Antonietta Di Martino

Antonietta Di Martino (born 1 June 1978) is a retired Italian high jumper. She currently holds the Italian national women's high jump record at 2.03 metres for outdoor events and 2.04 metres for indoor events. She also currently holds the women's all-time highest jump-differential, meaning she has jumped the highest (0.35 metres) more than her own height.

Her first significant international achievement was winning a silver medal at the 2007 European Indoor Championships in Birmingham. In the same year, she won the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. After a disappointing Olympics in Beijing, she won her first gold medal at the European Indoor Championships in 2011 in Paris and the bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. In 2012, she won another silver medal at the World Indoor Championships.

Biography Early years (1990–2001) Di Martino was born in Cava de' Tirreni. Her athletics history began at the age of 12 at the Youth Games, which highlighted her beginnings. Coincidentally, the high jump was not her first speciality. For much of her youth, she practised the javelin throw and continued trying for multiple disciplines. She debuted in the national team for heptathlon in the European Cup in 2001.

Early achievements (2001–2006) Her skills as a high jumper were first discovered in July 2001, during the Italian Championship in Catania when her jump raised her personal best from 1.93 to 1.98 meters, thus equalling the personal best of accomplished Italian high-jumper Antonella Bevilacqua. A month later, she was able to reach the world finals where she finished twelfth at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton. In 2006, she finished fifth at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow and tenth at the European Championships in Gothenburg.

The Golden year - 2007 In February 2007, she cleared 2.00 metres in Banská Bystrica, breaking Sara Simeoni's previous Italian indoor record of 1.98 m. She followed this up with a silver medal at the 2007 European Indoor Championships, where she jumped 1.96 m.

Di Martino also won the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships, having jumped 2.03 m. Her 2008 season was not so successful, and she managed only the tenth position at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and closed the year carrying a serious toe injury, making her consider retiring from the sport.

Her return (2009–2012)

In September 2009, she changed coaches and experienced a resurgence in her form. She won the Italian Indoor Championships, but illness ruled her out of the 2009 European Indoor Championships a few months later. She cleared 1.99 m at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, securing a fourth-place finish. She capped off the year with a bronze at the final edition of the World Athletics Final. She continued with her good form in March by winning the European Indoor Championship in Paris with 2.01 m.

Records and achievements Her personal best outdoor jump is 2.03 metres, achieved on 24 June 2007, in Milan by surpassing her own previous Italian record of 2.02 m, while her best indoor result came at an indoor high jump meeting in Slovakia on 9 February 2011 with a new national record of 2.04 m. Standing at only 1.69 m, this jump is the unofficial women's world record for the highest jump over her own height (at 35 cm). Di Martino used to be active in heptathlon, achieving a personal best of 5542 points (2001).

Missing the 2012 Summer Olympics Di Martino suffered an injury on her knee in April 2012, just four months before the Olympic Games. She was forced to temporarily stop training. However, the National Athletics Federation (FIDAL) underestimate the nature of the injury, which was diagnosed in the three weeks of rehabilitation. But less than a month before the Olympics, they learned that the injury was more serious than expected, forcing her to undergo surgery, ruling her out of London. Her knee surgery was performed just a few days before the race in the Olympics high jump.

Her coach in an interview, accused the FIDAL have underestimated the nature of the injury and failing to ensure an athlete who has contributed immensely to Italian sport the right care at the time of rehabilitation.

National records High jump outdoor: 2.03 m ( Milan, 24 June 2007 and Osaka, 2 September 2007) - current holder High jump indoor: 2.04 m ( Banská Bystrica, 9 February 2009) - current holder

Achievements

Antonietta Di Martino made 12 career jumps over 2.00 m (bolded in the table).

Other meetings and championships

National championships Antonietta Di Martino has won the individual national championship 10 times. 6 wins in High jump outdoor (2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010) 4 wins in High jump indoor (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009)

Progression Antonietta Di Martino ranked 15 times in the top 25 of the world for the season list. Her 2.04 m indoor is also the 8th best performance of all time.

Outdoor YearPerformanceVenueDateWorld Rank2011 2.00 Daegu 3 Sep 32.00 Málaga 7 Aug 2010 2.01 Grosseto 30 Jun 42009 2.00 Rome 10 Jul 62.00 Leiria 21 Jun 2008 1.97 Milan 2 Jul 152007 2.03 Osaka 2 Sep 22.03 Milan 24 Jun 2006 1.94 London 28 Jul 141.94 Gateshead 11 Jun 2005 1.90 Marano 21 May 2004 1.86 Rome 15 May 2003 1.90 Barcelona 11 Jul 2002 1.91 Desenzano del Garda 11 May 2001 1.98 Catania 7 Jul 82000 1.88 Matera 20 Sep

Indoor YearPerformanceVenueDateWorld Rank2012 1.95 Istanbul 10 Mar 81.95 Istanbul 9 Mar 2011 2.04 Banská Bystrica 9 Feb 12009 1.96 Turin 21 Feb 82008 1.97 Stockholm 21 Feb 122007 2.00 Banská Bystrica 13 Feb 42006 1.96 Moscow 12 Mar 82003 1.96 Birmingham 21 Feb 182001 1.90 Genoa 21 Jan 24

High Jump Differentials Antonietta Di Martino at the 2009 World Championships high jump final. All time lists of athletes with the highest recorded jumps above their own height.

AthleteBornTallJumpYearDiff.1 Antonietta Di Martino 1978 1.69 2.04i 2011 0.352 Kajsa Bergqvist 1976 1.75 2.08i 2006 0.33 Niki Bakoyianni 1968 1.70 2.03 19984 Yolanda Henry 1964 1.68 2.00i 1990 0.32 Emilia Dragieva 1965 1.68 2.00i 19876 Marie Collonvillé 1973 1.63 1.94 1997 0.31