VIDEO | European Athletics Championships, Simonelli pays homage to ‘One Piece’: “I will become the king of the pirates”
"I had a great desire to rock." And he did it. Lorenzo Simonelli took gold in the 110hs at the European Athletics Championships in Rome
ROME – A man on a mission Lorenzo Simonelli between the barriers of the Olimpico, still wearing the hat of Monkey D. Luffy (character from the ‘One Piece’ manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda) as in Glasgow: “I will become the king of pirates”, he reiterated last night. Not only the straw hat together with the Italian flag, but also the pose of Gear 2nd. “I had a great desire to rock.” And he did it. Lorenzo Simonelli took gold in the 110hs at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. With an exceptional time: 13”05, new Italian record. “It went very well, I’m very happy – said the Italian – In Tokyo I told myself that I also wanted to get to the top of the world and step by step I’m getting there. But it’s not just me. Many of us are doing great performances. And the fans push us. In fact, I dedicate my result to all of Italian athletics and to the public” concluded Simonelli.
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Not even a repeat start undermines the confidence of Giorgio Frinolli’s pupil, who devours the obstacles towards a gold and a time trial that project him into a new dimension after the world silver in the hall over the shortest distance of the 60 obstacles: on 13.05 (+0.6) with which the 22-year-old Roman destroys (15 hundredths of progress on what was obtained only an hour and a half before!) the absolute Italian record worth the seventh European position all time but also ( in the year leading up to the Olympic Games) second place in the 2024 world rankings behind only Grant Holloway (13.03). In just one season Simonelli took 28 cents off his limit. Enrique Llopis (Spain), despite improving by 6 hundredths, remains more than a tenth behind (13.16), the bronze goes to Jason Joseph (Switzerland) with 13.43.