Pietro Mennea

Pietro Mennea
Pietro Mennea, 1972
Personal information
Full namePietro Paolo Mennea
Nicknamela Freccia del Sud ("the Arrow of the South")
NationalityItalian
Born(1952-06-28)28 June 1952
Barletta, Apulia, Italy
Died21 March 2013(2013-03-21) (aged 60)
Rome, Italy
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
Websitepietromennea.it
Sport
CountryItaly
SportTrack and field
Event(s)100 m, 200 m
Club
  • Avis Barletta (1967–1972)
  • Aeronautica Militare (1973)
  • Alco Atalanta Rieti (1974–1976)
  • Fiat C.E. Bari (1977)
  • Fiat Iveco Torino (1978–1980)
  • Capannelle Roma (1984)
  • A.C. Bergamo (1984)
Coached byCarlo Vittori
Retired28 September 1988
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • 100 m: 10.01 (1979)
  • 200 m: 19.72 (1979, AR)
  • 400 m: 45.87 (1977)

Pietro Paolo Mennea (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjɛːtro menˈnɛːa]; 28 June 1952 – 21 March 2013), nicknamed la Freccia del Sud ("the Arrow of the South"), was an Italian sprinter and politician. He was most successful in the 200 m event, winning a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and setting a world record at 19.72 seconds in September 1979. This record stood for almost 17 years – the longest duration in the event history – and is still the European record. He is the only male sprinter who has qualified at four consecutive 200 metres Olympic finals: from 1972 to 1984.