Roberta Bruni criticizes Italian Athletics Federation over medical support

Italian pole vaulter Roberta Bruni has publicly criticized the Italian Athletics Federation (Fidal) following a series of injuries and her exclusion from the national team for the upcoming Olympic cycle.

Bruni reported that a partial tear of her biceps femoris tendon required surgery, which prevented her from competing in the European Championships in Birmingham. She stated that she did not qualify for the narrow category of athletes entitled to medical support from the federation, noting that her father had to pay 15,000 euros to cover the cost of the operation.

Furthermore, Bruni announced she will not be part of the national team for the final two-year Olympic cycle leading to Los Angeles 2028. She attributed this to failing to meet specific access criteria caused by her injury, despite her history of national records and appearances in Diamond League, World, and Olympic finals.