Livio Berruti

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Livio Berruti
Livio Berruti in 2010
Personal information
NationalityItalian
Born (1939-05-19) 19 May 1939 (age 84)
Turin, Italy
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight66 kg (146 lb)
Sport
CountryItaly Italy
SportAthletics
EventSprint
ClubG.S. Fiamme Oro
Coached byPeppino Russo[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • 100 m: 10.2 (1960)
  • 200 m: 20.5 (1960)
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1960 Rome 200 metres
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1959 Turin 100 metres
Gold medal – first place 1959 Turin 200 metres
Gold medal – first place 1959 Turin 4 x 100 m relay
Gold medal – first place 1967 Tokyo 4 x 100 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1963 Porto Alegre 100 metres
Bronze medal – third place 1963 Porto Alegre 200 metres
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1963 Naples 200 metres
Gold medal – first place 1963 Naples 4 x 100 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1963 Naples 100 metres
Silver medal – second place 1967 Tunis 200 metres

Livio Berruti (born 19 May 1939) is an Italian former athlete who was the winner of the 200-meter dash in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

He won five medals, at individual level, and three medals with the national relay team at the International athletics competitions.[2]

Biography[edit]

The victorious finish of the 200 metres final at 1960 Summer Olympics

Berruti was born in Turin where he attended Liceo Classico "Cavour". After high school, while pursuing a degree in chemistry, he competed in the 1960 Rome Olympics. In the semi-finals of the 200 m, spurred by the home crowd, he unexpectedly ran in 20.5 seconds, equalling the then world record for that distance. This made him a surprise outsider for the final, later that day. In that race, Berruti, who was noted for always running with black glasses and white socks, once again clocked 20.5, beating the American favourites to the gold medal.

Anchoring the Italian 4 × 100 m relay team, Berruti narrowly missed out on a second Olympic medal, finishing in 4th. His world record was not beaten until June 1962, but his performance remained a European record for a further two years, until 21 June 1964.

His Olympic victory, at the beginning of his career, would remain his best achievement. His three appearances at the European Championships only brought him a 7th place in the 1966 200 m final. He did, however, win Italian titles in both the 100 and 200 m from 1957 until 1962, and two more 200 m titles in 1965 and 1968. Berruti also made two more Olympic appearances, in 1964 and 1968. On both occasions, he reached the final of the 4 × 100 m relay, and also placed 5th in the 200 m final of 1964.

Olympic results[edit]

Year Competition Venue Position Event Performance Note
1960 Olympic Games Italy Rome 1st 200 metres 20.5 =
4th 4 × 100 m relay 40.2 [3]
1964 Olympic Games Japan Tokyo 5th 200 metres 20.8 [4]
7th 4 × 100 m relay 39.5
1968 Olympic Games Mexico Mexico City QF 200 metres 21.0
7th 4 × 100 m relay 39.2

National titles[edit]

Livio Berruti has won 14 times the individual national championship.[5]

  • 6 wins in the 100 metres (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962)
  • 8 wins in the 200 metres (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1968)

Awards[edit]

On 7 May 2015, in the presence of the President of Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malagò, was inaugurated in the Olympic Park of the Foro Italico in Rome, along Viale delle Olimpiadi, the Walk of Fame of Italian sport, consisting of 100 tiles that chronologically report names of the most representative athletes in the history of Italian sport. On each tile are the name of the sportsman, the sport in which he distinguished himself and the symbol of CONI. One of these tiles is dedicated to Livio Berruti.[6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Addio a Peppino Russo" (in Italian). fidal.it. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  2. ^ "PODIO INTERNAZIONALE DAL 1908 AL 2008 - UOMINI" (PDF). sportolimpico.it. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  3. ^ Time was 40.33 electronic, but the relay team ran 40.16 in the heat and 40.29 in the semi-finals.
  4. ^ He ran in a better time (20.6) in the quarter-finals.
  5. ^ ""CAMPIONATI "ASSOLUTI" ITALIANI SUL PODIO TRICOLORE – 1906 2012" (PDF). sportolimpico.it. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  6. ^ "Inaugurata la Walk of Fame: 100 targhe per celebrare le leggende dello sport italiano" (in Italian). coni.it. Retrieved 11 October 2018.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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