Italian runner Francesco Pernici shatters 53‑year 800 m record

Francesco Pernici, a 23‑year‑old from Brescia, ran 1:43.60 in the 800 m at a World Continental Tour meet in Nancy, France, breaking Marcello Fiasconaro’s Italian record of 1:43.7 set on 27 June 1973. The performance ended a 53‑year‑and‑6‑day streak and placed Pernici eighth on the world seasonal list, behind only British runner Max Burgin.

At the same time, Cuban‑Italian athlete Andy Diaz won the triple jump in Barletta, Italy, with a world‑season best of 17.72 m, surpassing the previous leading marks of Pedro Pichardo and Jordan Scott. Both results raise expectations ahead of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham scheduled for 10‑16 August.