Press Release #3
An Olympic Gold in the Triple Jump Inspired by the Bell of the Fallen
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are capturing international attention, and among the many stars at the Stade De France, it’s easy to come across athletes who, in the recent past, have written significant pages in the history of the Palio Città della Quercia, which will return to the global stage on Tuesday, September 3rd, preceded on Saturday, August 31st by the pole vault event at Mart, the Museum of Modern Art in Rovereto.
A gold medal inspired by the “Campana dei Caduti” (Bell of the Fallen).
Among the protagonists stands out the name of Thea Lafond, a 30-year-old triple jumper from Dominica who recently soared to the top of the podium in the women’s triple jump, bringing historic joy to the small Caribbean nation. Lafond is a true friend of Rovereto and has been the winner of the triple jump at the Palio Città della Quercia both in 2023 and 2021. Last year, the Caribbean athlete spent several days between Rovereto and the Vallagarina, discovering the beauty of the area and finding inspiration for the Olympic year. Particularly evocative was her visit to the Bell of the Fallen, one of the largest bells in the world, made from the metal of World War I cannons.
In the same Palio Città della Quercia 2023, Grant Fisher also made his mark, breaking the meeting record in the 3000 meters: a dozen months later, the American found his path in Paris, capturing double bronze in the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters, placing himself at the top in both long-distance events. And then there’s Miltiadis Tentoglou, the dominant force in the men’s long jump scene: the Greek’s fantastic career includes a victory at 8 meters at the Palio Città della Quercia 2018, just days after his European triumph in Berlin.
These names fully belong to the long list of champions who have competed on the track and field at the Stadio Quercia in Rovereto, the ‘home’ of the Palio Città della Quercia since its first edition. Limiting to Olympic and World champions, the list of athletes who have participated includes more than 100 names, ranging from absolute legends like Javier Sotomayor, Pietro Mennea, or even Sebastian Coe, now president of World Athletics. Naturally, this group also prominently includes Italian stars such as Marcell Jacobs, GianMarco Tamberi, and others. After the closing of Paris 2024, the feverish work of assembling the cast will begin: hundreds of participation requests are pouring in from all over the world for the 60th Palio Città della Quercia, and in the intense post-Olympic season finale, Rovereto will once again be a focal point of world athletics.
Media Accreditation: Accreditation procedures are now open for journalists and photographers interested in participating in the 60th Palio Città della Quercia. For all relevant information, please refer to the form:
https://paliocittadellaquercia.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Accredito_2024.pdf
