“La Pista di Pietro” is an initiative alongside the “Il Giardino di Betty” project, aimed at creating new athletics tracks dedicated to the famous athlete Pietro Mennea, using recycled material from worn-out sports shoes, bicycle tires, and inner tubes as the base for the surface.

The wife of the Olympic champion in the 200 meters at Moscow 1980, and world record holder for 17 years, Manuela Olivieri, joined the initiative by donating a pair of her husband’s running shoes. This symbolic gesture ensures that in every “Pista di Pietro” a small portion of material from these famous shoes will be present.

In March 2015, in Rome, during the presentation of the initiative, Paolo Masini, then Councillor for Sport and Education of the Municipality of Rome, from whom the idea originated to accompany “Il Giardino di Betty” with “La Pista di Pietro”, stated:

“The shoes of one of the greatest champions will be the true ‘sourdough starter’ present in the fibers of the material that will make up all the surfaces we will create together.”

The flooring, produced by transforming worn-out sports shoes, will carry with it a part of the great athlete’s dream: to keep on running.

Born in Barletta (Bari) on June 28, 1952 – passed away in Rome on March 21, 2013. Height: 1.79 m, weight: 68 kg. Coach: Carlo Vittori. National team appearances: 51. In 1979, world record holder in the 200 m with 19.72. Olympic Champion (1980) in the 200 m, European Champion (1978) in the 100 m, and (1974 and 1978) in the 200 m.

He earned diplomas in accounting and physical education, and a degree in political science. Initially followed by Prof. Mascolo, he soon switched from middle-distance running to sprinting. Before that, he had played some football. In his first year as a junior he was called to the national team, and in his second he won the Italian title in the 200 m. Prof. Vittori took him under his guidance from the 1971 season, when Pietro won the 200 m at both the Mediterranean Games and the Italian Championships.

In 1972 he reached the Olympic podium, 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 four years were from 1977 to 1980, during which he became the best 200 m sprinter in the world, with a world record of 19.72 at the Universiade in Mexico City in 1979 (wind: 1.8 m/s) and an Olympic victory in 1980 in Moscow, where he prevailed in a furious finish against the Scotsman Allan Wells (20.19 to 20.21).

He retired for nearly two years, returned to competition at the end of 1982, and was once again a protagonist, starting in winter 1983 (world indoor record in the 200 m). After retiring at the end of 1984, he returned once more at the end of 1987 and competed in his fifth Olympic Games in Seoul.

He significantly advanced Italy’s national records: in the 100 m down to a hand-timed 10.0 (Milan, 1972) and 10.01 (Mexico City, 1979), a European record at the time. He also ran an impressive 45.87 (1977) in the 400 m.

His most remarkable streaks include what he achieved at the 1978 European Championships in Prague: between heats and finals, 10 races in just 6 days, capped by an extraordinary 44.4 relay split in the 4×400; and his performances after the 1980 Moscow Olympics: 8 races over 200 m in about fifty days, in Europe and the Far East, winning them all with an average time of 20.07.

He later pursued a brilliant professional and political career, serving as a Member of the European Parliament.

Curriculum

Italian Titles

• 100 m: 1974, 1978, 1980

• 200 m: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984

• 4 × 100 m: 1974

• 4 × 200 m: 1974

Olympic Games

• 3rd / 1972, 200 m

• 4th / 1976, 200 m

• Eliminated in quarterfinals / 1980, 100 m

• 1st / 1980, 200 m

• 3rd / 1980, 4 × 400 m

• 7th / 1984, 200 m

• 4th / 1984, 4 × 100 m

• 5th / 1984, 4 × 400 m

• Eliminated in quarterfinals / 1988, 200 m

World Championships

• 3rd / 1983, 200 m

• 2nd / 1983, 4 × 100 m

European Championships

• 6th / 1971, 200 m

• 3rd / 1971, 4 × 100 m

• 2nd / 1974, 100 m

• 1st / 1974, 200 m

• 2nd / 1974, 4 × 100 m

• 1st / 1978, 100 m

• 1st / 1978, 200 m

• 5th / 1978, 4 × 100 m

• 7th / 1978, 4 × 400 m

• 6th / 1982, 4 × 400 m

European Indoor Championships

• 1st / 1978, 400 m

European Junior Championships

• 5th / 1970, 200 m

• 6th / 1970, 4 × 100 m

World Cup

• 4th / 1977, 100 m

• 2nd / 1977, 200 m

European Cup

• 2nd / 1975, 100 m

• 1st / 1975, 200 m

• 3rd / 1975, 4 × 100 m

• 2nd / 1977, 100 m

• Disqualified / 1977, 4 × 100 m

• 1st / 1979, 100 m

• 2nd / 1979, 200 m

• 4th / 1979, 4 × 100 m

• 2nd / 1983, 200 m

• 1st / 1983, 4 × 100 m

Performances

100 metres

• 10.01 (1st) – Mexico City, 4 Sep 1979

• 10.15 (1st) – Turin, 4 Aug 1979

• 10.15 (1st, heat 2) – Split, 23 Sep 1979

• 10.18 (1st) – Bologna, 19 Sep 1979

• 10.19 (1st, heat 2) – Prague, 29 Aug 1978

• 10.19 (1st) – Turin, 24 Jun 1980

• 10.20 (1st) – Turin, 12 Jul 1975

• 10.22 (1st) – Lignano Sabbiadoro, 18 Aug 1979

• 10.23 (4th) – Zurich, 20 Aug 1975

• 10.23 (4th) – Milan, 1 Jul 1978

Hand-timed

• 10.0 (2nd) – Milan, 16 Jun 1972

• 10.0 (1st) – Palermo, 10 Sep 1975

• 10.0 (1st) – Lisbon, 3 Jun 1979

200 metres

• 19.72 (1st) – Mexico City, 12 Sep 1979

• 19.96 (1st, heat 9) – Mexico City, 10 Sep 1979

• 19.96 (1st) – Barletta, 17 Aug 1980

• 20.01 (1st) – Rome, 5 Aug 1980

• 20.03 (1st) – Tokyo, 20 Sep 1980

• 20.03 (1st) – Beijing, 27 Sep 1980

• 20.04 (1st, semifinal) – Mexico City, 11 Sep 1979

• 20.05 (1st) – Brussels, 22 Aug 1980

• 20.07 (1st) – Rovereto, 13 Aug 1980

• 20.07 (1st) – Brindisi, 3 Oct 1984

• 20.09 (1st) – Brindisi, 14 Oct 1984

Hand-timed

• 19.8 (1st) – Mexico City, 3 Sep 1979

Abbreviations: b = heat, sf = semifinal

Fonte: FIDAL

Would you like to build a “Pista di PIETRO” in your city? Contact us for more information