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| Italian triple jumper Simona La Mantia in action. |
Suddenly, it seems, Italian athletics is bouncing again thanks to a graceful hop, step and jump princess who finally became the queen of the triple jump in Paris Bercy on Saturday.
Simona La Mantia was destined for athletics success. Or at least that’s how it seemed when she won silver then gold medals as a precocious young adult at the European under 23 championships in 2003 and 2005.
Everyone in Azuri blue thought they had a world beater in the making, a young thoroughbred who had already broken Italian junior records both indoors and out in 2001 and had leapt beyond 14.70, albeit with a touch of wind behind her, in 2004.
In May 2005, in her home town of Palermo, the tall 22-year-old jumped 14.69 and went on that summer to claim the under 23 title in Erfurt, leaping 14.43 into a headwind.
What’s more, she came from fine athletics stock. Both her mother and father were international athletes – mum Monica an 800m runner, while dad Anthony, known as Ninni, was a quality steeplechaser back in the Franco Fava era.
How Fava the journalist enjoyed seeing the daughter of his old friend and teammate back at the top of her game in the Palais Omnisports yesterday.
Indeed, it’s been a long road back for La Mantia who suffered a series of injuries and major set-backs since her early successes when serious senior success seemed inevitable. Since failing to register a mark at the 2006 Europeans in Gothenburg, La Mantia did not compete for Italy at a single global or continental championships before the Barcelona outdoors last summer.
There, La Mantia registered the first step in her recovery, surprising even her own federation by claiming the silver medal. It was a start, but for an athlete who describes herself now as “born again”, proving that was no flash in the pan became her overriding goal.
How she proved it in Paris yesterday with a wonderful series of jumps, peaking twice at 14.60, a mark which extended her seven-year-old indoor PB, was the second longest in Italian history, 21cm behind Magdalena Martinez, and places her firmly at the top of the world rankings for 2011.
'This was the objective since I started winter training last year,” said the tearful La Mantia afterwards, her patriotically-painted nails shining with her success. “After Barcelona last summer and the European silver medal I knew I needed to win gold to clear up any misunderstandings, to prove that my place on the podium was not an accident.
“This is definitely like a second career for me,” she added. “After three years of accidents and different problems, now I'm a new athlete and a different person.”
After her final, triumphant, all-out foul yesterday, La Mantia headed to the side of the arena to embrace her coach, Michele Basile.
“This was the fruit of all the work I have done with my coach, the sacrifices we have made every day,” she said. “I would like to dedicate my medal to Michele, and to me, of course.
“Yes, Barcelona helped me to understand myself, to increase my own awareness of my potential, and confidence in my ability again. I know now the secret is just so much hard work, a tranquil atmosphere, and to have a regular life.”
Part of the secret also lies with her parents, of course, and Monica and Ninni were there in the stands too, as they were in Barcelona. Coming from north and south Italy, the couple have been seen as a symbol of national unity with their talented daughter the bearer of the regions’ best values.
“From my father I took the stubbornness of the south, the character,” agreed the Guardia finance officer. “From my mother, certainly, a regularity, attention to detail, punctuality. Yes, I like the idea of me representing both the north and south of my country. I am proud of that.”
The next step in La Mantia’s rebounding career will be harder still – winning a medal at the World Championships in Daegu later this year. But it’s one the newly inspired triple jumper is ready to face.
“I will begin immediately to work hard because I want to be in great condition for Daegu,” she said. “There will be tougher opponents, of course, starting with the Cubans, but that does not change anything. I want to continue to grow and improve.”
For now, though, she deserves a rest. “Give me a few days of fun,” she said. “Maybe I will go to Disneyland with my family, maybe tomorrow.”
At last, the future looks bright again for the child prodigy who’s finally come of age.