Spiderman-Furlani’s Long Leap to Stardom in 6 Years

Mattia Furlani, a 19-year-old prodigy of Italian athletics, has had a string of successes in the sport, from basketball to athletics, focusing on speed and high jump, and winning the Fiammo Oro in Rieti. His achievements also include securing the world indoor silver medal in the long jump, all within a span of six years. Furlani, who celebrated his 19th birthday on February 7, is not only looking forward to the Paris Olympics this summer, but also eyes the Melbourne 2032, where he will be 27 years old.

Furlani inherited his skills from his parents. His mother Kathy, a former sprinter of Senegalese origins, passed on her speed to him, while his high jump skills can be traced back to his father Marcello. He then transitioned from pure speed to long jump.

During the 19th edition of the indoor World Cup held at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Furlani, representing Fiamme Oro and Rieti Student School, won a silver medal. He jumped 8.22 metres, tying with 25-year-old Greek athlete, Miltiadis Tentoglou, who won the gold medal due to a better series of jumps.

The competition was fierce, with Furlani and Tentoglou neck and neck throughout. Eventually, Tentoglou, an experienced athlete with a string of gold medals under his belt, regained the lead with an 8.15 jump. Furlani ended the competition with a silver medal, becoming the youngest medalist in history at the World Indoor Championships in the long run.

Furlani expressed his gratitude and honour for representing his country. He also mentioned that this is just the beginning of his journey and that he must remain humble and focused on his path. He acknowledged the competition from Tentoglou and expressed his determination to continue fighting in future events.

On a national level, Furlani achieved the best result ever of the event after four bronzes. Internationally, he won gold in the high jump and long jump at the 2022 European under-18 championships in Jerusalem, the European under-20 gold in the long jump last year in Jerusalem, and placed second in the European Team Championships in 2023 in Chorzow, Poland.