The “Sport and Solidarity” meeting in Lignano is approaching: a show in the shot put with the Italian Zane Weir

One of the stars of the Italian national team will light up the “Sport e Solidarietà” meeting in Lignano. On Sunday 13 July, at the Guido Teghil stadium, Zane Weir, an Italian who was already European indoor champion in 2023 and boasts a personal best of 22.44, will compete in the shot put. The 29-year-old born in South Africa returns to perform in Friuli after taking part (and winning) in the previous edition of the event: he will be one of the leading athletes of the meeting, included in the Bronze circuit of the World Athletics Continental Tour 2025. The 36th act of the event, organized by Giorgio Dannisi's Nuova Atletica dal Friuli, will be presented on Wednesday 2 July in the Pasolini room of the Palazzo della Regione in Udine (at 11 am). On that occasion, the details of the competition will be revealed, which will see many international athletes taking part.

Weir will lead the “giants” of the heavyweight in a very positive season so far, which has seen him exceed 21 meters in the six events he has taken part in so far in the month of June. The season best of 21.84 set on June 2 at the Palio Città della Quercia in Rovereto stands out, the peak of a period in which he also threw 21.67 at the Golden Gala in Rome and 21.59 at the Meeting Pergine in Pergine Valsugana. A blue, among the various competitions, at the Olympic Games in Paris, the representative of the Fiamme Gialle had won a year ago in Lignano with 21.29, establishing the meeting record. Weir is linked to the Friuli Venezia Giulia region: his grandfather Mario is originally from Trieste. Challenging the financier on the platform will be Nick Ponzio (Athletic Club 96 Alperia), who like Weir also has Italian origins. In the Italian national team in 2022 and 2023, the 30-year-old born in the United States boasts a personal best of 21.83 and a seasonal best of 20.67 indoors. Then watch out for the South Africans Kyle Blignaut (21.26 personal best, 20.32 seasonal best) and Aiden Smith (20 years old, 20.73 personal best and seasonal best) and the British Scott Lincoln (21.31 personal best, 21.09 seasonal best).

The “Sport e Solidarietà” meeting will start at 8:00 p.m. Live coverage on Rai Sport is planned. The program includes the 100, 400, 800 and 1500 men's and women's races, the 100 hurdles women, the 400 hurdles men, the women's long jump and the men's high jump, as well as the men's shot put.

Photo: Weir at the Paris Games, credit GRANA/FIDAL