by Sonia Ronconi
Laura Pellicoro entered the legend of Italian middle distance at the Chengdu 2023 Universiade in China. Born in 2000, she will blow out 23 candles on December 24th, statuesque physicist with her meter and 80 centimeters and a weight of 65 kilograms, the young middle-distance runner from Besana Brianza achieved a historic double of gold medals at the Universiade in China. Before her by winning the 800 meters she managed to overcome three opponents on the finish line. Then doing an encore on the 1500 meters. These are historic victories for Italian athletics at the Universiade: no one before Pellicoro had in fact ever managed to win a medal over the 800 metres, while we have to go back to 1983 for her last success in the 1500m.
Laura Pellicoro had already distinguished herself from a very young age when in 2015 in Sulmona she won the cadet title over 1000 meters. After an experience on the track as a child, following the example of her father Tommaso who had practiced the high jump with the Forti e Liberi of Monza, she dedicated herself to volleyball, judo and swimming. To bring her back to athletics in the Polisportiva Besanese were the student country courses, played by chance replacing a schoolmate in 2013, and this time with remarkable results starting with the Italian title of the 1000 cadets won by an outsider in 2015. After two years, also on advice of the Tortu family, known in the Besana facility, as a student she moved to Athletics Riccardi moving to Bracco Athletics two years later. Today she is still registered for Bracco in Milan. Not only. Laura Pellicoro was part of the Italian team at the 2017 World Students’ Track Championships in Nancy, France. In 2018 she was conditioned by an injury to her right tibia, then in 2019 she reached the semifinal of the 800 meters at the under 20 European Championships, also training in Giussano and Carate Brianza with the coach Gaetano Acconcia, while from the spring of 2018 she began a collaboration with Gianni Ghidini occasionally attending the Bussolengo (Verona) facility. Four years ago she moved overseas to the University of Portland, Oregon, in the United States of America. Her great passion is cooking, especially pastry-making, but also watercolor drawing.
“I returned to the United States two days ago – explains Laura – I decided to enroll here at the university, because with the scholarships thanks to the meetings between colleges I’m improving a lot.
Indeed, there are many athletes who come to America to study, there are many advantages for sportsmen.
There’s a fantastic middle-distance team, about 20 girls and together we’re really getting satisfaction. Usually, I spend two summer months at home, in Besana and I compete for my club, Bracco, I compete in international meetings and Fidal races and I love racing with the national team. This experience of the Universiade in China has been incredible, unique. If I think about it, I still feel a strong emotion. Two golds, what a joy…
Now I’m dreaming of the 2024 World Cup in Rome to get to run for the Paris Olympics. Because we are only 5 blue who can aspire to this goal and pass three. So I will train relentlessly to make this dream come true. Naturally, I aspire to participate in both the 800m and the 1500m. I’m also ready to wait until the 2028 Olympics”.
“At the moment – he adds – this is my priority: to bring Italy to the top in the middle distance”.
2023-08-20 03:22:37
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