Zaynab Dosso is packing her bags for Alabama, setting out to retrace the transatlantic path that Marcell Jacobs walked in 2023. The Italian sprint star has decided to leave her training base in Rome and split from coach Giorgio Frinolli to work under new University of Alabama head coach Ken Harden.
The move comes after an outdoor season that left her stellar trajectory somewhat obscured, prompting a decisive shift in environment. The 27-year-old Fiamme Azzurre athlete will begin her new training regime on November 16, focusing squarely on the outdoor campaign and the ultimate horizon of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Chasing a Sub-Eleven Barrier in Auburn
The core motivation behind the relocation to Auburn is breaking the 11-second barrier. Dosso came agonizingly close to that milestone in 2024 during the European Championships in Rome, where she clocked 11.01 seconds in the semifinals before taking the bronze medal in the final with an 11.03 performance.
“Chi mi conosce sa che sono una persona che va sempre a caccia di nuove sfide, e quindi sono davvero impaziente di cominciare questa nuova avventura,” Dosso explained regarding her departure from the capital. She has already received introductory exercises from Harden to activate her body ahead of her arrival, with the immediate priority centered on the outdoor season.
A New Chapter for Italian Sprinting
This transatlantic shift marks a definitive close to her partnership with Frinolli, which began in 2021 after she relocated to Rome and parted ways with her first coach, Loredana Riccardi. By joining Harden—who took over the University of Alabama track program last July—Dosso aims to compete at the highest levels in Los Angeles in the summer of 2028.
The Italian track federation has included Dosso in the Elite Club as anticipation builds for her collaboration with Harden. As preparations begin later this month, the focus shifts to whether the change of scenery will yield the breakthrough times needed on the global stage.
