16 Facts About Pietro Mennea

Pietro Mennea was most successful in the 200 m event, winning a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and setting a world record at 19.72 seconds in September 1979.

Pietro Mennea is the only male sprinter who has qualified at four consecutive 200 metres Olympic finals: from 1972 to 1984.

Pietro Mennea made his Olympic debut at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where he made the final of the 200 m, his strongest event.

Pietro Mennea finished in third place, behind Valeri Borzov and Larry Black.

Pietro Mennea successfully defended his European 200 m title in 1978 but displayed his capabilities in the 100 metres by winning that event in Prague.

In 1979, Mennea placed first in the 100 metres and second in the 200 m behind Allan Wells of Great Britain in the European Cup.

Pietro Mennea's time set a new world record, beating Tommie Smith's time of 19.83 set on the same track in the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Pietro Mennea held the low-altitude world record, 19.96, from 1980 to 1983, set in his home town of Barletta.

On 17 August 1980, Pietro Mennea became the first sprinter to run under 20 seconds for the 200 metres three times.

Pietro Mennea drew the outer most lane with Wells in lane 7 to his inside.

However, in the straight Pietro Mennea gained ground and passed Quarrie and Leonard and at the very end of the race, just beating Wells, winning the gold by a mere 0.02 seconds.

Pietro Mennea competed in the 100 metres, reaching the semi-finals.

Pietro Mennea, known in Italy as the, then announced his retirement, allowing himself more time for his studies.

Pietro Mennea admitted that he had used human growth hormone once during the last year of his career.

Pietro Mennea was a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004 elected on the list of The Democrats, but failed in his attempt to be re-elected.

Pietro Mennea died on 21 March 2013, in a Rome hospital from pancreatic cancer.