9-80
- 20.04 (1) sf Mexico City 11-9-79
- 20.05 (1) Brussels 22-8-80
- 20.07 (1) Rovereto 13-8-80
- 20.07 (1) Brindisi 3-10-84
- 20.09 (1) Brindisi 14-10-84
- Manual times:
- 19.8 (1) Mexico City 3-9-79
Legend:
- b = battery (heat)
- sf = semifinal
Records:
- 100 meters: Track: 10.0 (no wind) – 1972 Milan
- 150 meters: Track: 14.8 (no wind) – 1983 Cassino
- 200 meters: Track: 19.96 (no wind) – 1980 Barletta
- 300 meters: Track: 32.2 (no wind) – 1975 Formia
Source: FIDAL