Larissa Iapichino enters the history of Italian athletics and does so in the most spectacular way possible. In Eugene, in the Diamond League stage hosted by the legendary Hayward Field, the 23-year-old Florentine landed at 7.12 meters on her first jump and erased a record that seemed untouchable: Fiona May’s Italian record, which had stood at 7.11 since 22 August 1998.
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Twenty-eight years later, the baton officially passes from mother to daughter. A centimeter that is worth a piece of the history of Italian sport and that definitively establishes Larissa among the great world protagonists of the long jump.
The feat arrived immediately, on the first attempt, in a perfect evening from every point of view. Ideal temperature, favorable wind within the regulatory limits and a run-up performed with surgical precision. Larissa makes the most of every detail: almost perfect serve, powerful take-off and a flight that takes her beyond the 7.10 meter wall.
For the Italian champion, the record also represents personal revenge. Precisely in Eugene, in 2022, he had experienced one of the most bitter days of his young career, coming out in the World Cup qualifiers with a modest 6.60. Four years later he returns to the same stadium and turns that disappointment into an unforgettable night.
When the measurement of 7.12 meters appears on the board, the emotion explodes. Larissa runs towards the stands, hugs her father and coach Gianni Iapichino and celebrates a long-awaited result. Fiona May’s record had remained in the family for nearly three decades. Now it’s still there, but with a new signature.
Italian athletics thus continues to experience an extraordinary summer. After the national record of the 800 meters conquered by Francesco Pernici, comes another feat destined to go down in the annals. This time it bears the name of Larissa Iapichino, the girl who was able to fly further than all the Italians before her.
