The Italian race walking has lost today one of its most illustrious and passionate figures: Pietro Pastorini has passed away aged 87.
Pietro Pastorini had the merit of bringing athletics and walking, a specialty he was in love with, to the working-class neighborhoods of Milan as a political and social commitment at the beginning of the seventies.
Starting from the Quarto Oggiaro district, in 1995 he managed to win the 20km walking World Championship with one of his athletes (Michele Didoni).
It was a championship of glory for Pietro who in that Gothenburg event also managed to obtain a silver in the 50km with his other pupil: Gianni Perricelli.
Pastorini was the creator in 1969 of the Frigerio race walking Trophy which was born in that year in Affori, a suburban neighborhood of Milan.
This opened up the possibility for young people from Lombardy to participate in a series of competitions over the course of a season, all dedicated to race walking. Since then the vast majority of top athletes from northern Italy who have distinguished themselves at a competitive level have passed for that trophy.
We remember him as a multiple organizer of races, sporting events dedicated to walking, conferences and debates, meetings with the world of schools, but also more humbly as a passionate speaker.
When Pietro took the microphone in his hand it was very difficult for the others to be able to take it away from him and his unmistakable voice, somewhere between hoarse and gruff, spread and told those present the anecdotes, the beauties, the rules of race walk because he said that "race walking it is culture even before it is technique."
He was also coach of the Swiss national race walking team from 2002 to 2015
The world of Italian race walking loses one of its most charismatic people with him.
Heartfelt condolences to his two daughters Claudia and Paola.