Assunta Legnante
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
Legnante 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] 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
Legnante 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
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, England | 8th | Shot put | 18.20 m |
World Championships | Paris, Frankreich | 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, England | 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, Brasil | 1st | Shot put | 15.74 m |
4th | Discus throw | 31.51 m |
See also
- List of athletes who have competed in the Paralympics and Olympics
- Italian all-time lists – shot put
References
- ^ 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
- 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)
- 1978 births
- Living people
- Italian female shot putters
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for Italy
- Athletes from Naples
- Paralympic athletes for Italy
- Paralympic gold medalists for Italy
- Paralympic silver medalists for Italy
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- World record holders in para-athletics
- Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Italy
- Mediterranean Games silver medalists for Italy
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2001 Mediterranean Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2009 Mediterranean Games
- World Athletics Championships athletes for Italy
- Mediterranean Games medalists in athletics
- Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships
- World Para Athletics Championships winners
- Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Italian Athletics Championships winners
- 21st-century Italian sportswomen