Biography of Livio Berruti

A curve, a straight, a history

May 19, 1939 Italian Athletics Champion Livio Berruti was born in Turin on May 19, 1939. His name is etched indelibly in the history of the sport since 1960, when he won the 200 metres competition of the 17TH Olympic Games in Rome. That victory was symbolic because u.s. dominance in that specialty and broke Bahadur was the first Italian athlete to compete and win an Olympic final. Among the good Piedmontese bourgeois family; Livy begins to play sports in high school Cavour of Turin. Early attracted by Athletics, the discipline that most fascinates him is the high jump. He also began to frequent the Lance Sports Center in hopes of being able to play tennis. Then at the age of seventeen challenge to play the champion of the school in the 100 meter dash: beats him. Discovered his talents in speed, is dedicated to this specialty. At the end of the school year will be one of the best sprinters of the whole Italy. That explosiveness ankles brood with the high jump will be a quality that will be valuable in departures. He's only 18 years old when in 1957, almost 20 years later, equals the record of Italian 100 meters (10 ' 4) established in 1938 by Orazio Mariani. The father Michael when he learns they did try the 200 meters to his son, sends a letter to the staff of the national team, diffidandoli from continuing, worried about the puny physique of Livius. Don't give you tuition. In 1958 lowers the record by one tenth: 10 time World Juniors primacy "3 namely Berruti. A year goes by and equals, before, and improves the Italian record of 200 meters: in Malmoe in Sweden, 20 weather door "8. All'arena di Milano, on a track of 500 metres (therefore with shorter curve), runs in 20 "7. Exceeds 100 metres in the fortissimo in Duisburg Harry; in 200 beats the French Abduol Seye, European best time holder. At the end of May 1960 runs at Verona in 10 "2 the 100 meters, setting a new Italian record; but then it lost to London on the same distance from Radford. Warsaw confirms 20 "7 in the 200. They approach the Olympics: Aristide porters, flames team gold and his trainer, convinces only 200 metres race on bet Berruti, without running the 100. They finally reach the Olympic Games of Rome: the main antagonists are the three deaths Norton, Johnson and Carney, in addition to two European Radford and Saif. Berruti play "at home" and, with the encouragement of the public realizes the best times in both battery, both in the quarter-finals. The hot favorite seems to be still Saif, who dominates the first semifinal; in the second semifinal Berruti must struggle mentally with the fact of being at bats with three world record holders: Norton, Johnson and Radford. Runs a perfect curve and when it enters straight, a dove flying from the Italian lane stands. Berruti, that you wont get noticed wearing dark glasses and white socks, dominating the race and, while not pushing all the way on his Accelerator, concludes the current world record equalling the 20 "5. It's only been a few hours since the semifinal: 6 o'clock on the afternoon of Saturday, September 3 when the final. Berruti, 180 cm to 66 kg, appears to devour the curve: at the entrance of the straight is ahead. Saif and Carney are catching up, but it's Livio Berruti who crosses the finish line of wool thread first. 20 "time again scoring 5. Prior to this day no one has ever managed to enter into a blue sprinter final of the Olympic Games. It was not until Pietro Mennea in 1980 to match him. The culmination of his Olympiad, Berruti will participate (with Sardis, Ottolina and Colani) at the 4 x 100 relay team: the team lacks for a penny the bronze medal, but establishes with 40 "0 the new Italian record. For his historic performance receives a "500" by Fiat, 800,000 Lire by CONI for the gold medal and 400,000 Livres for the world record. The racing career of Berruti crosses alternate phases. Looks at its best on the eve of the Olympic Games in Tokyo 1964: runs the semifinal in 200 metres, coming fifth in the 20 "78 first white and first European. With the 4 x 100 relay team gets seventh and lowers the national record to 39 "3. The 1968 is his last year at a high level. Running the 200 m in 20 "7 in Trieste and participates at the Olympics in Mexico City: once again with the 4 x 100 relay comes seventh and obtains a new Italian record (39" 2). Tendon problems become more acute and decides to retire. In 45 years at the time of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Berruti is one of the final torchbearers who opens the event.
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