Stefano Baldini

Arguably the biggest name in Europe among marathon runners in recent years, Stefano Baldini has enjoyed a hugely successful career one which he has crowned with an Olympic gold medal.

In it for the long haul

Baldini’s first competitive race, a 50m sprint when he was ten, saw him come dead last. His second race was more tailored to his strengths; an 800m run – which he won. It’s not an entirely surprising start to a career which would later lead to Olympic gold. Nor is it altogether remarkable when you consider he is eighth among a family of eleven, all of whom are keen runners. An elder brother even clocked a 2:16 marathon in 1995.

What sets Baldini apart, is his ability to peak when it really matters. First places in the 1996 World Half Marathon, the 1998 European Marathon, the Rome Marathon the same year and in Madrid (2001) are just a few of his achievements. This kind of decade-long consistency can only come from a solid running strategy, a little luck (in remaining injury-free) and a great coach.

Legendary coaching

Having failed to complete the marathon at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Baldini re-organised himself mentally and physically with Gigliotti’s help, and planned his onslaught in Athens in minute detail. He ran it ‘a thousand times’ in his mind.

On the day, he didn’t disappoint. A record figure of six and a half million people in Italy watched Baldini pass Vanderlei De Lima at the two hour mark. Buoyed by seeing Paul Tergat in less than great shape, he then went on to cross the finish line in 2:10:55, 34 seconds before Keflezhighi.

The staggering effort (he ran the last half of the race in 1:03:18) earned him fans beyond just athletics enthusiasts and he is today a household name in his native Italy.

The finish line

The past few years have been a bag of mixed fortunes for Baldini. While he won another gold medal in the marathon at the 2006 European Championships and finished 4th in the New York City Marathon 2007, he did not finish the London Marathon 2007.

However, Baldini is never to be underestimated and he continues to be active in professional athletics. He now participates in on mid-distance races with considerable success.

Stefano dit:

"The Olympic or World Championships where medals are at stake are more fascinating than the races against the clock. What matters are medals rather than fast times."