Portal:Sport of athletics/Selected biography/3

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Claudia Testoni (19 December 1915 – 17 July 1998), was an Italian hurdler, sprinter and long jumper. She was European champion, in 1938, on 80 metres hurdles. She was born in Bologna and died in Cagliari. (Full article...)

Testoni is one of the 38 athletes included in the FIDAL Hall of Fame (list of Italian athletes who have won at least one gold medal at the Olympic Games, World Championships or European Championships, or who have achieved a world record).[1]

She was 4th at the 1936 Summer Olympics in two events. From 1931 to 1940 she has 17 caps in the Italian national athletics team. In the 1930s was celebrated her rivalry with compatriot Ondina Valla (the winner in Berlin 1936), after a thrilling final, resolved by a photo finish, and the same place in the 4 × 100 m relay. It is said that the disappointment over the Olympic fourth place was so great, that from that moment on she turned her back to her friend and rival Ondina; other sources, however, report letters in which the two friends showed renewed demonstrations of affection.

She was the world record holder in the 80 m hurdles event, until in 1942 it was taken away by Fanny Blankers-Koen.[2] Her son-in-law, Claudio Velluti, was a professional basketball player of Olimpia Milano.[3]

More selected biographies
  1. ^ "Hall of Fame". fidal.it. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  2. ^ "Women's 80/100 Meters Hurdles - Del's Athletics Almanac". athletics.hitsites.deaccessdate=24 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Compie settant'anni e va in pensione lo storico direttore della Clinica ortopedica dell'Università Claudio Velluti, una vita da migliore in campo" (in Italian). unica.it. Retrieved 24 October 2012.[permanent dead link]