Tags:
Italy returns from Brasilia, where the 2026 edition of the World Team Race Walking Championships (formerly the IAAF World Cup and, before that, the old Lugano Trophy) took place last Sunday, with a remarkable medal haul.
The most historic result was achieved by Francesco Fortunato in the new Half Marathon Race Walk, marking the first victory of an Italian in this type of Championship after 65 years. The first victory dates back to 1961, when Abdon Pamich (now 92, having been born on October 3, 1933 and recent “star” in TV) won the 50km walk in Lugano (SUI).
But the most impressive result, and in our opinion the one that most thrilled us, was that of a debutant in the national absolute team: Sofia Fiorini.
She is originally from Soci, in Casentino, in the municipality of Bibbiena (Arezzo). She has always loved outdoor sports and at the age
of four, she was already at the Poppi track and field to try out athletics, but she also practiced swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, and tennis. She began walking in 2018, following the advice of coach Massimo Passoni in Livorno and competing for Atletica Libertas Unicusano Livorno: a three-hour journey there and back, twice a week, accompanied by her father Roberto.
In 2022, she earned her first national team jersey, followed by steady growth as she increased her distances, and in 2024, she won the Italian U23 35km title. In May 2025, before a remarkable fourth place in the 10,000m at the U23 European Championships.
After graduating from a scientific high school, she studied economics and management at Bocconi University in Milan and trains between the Parco Nord in the Lombardy capital and the Pino Dordoni field in Sesto San Giovanni and starting from May 2025 she is coached by Alessandro Gandellini. Sofia is very nice and very friendly, and above all, given the university course she attends, very intelligent; in her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and is an Inter Football Club fan. In short: the perfect girlfriend that every Italian mother would like to have for her son !
She made a further leap in quality in 2026, winning two Italian overall titles (marathon and half marathon) and the best Italian under-23 performance in the indoor 3000m with a time of 12:12.41. The fact that she was a long-distance athlete had already been seen in Acquaviva delle Fonti near Bari on January 26, 2025, when she won bronze in the 35 km race walk at the Italian Championships in 2:54:42. But that she was destined for the new specialty of Marathon Race Walk was revealed this year, again in Acquaviva delle Fonti on January 25, when she won the Italian title in 3:27:19, which then placed her at the top of the seasonal world list for over a month. Sunday marked the breakthrough.
Here are her post-race comments:
“It was a very tough race given the altitude and the conditions, but we were lucky because it wasn’t as hot as we expected. On a personal level, being at the World Team Championships was already a great success for me, given that I was one of the youngest, but there were expectations, and I managed to improve my personal best compared to January, so I’m really happy. The first part was tougher, then the second part went smoothly, and in the end I smiled because I felt good, and the Brazilian cheering gave me that extra push to do well. I’m happy.”
We asked her the following questions:
1. Tell us how you got into race walking, what were your motivations, and who supported you in the early years and up until you moved to Milan.
Since I was a child, I’ve always loved sports, especially outdoor sports. I started with track and field at the age of four, on the Poppi athletics field, so it’s always been a natural part of my development.
I discovered race walking somewhat by chance: the first time I tried it was in a 600m. race in 2012. In the early years, I alternated it with running, without making a definitive choice, but over time I began to gravitate towards this discipline.
From my first year as a girl, I began participating in the Clubs Regional Championships race walking program in Tuscany, and, changing category, from my first year as a U16, I also participated in the Italian Championships. From there, my activity in race walking began to take shape more and more clearly.
From my first year as U16, I began to dedicate myself fully to race walking, and around that time, I started training once a week in Livorno, despite the two-hour drive there and back, to be coached by Massimo Passoni. It was a significant commitment that I pursued over the years, until my second year as a U20 athlete, and then until September 2024, when I moved to Milan to start university and continue my studies. Since May 2025, I’ve been coached by Alessandro Gandellini.
Over the years, race walking has been a constant presence: the categories, goals, and contexts have changed, but it has always remained. It has been a journey of progressive growth, both sportingly and personally. Over time, my relationship with this discipline has also changed: today, it represents a central part of my journey and my identity as an athlete.
2. Describe a typical week of your training in Milan under the guidance of Alessandro Gandellini: how much “strength” training, how much “endurance” training and how much “technique” training.
My training week in Milan is quite structured and varied. I generally train six days a week, Monday through Saturday, for a total of about nine to ten sessions, with four or five days of double training. The mileage varies depending on the time of year.
I train mainly between the Pino Dordoni athletics field and Parco Nord, both in Sesto San Giovanni. When I have double training sessions, however, I do the morning one close to home, along the Naviglio Pavese.
The foundation of my training is endurance, with various workouts dedicated to mileage and endurance, while Saturday is usually my long walk day. During the week, we also include more specific, high-quality training, always adapted to the time of year.
This is complemented by a strength session per week. As for technique, in addition to dedicated sessions during the week, we try to work on it every day during training sessions, testing it at different speeds and in various situations, not just through specific exercises.
In general, we always try to maintain a good balance between the different types of work, managing the loads precisely based on the objectives.
3. When you started race walking, did you immediately understand the difficulties inherent in the specialty’s technique, or did the movement come naturally to you?
Having started very early, I learned the movement quite spontaneously. This probably helped me compared to those who approach race walking later: it came naturally to me right away, and it’s a discipline that immediately captivated and fascinated me.
At the same time, I quickly learned that technique is fundamental and far from simple. It’s a very precise discipline, where every detail counts and where great attention is required to maintain correct and effective movement, especially as speed and fatigue increase.
Nowadays, technique is still central to my work: it’s something that must be cultivated every day and adapted to different speeds and training and racing situations. It’s never something to be taken for granted, but rather a continuous part of the journey.
4. As a young athlete, your relationship with the juries was good or sometimes even conflictual?
As a young walker, it was sometimes a good relationship, but also a conflictual one at times. I often ended races with two red cards, ended up in penalty zone, and even got disqualified, even in important events like the Italian Championships. My last penalty zone was in my second year as a U20, right at the Italian U20 Championships.
Those weren’t easy moments to manage, especially at the beginning, because it’s always difficult to accept certain decisions in a race. But they were crucial experiences: they forced me to question myself and work more precisely on my technique.
Over time, I’ve changed my approach. Today, I approach my relationship with the judges more consciously and calmly: I know they’re part of the discipline and also a stimulus to improve. If I’ve gotten this far, it’s also thanks to those difficulties that helped me grow.
5. What are your plans for the near future, this season and for the seasons to come?
After the World Team Championships in Brazil, the immediate goal is to recharge and prepare for the second half of the season, especially since this first half was quite intense, with two marathons and a half marathon. The main focus will be on the European Championships in Birmingham in August, which represent the most important event of the coming months.
Looking ahead to the goals for the coming seasons, I want to continue growing and consolidating my international standing. My dream is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but also through key milestones such as the 2027 World Championships.
6. You’ll turn 22 on August 19th. You’re currently the world’s seasonal leader in the U23 category. Are you thinking about it or not?
This is certainly a pleasing and confidence-inspiring fact, as it signals that the work I’m doing is going in the right direction. At the same time, however, it doesn’t change anything about my daily work.
I prefer to stay focused on my goals and continue working hard, without being overly influenced by the rankings. I know the level is high and that everything can change quickly, so I always keep my focus on the journey.
The goal is to be ready for the next events of this season, continuing to grow calmly, without rushing and respecting my own pace, without shooting ahead.
7. What does happiness mean to you?
For me, happiness is training and walking. Every day I wake up eager to train, and every time I go to the field, I do so with a smile.
It’s something that makes me feel good and enjoys me, and that’s exactly what makes the difference in my journey. I’m also lucky enough to train in a great group, where we push each other, and that makes everything even more positive.
I think all of this is the basis of the results I’ve achieved so far: it’s the engine that pushes me every day to give my best.
Link to World Athletics Athletes Home: https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/sofia-fiorini-14902860
Photo album of Sofia Fiorini’s career from young walker up to-date
