There will be 23 nations represented at the Atletica 2000 Meeting in San Vito

The numbers speak for themselves: athletes from four continents will compete on the track, for a total of twenty-three countries represented. This year too, the Atletica 2000 Meeting maintains its international vocation. In the 19th edition of the event, organized by Atletica 2000 di Codroipo in collaboration with Libertas Sanvitese, specialists from all over the world will compete, giving life to a show that promises to be unmissable. The appointment is for Monday 2 June in Prodolone di San Vito al Tagliamento, with the races starting at 4 pm. The absolute, master, under 14 and under 16 categories will be involved. The Paralympic athletes will also be on stage. The event is part of the Challenger series of the World Athletics Continental Tour and in the EAP-Events for Athletics Promotion.

The competition was presented today, Saturday 31 May, at Palazzo Altan in San Vito al Tagliamento, which hosts “Mutat”, a tactile museum. Among the authorities present were the deputy mayor and sports councillor of the host municipality Giacomo Collarile, the deputy mayor of the municipality of Codroipo Giacomo Trevisan, the president of the provincial committee of Pordenone of Fidal Ezio Rover and of the provincial committee of Udine Antonio Oblach and the number one of Atletica 2000 Piergiorgio Iacuzzo. The sports director of the Codroipo club, Matteo Tonutti, presented the meeting in detail. The continent with the most athletes will be Europe, with fifteen countries represented on the track: Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Austria, Eire, Great Britain, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Bosnia, Cyprus, Hungary, Ukraine and the Netherlands. For Asia there will be athletes from Japan and Israel, for Africa from Kenya, South Africa and Morocco, for North America from Canada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and for Latin America from Brazil.

One of the meeting's awaited protagonists, Flavia Maria de Lima, is coming from Brazil, at the start of the 800: the middle-distance runner won the 2024 race, during which she set the meeting record (2'01''89). She was the South American champion in the double lap of the track in 2023 and was at the start of the Paris Olympic Games last year. In San Vito she will try to run under 2' in a high-level race that sees in the race, among others, the Slovenian Veronika Sadek (2'01''52, national champion) and the Dutch Priscilla Van Oorschot (2'02''67). In the men's 100 meters, great expectations for the British Adam Gemili, 2014 European champion in the 200 and multiple medalist with the Great Britain 4x100 relay: with a personal best of 9''97, he will compete with, among others, the Dutch Elvis Afrifa (10''14). In the high jump, the presence of Sommer Lecky (Eire) stands out, already U20 world vice-champion in 2018, author of 1.91 in her career. In the 400 meters, in the usual "in and out" of the lanes at the last minute, the Italian Virginia Troiani withdraws. On the track, one to keep an eye on is the British Natasha Harrison (52''63).

Finally, great expectations for the local athletes: in the discus throw there will be Enrico Saccomano (Aeronautica), from Nespoledo in Friuli, an Italian national with a personal best of 63.30; in the 100 meters the standard-bearer of Portogruaro dell'Esercito Giorgia Bellinazzi, who grew up on the San Vito track (personal best of 11''57). The local athlete from Atletica 2000 Margherita Cengarle will try to challenge her, in her first year among the U18s and already among the top in Italy in the category with a time of 12''06.

Pictured is Flavia Maria de Lima in action at the 2024 edition of the meeting.