Filippo Tortu was more than satisfied with his return to competition after a mid-season injury lay-off at the 55th Palio Citta della Quercia in Rovereto, a European Athletics Outdoor Premium Permit Meeting, on Tuesday (27) evening.
Contesting his first race of any description since the Stanford Diamond League on 30 June due to a muscle injury, Tortu powered to victory in the 100m in 10.21 against a 1.5 m/s headwind ahead of fellow sub-10 second performers Abdul Hakim Sani Brown from Japan (10.28) and Cameron Burrell from the United States (10.37).
“It's one of the best races I've ever done and it's a great thrill to start again in this way, with the scream of the Rovereto crowd pushing me. It is something important to me, I had the answers I was hoping for, that I felt I could get - I am very, very satisfied,” Tortu told FIDAL after the race.
Tortu was named last night on Team Europe for The Match against the United States and not only is the former European U20 champion looking forward to represent the continent in Minsk next month, he is also pleased to be named alongside his compatriot Marcell Lamont Jacobs who has clocked 10.03 in 2019.
“I especially like the fact that Europe will line up two Italians, confirming that our speed is among the strongest on the continent,” he said.
There was another well received home victory for Alessia Trost in the high jump, the world indoor bronze medallist clearing 1.92m on her first attempt to defeat Ukraine’s Iryna Herashchenko on countback.
And there were two very near misses for the home contingent in the men’s field events, although both of the runners-up still came away with lifetime bests from their respective competitions.
In the pole vault, former European U23 champion Ben Broeders from Belgium cleared 5.72m on his first attempt to defeat Claudio Michel Stecchi on countback - an outdoor lifetime best for Stecchi although he did clear 5.80m indoors - while Australia’s Henry Frayne edged out Filippo Randazzo in the long jump with 8.11m to the Italian’s 8.07m.
Petersen runs a sizeable season's best to win the 400m hurdles
Denmark’s former European champion Sara Slott Petersen ran her fastest time in two seasons to win the 400m hurdles in Rovereto to defeat Jamaica’s Janieve Russell.
Slott Petersen’s season began slowly due to illness but the Dane is approaching top form on the approach to the IAAF World Championships, stopping the clock at 54.89 to take more than five-tenths off her season’s best with Russell second in 55.25.
Now 32, Slott Petersen didn’t progress past the semifinal stage in London two years ago but she did finish fourth in Beijing in 2015.
Norway’s Hedda Hynne defeated Kenya’s former world champion Eunice Sum in the 800m - 2:00.53 to 2:01.13 - and Albania’s Luiza Gega maintained her good form by winning the 3000m steeplechase in 9:26.73 by five seconds from Kenya’s Fancy Cherono in 9:31.60.
Lithuania’s Edis Matusevicius needed six throws to rekindle the form he has demonstrated through this season but his last throw of 82.31m - his only throw in excess of the 80-metre line - surpassed Norbert Rivasz-Toth’s lead of 80.38m.
There was very nearly a final twist as the Hungarian had one throw remaining but he fell just short of Matusevicius with a season’s best of 81.90m.
Full results here.