Filippo Tortu (born 15 June 1998) is an Italian sprinter. He was the first Italian to break the 10-second barrier and is the third fastest Italian in the 100 metres behind Marcell Jacobs and Chituru Ali. He ran the anchor leg in the 4 × 100 m relay of the Italian team that won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. His leg was the fifth fastest anchor of all time.

He is coached by his father, Salvino Tortu, a former Sardinian sprinter who moved to Lombardy.

Biography

Born in Milan to a Sardinian father, former runner Salvino, and a Lombard mother, Paola Confalonieri, he began to play sports at the age of eight years, dividing his time between track and field and basketball.

In 2010 and 2011, he won the title of fastest runner in Milan while competing in the categories of prima media and seconda media (first and second years of middle school). He then began to dedicate himself entirely to track and field, coached by his father. In 2013, he won the 80 meters in the Italian championships in Jesolo (category cadetto) with a time of 9.09.

He finished third at the 2014 trials for the European Youth Olympic Games, but did not qualify. He did, however, qualify for the 200 meters, but in a preliminary race for the Youth Olympics, he fell at the finish line; he broke both arms, and as a result, he was not able to compete in the finals. In 2015, he broke the Italian youth record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.33, as well as in the 200 meters with a time of 20.92.

In 2016, he broke the Italian junior record of 100 meters in Savona, twice obtaining a time of 10.24; this record had been unbeaten for 34 years, and was held by Pierfrancesco Pavoni who ran the distance in 10.25 at the 1982 European Championships. A month later, he landed his first Italian title in Rieti, winning the final of 100 meters in 10.32. He took part in the European Championships in Amsterdam, where he qualified for the semifinals by winning with a time of 10.19, which was a new Italian junior record. He failed, however, to reach the final by 0.03 seconds. He also ran the final leg of 4 × 100 relay, finishing in 5th place. He participated at the World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, where he won the silver medal in 100 meters with a time of 10.24, behind American Noah Lyles (10.17). In the same championships, he participated in the 4 × 100 relay where they finished 7th.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tortu competed in the men's 100 m. He reached the semi-final, but did not qualify for the finals. Tortu also ran the anchor leg in the 4 × 100 relay final, coming from behind to pip the British team by one-hundredth of a second, running his leg with only 8.845 seconds and winning an unexpected historic gold.

In 2024, he competed at the Summer Olympics, this time competing in the 200 metres instead. He reached the semifinal round but did not qualify for the finals. He ran the anchor leg of the 4 × 100 relay to defend their title, but finished in 4th."Paris 2024 - Olympic Schedule - Athletics", Olympics.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.

National records 100 metres: 9.99 (+0.2 m/s; Madrid, 22 June 2018) - former Italian record 4 × 100 m relay: 37.50 ( Tokyo, 6 August 2021), he ran final leg in the team with Lorenzo Patta, Marcell Jacobs, Eseosa Desalu

Achievements YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeNotes2014Youth Olympic Games NanjingFinal200 metresDNS21.38 in semifinals.2016European Championships Amsterdam9th (sf)100 metres10.195th4 × 100 m relay38.69World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz2nd100 metres10.247th4 × 100 m relay40.022017IAAF World Relays NassauHeat4 × 100 m relayDQR170.7European U20 Championships Grosseto1st100 metres10.73 (–4.3)2nd4 × 100 m relay39.50World Championships London17th (sf)200 metres20.622018Mediterranean Games Tarragona1st4 × 100 m relay38.49European Championships Berlin5th100 metres10.08Heat4 × 100 m relayDQR170.72019IAAF World Relays YokohamaFinal4 × 100 m relayDNF38.29 in semifinals .World Championships Doha7th100 metres10.0710th (sf)4 × 100 m relay38.112021World Athletics Relays Chorzów1st4 × 100 m relay39.2138.45 in semifinals .Olympic Games Tokyo18th (sf)100 metres10.1610.10 in heats .1st4 × 100 m relay37.502022World Championships Eugene9th (sf)200 metres20.1010th (h)4 × 100 m relay38.74European Championships Munich3rd200 metres20.272023European Team Championships Chorzów5th200 metres20.612nd4 × 100 m relay38.47World Championships Budapest25th (h)200 metres 20.462nd4 × 100 m relay 37.62 in semifinals.2024World Athletics Relays NassauFinal4 × 100 m relayDQ38.14 in semifinals.European Championships Rome2nd200 metres20.4120.14 in semifinals .1st4 × 100 m relay37.822025World Relays Guangzhou5th4 × 100 m relay38.20

Personal bests Outdoor 100 metres: 9.99 (+0.2 m/s; Madrid, 22 June 2018) Fastest 100 metre anchor leg: 8.845 ( Tokyo, 5 August 2021) 200 metres: 20.10 (+0.3 m/s; Eugene, 19 July 2022) Indoor 60 metres: 6.58 ( Ancona, 20 January 2019)

National titles Italian Athletics Championships 100 metres: 2016 200 metres: 2023 Italian Athletics Indoor Championships 60 metres: 2020

See also 2018 in 100 metres (19th with 9.99) 2019 in 100 metres (46th with 10.07) 2020 in 100 metres (15th with 10.07) List of Italian records in athletics Italian all-time lists - 100 metres Italian all-time lists - 200 metres Italian national track relay team

References

External links

Filippo Tortu at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Filippo Tortu – CONI – Paris 2024