FRANCESCO FORTUNATO
Date of Birth: 13/12/1994
Place of Birth: Andria (Barletta-Andria-Trani)
Weight x Height: 52 x 1,78
Speciality: 20km Race Walk
First Club: A. Maratoneti Andriesi
Club: Fiamme Gialle
First Coach: Patrizio Parcesepe
Coach: Riccardo Pisani
Other Sports: Football, swimming, tennis, volleyball
Hobby: Dancing
Relationship Status: Single
Olympic Appearances:
2 (Tokyo 2020, Parigi 2024)
Biography
He played football, swimming, tennis and volleyball, but in 2008 he discovered athletics through cross-country running and middle-distance events. From August 2009, he began to dedicate himself to race walking under the guidance of former Azzurro Antonio Lopetuso, finishing fifth at the Italian Youth Championships just a few weeks later. At his international debut, he finished fifth in the junior category at the 2012 World Cup. Raised in Andria, he moved to Castelporziano in November 2013 to be coached by Patrizio Parcesepe. Since October 2020, he has been training in Tivoli with Riccardo Pisani. He loves running, particularly during his winter preparation, and is a passionate dancer of Caribbean styles, especially salsa and bachata. A graduate in Sports Movement Sciences from the University of Foggia, in 2023 he won the individual event and the team gold at the European Team Championships in Podebrady. In April 2024, he claimed gold in the mixed relay at the World Team Championships in Antalya, while in June he won the bronze at the European Championships in Rome. He arrives as an outsider at Paris 2024, where he wants to emulate the Olympic feats of his colleagues and friends Massimo Stano and Antonella Palmisano.
Palmares
Olympic Games
15° Tokyo (JPN) 2020 - 20 km
20° Parigi (FRA) 2024 - 20 km
World Championships
69° Taicang (CHN) 2014 - 20 km
48° Roma (ITA) 2016 - 20 km
25° Londra (GBR) 2017 - 20 km
9° Taicang (CHN) 2018 - 20 km
15° Eugene (USA) 2022 - 20 km
22° Muscat (OMA) 2022 - 20 km
11° Budapest (HUN) 2023 - 20 km
1° Antalya (TUR) 2024 - Staffetta mista
European Championships
16° Berlino (GER) 2018 - 20 km
5° Monaco (GER) 2022 - 20 km
3° Roma (ITA) 2024 - 20 km