Larissa Iapichino has been awarded the “Pegaso d’oro” (Golden Pegasus) on March 15, Tuscany’s highest honor, in view of her outstanding accomplishments in sports despite her young age.
The name Larissa Iapichino doesn’t seem to be known by most people at this moment but probably, in the near future, this name will be known on the biggest stages of sports. Larissa Iachipino is an 18 year old Tuscan woman who came in first place in the long jump and set a world record in the under-20 category of the Italian Indoors Athletics Championships held in Ancona between February 20 & 21. Iachipino’s jump was 6,91m which is also her Olympic qualifying mark. It was a proud and historic moment for her, her family, and Italy.
Her run for this world-record mark wasn’t easy that day, it came on her fifth jump after having her second attempt denied because of a foul but with grit and perseverance she kept pushing herself and finally surpassed her own expectations.
This story is already interesting, but is even more fascinating because she is the daughter of Fiona May and Gianni Iapichino, the latter an Italian national pole vaulting champion. May, a native of the UK and a naturalized Italian citizen because of marriage, is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and also the senior-level record holder of the long jump in the European Indoor Athletics Championship. May was 29 years old when she achieved the 6,91m indoor record, and now her daughter, a high school student, just did the same thing. It is pretty clear that she is following her mother’s footsteps and that she is on the right track for that. Iapichino is being coached by her father. (titiana lopez)