Assunta Legnante (born 14 May 1978) is a visually impaired Italian shot putter. She has competed in both the Olympics and the Paralympics, one of the few athletes to do so. As of February 2013[update], she is the current F11 shot put world record holder.[1] She competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, in Women's discus throw F11, and Women's shot put F12, winning silver medals.[2][3]
Non-disabled athletics career
editLegnante won the silver medal at the 2002 and the gold medal at the 2007 European Indoor Athletics Championships, where she captained the Italian team.[4] In 2009 she is Silver Medal in the same category at the Mediterranean Games
She finished fifth at the 2006 European Athletics Championships. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, having missed the 2004 Olympics due to dangerously high intraocular pressure.[4][5]
Her personal best throw is 19.04 metres, achieved in September 2006 in Busto Arsizio. Her best indoor result is 19.20 metres, achieved in February 2002 in Genova.[6]
Blindness and Paralympics
editLegnante was born with congenital glaucoma in both eyes.[4] In 2009, she suddenly lost the sight in her better, right eye.[4][5] Her left retina then deteriorated.[4] She had a cataract removed in March 2012, but that did not improve her sight. She now has light perception in her left eye, but nothing more.[4]
The 2007 European indoor champion did not lose heart and started a new career as a Paralympic athlete, training for the forthcoming 2012 Summer Paralympics.[5]
At the 2012 Italian Paralympic Athletics Championships in Turin she set a new F11 shot put world record with a throw of 13.27 metres.[7] On 8 June, at Memorial Primo Nebiolo in Turin, she improved the world record, three times, to 15.22 m.[8] At the London Paralympics, she broke her own world record with a throw of 16.74 metres.[1]
In 2014, she returned to international level throwing 17.09 on 20 June and 17.39 at the regional championships in Naples eight days later.
Achievements
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | |||||
| 1996 | World Junior Championships | Sydney, Australia | 13th (q) | Shot put | 13.44 m |
| 1999 | European U23 Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 3rd | Shot put | 16.53 m |
| 2001 | Mediterranean Games | Radès, Tunisia | 1st | Shot put | 17.23 m |
| Universiade | Beijing, China | 11th | Shot put | 16.16 m | |
| 2002 | European Indoor Championships | Vienna, Austria | 2nd | Shot put | 18.60 m |
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 8th | Shot put | 18.23 m = PB | |
| 2003 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 8th | Shot put | 18.20 m |
| World Championships | Paris, France | 8th | Shot put | 18.28 m | |
| 2004 | World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 6th | Shot put | 17.20 m |
| 2005 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 6th | Shot put | 17.76 m |
| World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 12th | Shot put | 16.99 m | |
| Universiade | İzmir, Turkey | 4th | Shot put | 17.31 m | |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 5th | Shot put | 18.83 m |
| 2007 | European Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 1st | Shot put | 18.92 m |
| 2009 | Mediterranean Games | Pescara, Italy | 2nd | Shot put | 17.44 m |
| Paralympic Athletics | |||||
| 2012 | Summer Paralympics | London, United Kingdom | 1st | Shot put | 16.74 m |
| 8th | Discus throw | 30.81 m | |||
| 2016 | Summer Paralympics | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | Shot put | 15.74 m |
| 4th | Discus throw | 31.51 m | |||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "IPC Athletics World Records". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ "Athletics - LEGNANTE Assunta - Tokyo 2020 Paralympics". Tokyo2020.org. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ archysport (2 September 2021). "Assunta Legnante, get the gold! Last day in swimming with Giulia Terzi and Raimondi – OA Sport". Archysport. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Beijing Olympic shot-putter Assunta Legnante now blind, seeks Paralympic title". Association Internationale De La Presse Sportive. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ a b c "Atletica: Legnante shock "Non ci vedo piu"" (in Italian). sportlive.it. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ IAAF Athlete Profile: Assunta Legnante
- ^ "Assunta Legnante nuovo record del mondo, tanti ottimi risultati" (in Italian). Fispes.it. Retrieved 12 May 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Torino per il record bis di Abate" (in Italian). fidal.it. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
External links
edit- Assunta Legnante at World Athletics
- Assunta Legnante at the Italian Athletics Federation (in Italian)
- Assunta Legnante at Olympics.com
- Assunta Legnante at Paralympic.org
- Assunta Legnante at IPC.InfostradaSports.com (archived)