Italy fields record 64 athletes at U20 World Championships in Eugene

Italy sent a historic 64‑member squad to the U20 World Championships in Eugene, the largest Italian contingent ever at the event. The team includes race‑walk record holder Serena Di Fabio, who posted a 20:42.74 time and placed fifth, and sprinter Kelly Doualla, who ran 11.14 seconds to finish sixth in the 100 m, just six hundredths off the world lead. Other notable Italians are Beatrice Palmonari, Alessio Coppola, Elisa Valensin, Margherita Castellani and Matilde Abelli, who are competing across sprints, relays and middle‑distance races.

The entry lists reveal a surge of U18 talent among the world’s top eight finishers. Japan’s Taiju Goto leads the men’s 400 m hurdles, while Ethiopia’s Haregeweyni Kalayugu and South Africa’s Oluchi Abelwe Ndubueze dominate the 1500 m and 3000 m respectively. Other teenage stand‑outs include Kenya’s David Kapaiko Sekento, South Africa’s Tiisetso Malungane, Jamaica’s Shameika McLean and Kenya’s Faith Rono, all placing within the top eight of their events.