Giovanni De Benedictis

Giovanni De Benedictis (born 8 January 1968, in Pescara) is a retired Italian race walker, that won 9 medals at individual level, 7 of these at senior level, at the International athletics competitions.^[1] He participated at five editions of the Summer Olympics (from 1988 to 2004), this like only two others Italian athletes in track and field: the other racewalker champion Abdon Pamich and the sprinter Pietro Mennea.^[2] He also won four medals at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup team events (Lugano Trophy).

Giovanni De Benedictis

Personal information
Full name	Giovanni Angelo Maria De Benedictis
Nickname	Gianni
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1968-01-08) January 8, 1968 (age 57) Pescara, Italy
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
Country	Italy
Sport	Athletics
Event	Racewalking
Club	C.S. Carabinieri
Coached by	Mario De Benedictis
Achievements and titles
Personal bests	3000 m walk: 10:47.11 (1990) 10,000 m walk: 38:40.18 (1995) 20 km walk: 1:20:29 (1991) 30 km walk: 2:09:25 (2002) 50 km walk: 3:48:06 (2002)
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 0 1 World Championships 0 1 0 World Indoor Championships 0 1 0 European Indoor Championships 1 1 1 Mediterranean Games 1 0 0 European Junior Championships 1 0 1 Total 3 3 3 Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona 20 km Walk World Race Walking Cup 1991 San Josè Combined Team 1993 Monterrey 20 km Team 1995 Beijing Combined Team 1993 Monterrey Combined Team

Biography

Giovanni De Benedictis has won 28 times the individual national championship, third of all-time after Abdon Pamich (40) and Antonio Ambu (34).^[3][4] He has 42 caps in seventeen years in the national team from 1987 to 2004.^[5]

In addition to the five Olympic Games, he participated in six World Outdoor Championships and two of the World Indoor, four editions of the European Outdoor Championships and five European Indoor, six editions of the World Race Walking Cup and four of the European Race Walking Cup.

World best performances

• 3000 metres race walk: 10:47.11, San Giovanni Valdarno, 19 May 1990. world record held until 4 February 2001, and was beaten by the German Andreas Erm.^[6]

Achievements

Olympic Games
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul	9th	20 km	1:21:18	PB
1992	Olympic Games	Barcelona	3rd	20 km	1:23:11	SB
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta	27th	20 km	1:25:22
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney	16th	20 km	1:23:14	SB
2004	Olympic Games	Athens	DNF	50 km	DSQ
World Championships
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1991	World Championships	Tokyo	4th	20 km	1:20:29	PB
1993	World Championships	Stuttgart	2nd	20 km	1:23:06
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg	DNF	50 km	DSQ
1997	World Championships	Athens	8th	20 km	1:23:33
1999	World Championships	Sevilla	8th	20 km	1:25:33
2001	World Championships	Edmonton	DNF	50 km	Retired
World Indoor Championships
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1989	World Indoor Championships	Budapest	5th	5000 m	18:40.87	NR
1991	World Indoor Championships	Seville	2nd	5000 m	18:23.60	NR
European Championships
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1990	European Championships	Split	8th	20 km	1:24:51
1994	European Championships	Helsinki	4th	20 km	1:20:39	SB
1998	European Championships	Budapest	10th	20 km	1:25.06
2002	European Championships	Munich	DNF	50 km	DSQ
European Indoor Championships
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1988	European Indoor Championships	Budapest	6th	5000 m	18:58.40
1989	European Indoor Championships	The Hague	3rd	5000 m	18:43.45
1990	European Indoor Championships	Glasgow	2nd	5000 m	19:02.90
1992	European Indoor Championships	Genoa	1st	5000 m	18:19.97
1994	European Indoor Championships	Paris	DNF	5000 m	NM	[7]
World Race Walking Cup
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1989	World Race Walking Cup	L'Hospitalet	14th	20 km	1:22:25	SB
1991	World Race Walking Cup	San Jose	5th	20 km	1:21:13	PB
1993	World Race Walking Cup	Monterrey	7th	20 km	1:25:09
1995	World Race Walking Cup	Beijing	12th	50 km	3:49:30
1997	World Race Walking Cup	Poděbrady	22nd	20 km	1:20:49	SB
2004	World Race Walking Cup	Naumburg	10th	50 km	3:54:25
European Race Walking Cup
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1996	European Race Walking Cup	A Coruña	10th	20 km	1:23:21	SB
1998	European Race Walking Cup	Dudince	DNF	20 km	NM
2000	European Race Walking Cup	Eisenhüttenstadt	11th	20 km	1:21:43	SB
2001	European Race Walking Cup	Dudince	15th	50 km	3:54:12	SB
Others competitions
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1985	European Junior Championships	Cottbus	3rd	10,000 m	42:56.80
1986	World Junior Championships	Athens	4th	10,000 m	41:06.95
1987	European Junior Championships	Birmingham	1st	10,000 m	39:44.71
1989	World Military Championships	Ostia	1st	20 km	1:24:21	[8]
1993	World Military Championships	Tours	1st	20 km		[8]
1997	Mediterranean Games	Bari	1st	20 km	1:24:59

National titles

He won 28 times the national championships at senior level.^[3][4]

Event	Outdoor	Indoor
20 km walk road	1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001
50 km walk road	2004, 2006
10,000 metres walk track	1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992,[9][10] 1993, 1995, 1997, 2002
5000 metres walk		1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998
	18	10

See also

• Italian Athletics Championships - Multi winners
• Italy at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup
• Italian all-time lists - 20 km walk
• Italian all-time lists - 50 km walk
• 3000 metres race walk All-time top 25 fastest