Pietro Mennea passed away this morning in Rome. Mennea, a native of Barletta, was 61 years old and had been ill for some time. Olympic champion over 200 meters at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, he was one of the strongest and most famous Italian athletes of all time, certainly the best among runners.
From 1979 to 1996 he held the world record over 200 meters with 19 (which stands as the European record), being surpassed by Michael Johnson at the Atlanta Olympics.
The funeral home is scheduled for this afternoon, at the CONI headquarters in Rome.
