Caironi and Legnante to lead strong Italian team

“The squad has been selected based on the excellent results obtained at the international level. All our athletes have shown to be in top shape and are ready to perform at their best at the World Championships.”

The Italian Federation of Paralympic and Experimental Sports (FISPES) have officially announced the list of athletes that will participate in the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, will be the biggest gathering of internation athletes since London 2012.

The Italian squad features 13 athletes (seven men and six women), captained by Alvise de Vidi, who in his long career has collected a total of 14 Paralympic medals in the men’s 100m and 200m T51.

The eyes of the world will be on Martina Caironi, gold medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, who has posted excellent performances over the past two months in the 100m T42. The Paralympic sprinter, 23, twice bettered her previous world record at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Grosseto with a time of 15.71 seconds and at the IAAF Golden Gala meeting in Rome with a time of 15.18 seconds. In the women’s shot put F11, Paralympic Champion and world record holder (16.74m) Assunta Legnante will throw for her country as well as competing in the discus.

The men’s competitions will feature Alessandro di Lello, who clinched victory in April at the London Marathon finishing in 2:32.06.

Mario Poletti, coach of the Italian team, has high expectations for the athletes who will take part in Lyon 2013:

“The squad has been selected based on the excellent results obtained at the international level. All our athletes have shown to be in top shape and are ready to perform at their best at the World Championships.”

“Undoubtedly we have huge confidence in Caironi, who has had a brilliant preparation leading to the championships, having beaten her previous world record in the 100m specialty, on Legnante in the women’s shot put F11, on Oxana Corso in the 100m and 200m T35 and on Minetti participating in the 800m T11 only. We expect good results from De Vidi, who set the Italian record last week with 21.97 seconds at the Italian clubs championships of Garbagnate Milanese in the men’s 100m T51 and has good chances to get on the podium, and from Di Lello who will try to confirm his marathon victory obtained in London early this year.”

Patrizia Fedato in the women’s shot put F20 and Ruud Koutiki Tsilulu in the men’s T20 long jump will make their debut after the two events have been officially entered into the competition programme.

Men

Alvise De Vidi, captain, 100m and 200m T51

Riccardo Scendoni, 100m, 200m, 400m T44

Samuele Gobbi, 200m and 400m T46

Davide Dalla Palma, 1500m and 5000m T46

Roberto La Barbera, 400m and long jump T44

Ruud Koutiki Tsilulu, Long jump T20

Alessandro Di Lello, Marathon T46

Women

Martina Caironi, 100m and 200m T42

Oxana Corso, 100m/200m T35

Giuseppina Versace, 100m and 200m T44

Annalisa Minetti (guide: Stefano Ciallella), 800m T11

Assunta Legnante, Shot put F11 and discus throw F11/F12

Patrizia Fedato, Shot put F20

The 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships will take place from 19-28 July.