Emma, the 200 meters record at 90 years old: «Sport is beautiful, but it's hard»
He crossed the finish line in 54 seconds and 47 hundredths of a second, demolishing the previous record over 90: «And I can still improve, I do better in training»
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So much for the ailments. And of the age that at ninety is no longer just a given, but something to be displayed with pride. When he crossed the 200 meter finish line at the Palaindoor in Padua, his city, he didn't know he had just broken the world record. Yet Emma Maria Mazzenga, born in 1933, became the fastest ninety-year-old in the world in 54 seconds and 47 hundredths. Because the previous Over 90 record had stood for thirteen years and belonged to the Canadian Olga Kotelko: 1'01”72.
Born in Padua in August 1933, the fastest grandmother on Earth approached sport during her university years, then became a chemistry professor and resumed sporting activity at 53. When many are thinking of retiring. She lives alone, has been a widow for forty years, regularly drives her 500.
How did you feel when you set the world record?
«Actually, when I arrived I didn't know it. I was happy as soon as they notified me, my friend Rosa Marchi gave me the paper with the record written on it and it's the same paper you see in the photos in the newspapers these days."
His record comes after a not so simple period.
«Yes, in early August I had an accident, with a fracture of my sternum. I stopped, but as soon as I saw that I no longer had pain I started running again, so I started training for races. The record I broke dates back to 13 years ago and is set by Canadian Kotelko. Now, I don't want to be too modest, the time was quite high, because a minute is not a short time and I ran faster in training, so if everything goes well I should improve it further."
Stories of starting out at university.
«I started playing basketball but I was in denial. With athletics it was born a bit by chance because I was included in the team, then I stopped for a long period and started again at 53."
What does being able to do sport mean to you?
«Sport is something that has helped me a lot, when I have experienced bad moments it has helped me overcome them, when I train it helps me release nervous tension, it also keeps me in touch with people».
How do you live these days of great popularity?
«I am very amazed and certainly all this amuses me. It's great news. For two days the phone has done nothing but ring. This evening I'm a little tired because of this, then this morning I also trained."
How often does he go on the track and what is his typical training?
«About two or three a week. For an hour and a quarter. I do the warm-up, then depending on the period of the competitions I do different training sessions. When there are short races I do intervals of 60, 80 and 100 metres, but when the distances are longer, I run 200 or 250 metres. I alternate running and recovery and then I cool down."
What are the ingredients for success in sport?
«In my opinion, constancy, continuity. If you want to achieve a goal you have to work hard, with passion and be constant. I really like sport, it makes you feel good. Sometimes the training is really tiring, but you have to take that into account."
Giulia Innocenti
