Fausto Desalu
Italian sprinter
Fausto Desalu
Desalu in 2022
Full name Eseosa Fostine Desalu National team Italy Born (1994-02-19 ) 19 February 1994 (age 30) Casalmaggiore , ItalyHeight 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) Weight 69 kg (152 lb) Sport Athletics Event Sprint Club G.S. Fiamme Gialle Coached by Giangiacomo Contini Personal bests
100 m: 10.21 (2022)
200 m: 20.13 (2018)
Eseosa Fostine "Fausto " Desalu (born 19 February 1994) is an Italian sprinter who specialises in the 200 metres winning a silver medal in that event at the 2018 Mediterranean Games [1] and a gold medal in the 4×100 m relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics .[2]
He was the 200 metres gold medallist at the 2015 Military World Games . He holds a best of 20.13 seconds for the distance, set in 2018.
Biography
Of Nigerian descent, he acquired Italian citizenship in 2012, at 18 years old as he was born in Casalmaggiore , Italy, to Nigerian parents. Desalu originally focused on association football in his youth. However, he began to take up track and field around 2008, initially focusing on the sprint hurdles . His speed was better than his technique and he eventually focused on the 200 m instead. He gained full Italian citizenship in 2012.[3] A member of Gruppi Sportivi Fiamme Gialle – the sports club of Italy's fiscal police force – he made his international debut at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics . However, he failed to progress beyond the heats.[4] He also ran with the 4×100 metres relay team, but they were also eliminated in the heats stage.[5]
Desalu's first international medal came at the 2013 European Athletics Junior Championships , where he was a relay bronze medallist on home turf in Rieti , running the anchor leg on a team of Giacomo Isolano , Lorenzo Bilotti and Roberto Rigali . He also managed fifth place individually in the 200 m.[6] His first senior medal followed at the 2014 European Team Championships , where he was part of the bronze medal-winning relay quartet alongside Massimiliano Ferraro , Diego Marani , and Delmas Obou .[7] He was selected both individually and for the relay for Italy at the 2014 European Athletics Championships . He was a semi-finalist in the 200 m, having set a best of 20.55 seconds in the heats, and was a finalist in the relay with Fabio Cerutti , Marani and Obou (although the Italians failed to finish).[6]
Desalu had his first appearance at global senior level at the 2015 IAAF World Relays , though the regrouped European Championships team did not make it past the heats. At the 2015 Military World Games he won the 200 m gold medal, a tenth of a second ahead of runner-up Serhiy Smelyk .[8] He came close to a second medal at the games in the relay, placing fourth with Cerutti, Obou and Matteo Galvan .[9]
In La Chaux-de-Fonds , he runs in 20.36 on 15 August 2020, best European performance of the year on 200 m. On 19 August, he improves at 20.35 (+1.3) at Bregyó Athletic Center, Székesfehérvár . On 4 September 2020, he becomes the first Italian to win a 200 m race event of the Diamond League during Memorial Van Damme in 20.39.[10]
Statistics
National records
Personal bests
For reference:
split time of 4×100m relay - 9.170 (third leg) (2021)
Achievements
Desalu (first from right) with Federico Cattaneo , Filippo Tortu and Davide Manenti , the Italian national track relay team , at the 2018 Mediterranean Games .
Year
Competition
Venue
Position
Event
Notes
2012
World Junior Championships
Barcelona , Spain
— (heats)
200 m
DQ
5th (heats)
4 × 100 m relay
40.41
2013
European Junior Championships
Rieti , Italy
5th
200 m
21.16
3rd
4 × 100 m relay
40.00
2014
European Team Championships
Braunschweig , Germany
3rd
4 × 100 m relay
39.06
European Championships
Zürich , Switzerland
7th (semis)
200 m
20.73
—
4 × 100 m relay
DNF
2015
IAAF World Relays
Nassau, Bahamas
3rd (heats)
4 × 100 m relay
38.84
Military World Games
Mungyeong , South Korea
1st
200 m
20.64
4th
4 × 100 m relay
39.64
2016
Olympic Games
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
49th (h)
200 m
20.65
2017
IAAF World Relays
Nassau, Bahamas
–
4 × 100 m relay
DQ
2018
Mediterranean Games
Tarragona, Spain
2nd
200 m
20.77
1st
4×100 m relay
38.49
European Championships
Berlin, Germany
6th
200 m
20.13
–
4 × 100 m relay
DQ
2019
World Relays
Yokohama, Japan
3rd (h)
4 × 100 m relay
38.291
World Championships
Doha, Qatar
21st (sf)
200 m
20.73
2021
World Relays
Chorzów, Poland
1st
4 × 100 m relay
39.21
Olympic Games
Tokyo, Japan
16th (sf)
200 m
20.43
1st
4 × 100 m relay
37.50 NR
2022
World Championships
Eugene, United States
30th (h)
200 m
20.63
10th (h)
4 × 100 m relay
38.74
European Championships
Munich, Germany
13th (sf)
200 m
20.48
2023
World Championships
Budapest, Hungary
23rd (h)
200 m
20.49
1 Did not finish in the final
National titles
Desalu won three national championships at individual senior level.[13] [14]
See also
References
External links
1912 : David Jacobs , Henry Macintosh , Victor d'Arcy , Willie Applegarth (GBR )
1920 : Charley Paddock , Jackson Scholz , Loren Murchison , Morris Kirksey (USA )
1924 : Loren Murchison , Louis Clarke , Frank Hussey , Al LeConey (USA )
1928 : Frank Wykoff , James Quinn , Charley Borah , Henry Russell (USA )
1932 : Bob Kiesel , Emmett Toppino , Hector Dyer , Frank Wykoff (USA )
1936 : Jesse Owens , Ralph Metcalfe , Foy Draper , Frank Wykoff (USA )
1948 : Barney Ewell , Lorenzo Wright , Harrison Dillard , Mel Patton (USA )
1952 : Dean Smith , Harrison Dillard , Lindy Remigino , Andy Stanfield (USA )
1956 : Ira Murchison , Leamon King , Thane Baker , Bobby Morrow (USA )
1960 : Bernd Cullmann , Armin Hary , Walter Mahlendorf , Martin Lauer (EUA )
1964 : Paul Drayton , Gerry Ashworth , Richard Stebbins , Bob Hayes (USA )
1968 : Charles Greene , Mel Pender , Ronnie Ray Smith , Jim Hines (USA )
1972 : Larry Black , Robert Taylor , Gerald Tinker , Eddie Hart (USA )
1976 : Harvey Glance , Lam Jones , Millard Hampton , Steve Riddick (USA )
1980 : Vladimir Muravyov , Nikolay Sidorov , Aleksandr Aksinin , Andrey Prokofyev (URS )
1984 : Sam Graddy , Ron Brown , Calvin Smith , Carl Lewis (USA )
1988 : Viktor Bryzhin , Vladimir Krylov , Vladimir Muravyov , Vitaliy Savin (URS )
1992 : Michael Marsh , Leroy Burrell , Dennis Mitchell , Carl Lewis , James Jett (USA )
1996 : Robert Esmie , Glenroy Gilbert , Bruny Surin , Donovan Bailey , Carlton Chambers (CAN )
2000 : Jon Drummond , Bernard Williams , Brian Lewis , Maurice Greene , Tim Montgomery , Kenny Brokenburr (USA )
2004 : Jason Gardener , Darren Campbell , Marlon Devonish , Mark Lewis-Francis (GBR )
2008 : Keston Bledman , Marc Burns , Emmanuel Callender , Richard Thompson , Aaron Armstrong (TTO )
2012 : Nesta Carter , Michael Frater , Yohan Blake , Usain Bolt , Bailey-Cole (JAM )
2016 : Asafa Powell , Yohan Blake , Nickel Ashmeade , Usain Bolt , Jevaughn Minzie , Kemar Bailey-Cole (JAM )
2020 : Lorenzo Patta , Marcell Jacobs , Fausto Desalu , Filippo Tortu (ITA )
1951: Italy (Montanari , Leccese , Siddi , Frizzoni )
1955: Italy (D'Asnasch , Ghiselli , Gnocchi , Montanari )
1959: France (David , Brakchi , Cahen , Genevay )
1963: Italy (Berruti , Giannattasio , Ottolina , Sardi )
1967: Italy (Giani , Preatoni , Giannattasio , Laverda )
1971: Italy (Preatoni , Abeti , Guerini , Mennea )
1975: France (Chauvelot , Échevin , Arame , Sainte-Rose )
1979: Italy (Lazzer , Caravani , Grazioli , Mennea )
1983: Italy (Tilli , Simionato , Pavoni , Mennea )
1987: Italy (Madonia , Tilli , Catalano , Floris )
1991: Italy (Longo , Simionato , Floris , Madonia )
1993: France (Morinière , Sangouma , Trouabal , Marie-Rose )
1997: Italy (Asuni , Puggioni , Cipolloni , Floris )
2001: Italy (Scuderi , Torrieri , Checcucci , Colombo )
2005: Italy (Verdecchia , Attene , Donati , Torrieri )
2009: Italy (Checcucci , Collio , Di Gregorio , Cerutti )
2013: Italy (Collio , Manenti , Riparelli , Tumi )
2018: Italy (Cattaneo , Desalu , Manenti , Tortu )
2022: Italy (Federici , Meluzzo , Pettorossi , Rigali )
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