«Dezza, strength is in the head. Despite that cut…» – The return to Bergamo, video – Sport

“Seeing Filippo at the Europeans gave me the same emotion as having a son who fulfills himself. His strength is in his head before his legs, even if that look really couldn’t be seen…”. Gianbattista Pessina, two and a half years ago, was the first to put Filippo Dezza on a block on an athletics track. He is a coach at Cus Bergamo, the club where the new man of Italian sprinting started (seventh at the European Championships in Birmingham in the 200 meters with a personal best of 20”35 just shy of the Italian Under 23 record) for whom the Los Angeles ’28 Olympics have recently become a concrete goal and no longer a midsummer night’s dream: “Two years ago around this time, I made him promise that if it happened he would give me an autograph – continues Pessina, recalling the anecdote –. That said, even I wouldn’t have thought he would get so high in such a short time.”

He debuted with him in Cremona in May ’24 “winning in 11”14 in the 100 meters in Cremona, but Filippo was angry because he wanted to be under 11 seconds” and then finishing second in the 200 meters at the first edition of the Memorial Merighi in Azzano San Paolo (22”51, -1.6 m/s) on a morning when the stars aligned: “Alberto Barbera was present, his current coach and in previous years of Vistalli (400 m), Fofana (110 hs) and Rigali (100 m) who saw potential in him to work on – continues Pessina (cousin of Angelo, former head of the athletics section of Cus, and ultramarathon runner) –. Giving him to him and to Bergamo Stars, after a few months, was an act of responsibility: we don’t want to deny the boys the slightest possibility, we are a bit like elementary school teachers.”

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“Two years ago around this time, I made him promise that if it happened he would give me an autograph. That said, even I wouldn’t have thought he would get so high in such a short time.”

“Do athletics and you won’t be on the bench” was written for years on a banner displayed outside the “Putti”. With Dezza (aspiring footballer until 18) the prophecy came true, and three years after the boom of Eric Marek (starter in 4×100 in Birmingham, coming from American football) the question is mandatory: are top-level sprinters born or made? “I don’t know how to answer, but in Dezza I immediately saw an uncommon hunger and stubbornness – concludes Pessina, athletics instructor since ’19 (after having taught football to kids) –. I hope he has fixed his hair because I wrote to him that it was unwatchable, but I have no doubt he keeps the right mentality: he is a humble boy, like the Bergamaschi of old.” His was the most beautiful smile of a Bg expedition that ended with the record number of appearances (nine) and the joy for the birth of a first-class star.

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