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Sara Simeoni (born 19 April 1953) is an Italian former , who won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics and twice set a world record in the women's high jump.
In August 1978, she set the new world record with 2.01 m in Brescia (this jump stood as a national record until Antonietta Di Martino jumped 2.02 in June 2007). Later in the same month she equalled it at Prague while winning the European title. In 1980, Simeoni set a new Olympic record of 1.97 m, when winning gold in Moscow. Simeoni was the only woman athlete not from a Communist country able to win an athletics gold medal in Moscow.
Simeoni struggled to regain her form in the following years, with a series of tendon injuries. At 1984 Olympics, Simeoni carried the Italian flag at the opening ceremony in Los Angeles. Here, she cemented her reputation as one of the greatest female high jumpers ever, in a thrilling duel with West German Ulrike Meyfarth. Simeoni managed to reach the 2 meters measure for the first time since 1978. Meyfarth, however, replied with a notable 2.02 m jump, and Simeoni won a silver medal.
Simeoni's other titles include two at the European Championships and 25 national titles. Her jump of 2.01 m was the Italian record for women for 29 years. On 8 June 2007, Antonietta Di Martino jumped 2.02 m, establishing the new Italian record for women.
Sara Simeoni is widely considered one of the best Italian female athletes ever. She is married to her coach Erminio Azzaro. Their son Roberto Azzaro is also a high jumper. Roberto Azzaro. iaaf.org
Achievements
1Representing Europe
1970 European Junior Championships Colombes, France 5th 1.70 m 1971 European Championships Helsinki, Finland 9th 1.78 m Mediterranean Games Izmir, Turkey 2nd 1.74 m 1972 Olympic Games Munich, West Germany 6th 1.85 m 1973 European Indoor Championships Rotterdam, Netherlands 9th 1.82 m Universiade Moscow, Soviet Union 3rd 1.81 m 1974 European Indoor Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 11th 1.75 m European Championships Rome, Italy 3rd 1.89 m 1975 European Indoor Championships Katowice, Poland 4th 1.80 m Mediterranean Games Algiers, Algeria 1st 1.89 m Universiade Rome, Italy 2nd 1.88 m 1976 Olympic Games Montreal, Canada 2nd 1.91 m 1977 European Indoor Championships Donostia, Spain 1st 1.92 m Universiade Sofia, Bulgaria 1st 1.92 m World Cup Düsseldorf, West Germany 2nd 1.92 m1 1978 European Indoor Championships Milan, Italy 1st 1.94 m European Championships Prague, Czechoslovakia 1st 2.01 m 1979 World Cup Montreal, Canada 2nd 1.94 m1 Universiade Mexico City, Mexico 3rd 1.92 m Mediterranean Games Split, Yugoslavia 1st 1.98 m 1980 European Indoor Championships Sindelfingen, West Germany 1st 1.95 m Olympic Games Moscow, Soviet Union 1st 1.97 m 1981 European Indoor Championships Grenoble, France 1st 1.97 m Universiade Bucharest, Romania 1st 1.96 m 1982 European Championships Athens, Greece 3rd 1.97 m 1983 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 19th (q) 1.84 m 1984 Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States 2nd 2.00 m 1986 European Championships Stuttgart, West Germany 13th (q) 1.86 m
National titles
She won 25 national championships at individual senior level.
See also
External links
Categories: 1953 Births, Living People, Athletes From The Province Of Verona, Italian Female High Jumpers, Olympic Athletes For Italy, Athletes At The 1972 Summer Olympics, Athletes At The 1976 Summer Olympics, Athletes At The 1980 Summer Olympics, Athletes At The 1984 Summer Olympics, World Record Setters In The Sport Of Athletics, Olympic Gold Medalists For Italy, Olympic Silver Medalists For Italy, European Athletics Championships Medalists, Medalists At The 1984 Summer Olympics, Medalists At The 1980 Summer Olympics, Medalists At The 1976 Summer Olympics, Olympic Gold Medalists In Athletics, Olympic Silver Medalists In Athletics, Mediterranean Games Gold Medalists For Italy, Athletes At The 1975 Mediterranean Games, Athletes At The 1979 Mediterranean Games, Universiade Medalists In Athletics, World Athletics Championships Athletes For Italy, Mediterranean Games Medalists In Athletics, Fisu World University Games Gold Medalists For Italy, Fisu World University Games Silver Medalists For Italy, Fisu World University Games Bronze Medalists For Italy, Medalists At The 1973 Summer Universiade, Medalists At The 1975 Summer Universiade, Medalists At The 1977 Summer Universiade, Medalists At The 1979 Summer Universiade, Medalists At The 1981 Summer Universiade, Italian Athletics Championships Winners, 20th-century Italian Sportswomen
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