Relays, Ricci for Jacobs in the 4×100. Sibilio is back in the 4×400

It will be up to them again, the heroes of Tokyo – but without Jacobs – to try to improve the qualifying time of the 4x100m relay at the next World Championships in Budapest (August 19-27). The opportunity presented itself on Saturday, in the fourth stage of the Diamond league in Paris, with the Azzurri on the track at 20.37. Lorenzo Patta in the first fraction, Fausto Desalu in third, Filippo Tortu in fourth, while instead of the Olympic champion of the 100m there will probably be Marco Ricci, preferred to Matteo Melluzzo.

Two tenths

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“I would sign for a 38”20 – Filippo Di Mulo, blue manager of the speed sector, says – would mean cutting another two tenths compared to Florence (38”38 on 7 May) and securing qualification. It’s true, China and Switzerland are formidable, but we would always have the European team card to play for and maybe on that occasion we’ll be fully booked”. The references, of course, are all for Jacobs: “Even if he had been available for Paris, he could not have run the relay given that he is scheduled to arrive before 100. The same goes for Ceccarelli, if he is called to compete on Friday”.

Occasion 4×400

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On Sunday, however, it will be the turn of the 4×400, the other blue team looking for enough time to qualify for the next World Cup. At the moment Italy is promoted with the 3’02”60 achieved last year at the European Championships in Munich, the goal, however, is to go further down. «There will be no Re, still struggling with the injury, but Alessandro Sibilio has given his availability and joins Edoardo Scotti, Lorenzo Benati and Brayan Lopez. It would be perfect to race in 3’01”80, also because after Annecy it would be difficult to find other opportunities to improve”.