Born on 12 May 1981 at the age of forty, after his fourth Olympic participation, he has decided that the time has come to hang up his shoes.

He did it through a post on his Facebook profile that we report entirely.

"After 20 years, the time has come to end my career as a professional athlete. They have been fantastic years that have allowed me to travel the world, meet a lot of people and above all to realise most of those dreams I had as a child.

I am proud of all the goals achieved, the joys I felt and the tears I have made.

Race walking formed me as a person.

The thanks to be made are many; above all I put three people: Daniela Ricciutelli, Cristiana Pellino and Patrick Parcesepe.

I owe them practically everything.

Fiamme Gialle and Fidal have always believed in me and my due gratitude goes to them too.

I will continue to follow athletics and especially my friends of the march .... and then .... who knows ..."

His best season was 2016 when he got the two personal best on Olympic distances:

- the one on the 20km in Rio Maior (9.4.2016) with a time of 1:22:01

- the one on the 50km in Rome (8.5.2016) with a time of 3:44:47

In Rome in the World Race Walking Team Championship he also obtained the third individual place and the team victory together with his teammates Caporaso and Giupponi.

However, the two most prestigious results were obtained in the European Cup (today the European Race Walking Team Championship:

- on 21.5.2011 in Olhao (POR) when he was third at the finish in 50km (3:50:13), but two years later he obtained the silver medal following the posthumous disqualification of Igor Erokin (RUS) for doping.

- on 17.5.2015 in Murcia (ESP) when he was always third at the finish (3:46:21) until the CAS/TAS turned this bronze into gold by disqualifying, again for doping, both Ivan Noskov and Mikhail Ryzov respectively second and first on arrival. It was precisely this great disappointment of not having been able to cross the finish line as a winner, to highlight even more in him the disappointment towards those who had been canceled from the arrival orders for positivity.

A great family friend with Cristiana Pellino, walker of the Italian national team who unfortunately passed away from a cancer at the age of 47 in February 2018, he wanted to remember her for having pushed him, when he was still a very young athlete, to start the race walking.

In his ending "who knows" we allow ourselves to interpret one of his dreams: we know that he would like to remain in race walking family, perhaps as a Race Walking Judge.

For what we know him, for his moral qualities and for his technical preparation, we are sure that it would be a choice that the organs of the Federation should consider accepting and perhaps accelerating.

Best wishes for your future Marco from Marcia dal Mondo and my personal ones

Nicola Maggio

His sporting palmares: click here