Liévin, France – A stellar evening of athletics unfolded at the Lievin meeting, as Italian athletes delivered impressive performances, highlighted by a near-European record and multiple personal bests. Nadia Battocletti led the charge, setting a new Italian record in the 3000m, while Federico Riva and Marta Zenoni also achieved significant milestones.
Nadia Battocletti clocked a remarkable 8:26.44 in the women’s 3000m, surpassing her previous Italian record of 8:30.82 set at the same meet last year. The performance places her tantalizingly close to the European record of 8:26.41, held by Laura Muir since 2017, falling just three hundredths of a second short. Battocletti also came close to her own outdoor national record of 8:26.27, achieved in Rabat last season. This latest achievement underscores Battocletti’s consistent rise to prominence, following her successes at the World Championships and as a multiple European champion.
The race saw a strong field, with Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia taking the win in 8:24.59 and Aleshign Baweke securing second place in 8:26.29. Battocletti’s performance, however, was a clear indication of her form heading into the World Indoor Championships, scheduled to seize place in Torun, Poland, from March 20-22. Before Torun, Battocletti will compete at the Festa del Cross in Selinunte, Sicily, on Sunday, February 22nd.
Battocletti Reflects on Record-Breaking Run
“The objective was to reach the standard for the World Indoor Championships in Torun, set at 8:35.00, and to feel comfortable on the indoor track,” Battocletti said, as reported by Il Messaggero. “The European record was within reach, but I still have to learn to race indoors. This time is significant, especially considering yesterday marked the start of Ramadan and I recently finished my university exams. It’s been a challenging period, but I have a great support team.” Ludovica Cavalli also competed, finishing 12th in 8:45.49, just one second off her personal best.
Riva Sets Italian Record in 1500m
Federico Riva continued the Italian success story, setting a new Italian indoor record in the 1500m with a time of 3:33.04. This improved upon his recent personal best of 3:33.94, achieved on February 8th in Karlsruhe. Riva finished second behind reigning world champion Isaac Nader of Portugal, who won in 3:32.44, with Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran taking third in 3:33.09. Riva, a World Championships finalist, also holds the Italian national record for the mile outdoors with a time of 3:48.11.
“I felt particularly calm at the start, having already secured the qualifying time for the World Championships, so I wanted to run an attacking race and take some risks,” Riva explained. He is now focused on the Italian Absolute Indoor Championships in Ancona, where he plans to compete in both the 1500m and 3000m.
Zenoni Breaks Long-Standing Italian Record
Marta Zenoni also made her mark, breaking the Italian indoor record in the 2000m with a time of 5:42.43. This surpassed the previous record of 5:52.01, set by Agnese Possamai in 1982, a record that stood for 44 years. Zenoni finished seventh in the race. Notably, Battocletti passed through the 2000m mark in 5:37.62 during her 3000m race, further highlighting the strength of the Italian middle-distance runners.
Fabbri Dominates in Shot Put
Leonardo Fabbri secured a prestigious victory in the men’s shot put, defeating American Joe Kovacs, a three-time Olympic silver medalist, with a throw of 21.82m to Kovacs’ 21.40m. This marks Fabbri’s third consecutive win at the Gold-level meet in France. He currently leads the world rankings for 2026 with an outdoor throw of 22.50m, achieved in Stellenbosch, South Africa, last week. “I’m happy to achieve these distances, especially on a day when I wasn’t feeling my best,” Fabbri stated. He will continue his indoor campaign at the Torun meeting and in Nehvizdy, Czech Republic, before the Italian Absolute Indoor Championships in Ancona.
The Italian team’s strong showing at the Lievin meeting signals a promising outlook for the upcoming World Indoor Championships. Gaia Sabbatini finished 11th in the 1500m (4:10.88), and Lorenzo Simonelli narrowly missed qualifying for the final of the 60m hurdles, finishing fourth in his heat (7.63).
In other notable results from the meet, Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain shattered the world indoor record in the 800m, clocking a time of 1:54.87, breaking the previous record of 1:55.82 set by Jolanda Ceplak in 2002.
The Italian athletics federation continues to demonstrate a commitment to developing world-class talent, and the performances in Liévin are a testament to the dedication of the athletes and their coaches. The focus now shifts to preparation for the World Indoor Championships, where the Italian team will look to build on this momentum.
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