Pietro Mennea
Writing
June 28, 1952
Died at age 60
March 21, 2013
Date of Death
Barletta, Apulia, Italy
2 Credits
Biography
Pietro Paolo Mennea, nicknamed la Freccia del Sud ("the Arrow of the South"), was an Italian sprinter and politician. He was most successful in the 200m 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.
