Italian Tailor, Giuseppe Ottaviani, to Compete in European Masters Athletics Championships

Giuseppe Ottaviani, an Italian tailor who will turn 102 on May 20, will have the honor of leading the age rankings at the European Masters Athletics Championships, which will take place from March 19 to 24 in Madrid.

The athlete from Sant'Ippolito, Calabria, participates in eleven athletic disciplines, but at the European Championships in Madrid, due to scheduling reasons, he will only be able to compete in four: the 60-meter sprint, long jump, triple jump, and three-kilogram shot put.

Ottaviani is the only centenarian among the 3,844 registered athletes (all over 35 years old), setting an absolute record of participation, surpassing the previous highest attendance of 3,300 athletes in Ghent seven years ago.

How much can someone run, jump, and throw at the age of 101? Ottaviani arrives in Madrid with the following marks for this year: he completes the 60-meter sprint in 19.25 seconds; jumps 1.16 meters in the long jump and 3.27 meters in the triple jump; and throws the three-kilogram ball 3.17 meters.

The Italian centenarian athlete is known for his attention to detail and his ambition has led him to file complaints to the Spanish organizers, unsuccessfully requesting a modification of the competition program in order to compete in more events.

The oldest athlete in Spain, 98-year-old Catalan Valentín Huch, suffered a cardiac condition last January and will miss the tournament. In his absence, the oldest Spanish athlete will be Luis Marimón, who has just turned 90 and will compete in the long jump with a mark of 1.34 meters.

Aurora Pérez, a multiple-time national champion and record holder in her category (W60), will represent Spain in the European Masters Athletics Championships. She is the favorite in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter events.

Also participating in the championships is Javier Odriozola, the current Director General of Sports for the Madrid City Council and brother of the Former President of the Spanish Athletics Federation, José María. He has registered in the 800-meter, 1,500-meter, 3,000-meter, and 5-kilometer cross-country events.

Masters athletics (for athletes over 35 years old) has experienced a great boom in recent years, and the extension of elite athletes' careers has allowed Ruth Beitia, who retired last year, to become an Olympic and European champion in high jump at an age when she could already compete as a veteran (she holds the world record in the category with 1.98 meters).

The indoor track in Gallur will therefore witness the highest number of veterans at a European Masters Athletics Championships. "And even so, the European Association has been inflexible with regards to the registration deadline, which closes two months in advance, meaning that more than two hundred athletes have been left out," explained Fernando Marquina, Master Athletics Coordinator at the Spanish Athletics Federation, to EFE.

"Spain will have 1,530 athletes, which is also a record participation, with 400 more than in San Sebastián five years ago. In contrast, Russia will not have a single athlete. No Russian has been authorized to compete as a neutral athlete, as in other championships," he said.

The Masters Athletics Championships are also attracting former elite athletes who were once renowned in Spain, such as Asturian sprinter Pedro Pablo Nolet, two-time national champion in the 100-meter; Valladolid's Mayte Martínez, European silver medalist and world bronze medalist in the 800-meter; and Granada's Enrique Molina, bronze medalist in the 3,000-meter at the world championships.

Over the course of six days, from Monday to Saturday, the competition will begin at 9 a.m. and will continue uninterrupted until 11 p.m. Fourteen hours straight of races, jumps, and shot put.

The discus, javelin, regular hammer, and heavy hammer (15 kilograms) will take place at the outdoor Moratalaz track; the 5-kilometer race walk will be held at Casa de Campo, near the lake; and the cross country event will take place at the Parque de la Cuña, just in front of the indoor track in Gallur.