Fausto Desalu
Italian sprinter (born 1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eseosa Fostine "Fausto" Desalu (Italian pronunciation: [ezeˈoːza ˈfausto deˈzaːlu];[1] born 19 February 1994) is an Italian sprinter who specialises in the 200 metres. He is the second-fastest Italian ever in the distance behind only Pietro Mennea, with a personal best of 20.08 seconds.
Desalu in 2022 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Eseosa Fostine Desalu |
| Nationality | Nigerian and Italian |
| Born | 19 February 1994 Casalmaggiore, Italy |
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 69 kg (152 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Sprint |
| Club | G.S. Fiamme Gialle |
| Coached by |
|
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests |
|
He was part of the 4 × 100 m relay team that won gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[2]
Biography
Born in Casalmaggiore, Italy, to Nigerian parents, Desalu acquired Italian citizenship in 2012, aged 18.[citation needed]
He originally focused on association football in his youth. However, he began to take up track and field around 2008, initially focusing on the sprint hurdles. His speed was better than his technique and he eventually focused on the 200 m instead. He gained full Italian citizenship in 2012.[3] A member of Gruppi Sportivi Fiamme Gialle – the sports club of Italy's fiscal police force – he made his international debut at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics. However, he failed to progress beyond the heats.[4] He also ran with the 4 × 100 metres relay team, but they were also eliminated in the heats stage.[5]
Desalu's first international medal came at the 2013 European Athletics Junior Championships, where he was a relay bronze medallist on home turf in Rieti, running the anchor leg on a team of Giacomo Isolano, Lorenzo Bilotti and Roberto Rigali. He also managed fifth place individually in the 200 m.[6] His first senior medal followed at the 2014 European Team Championships, where he was part of the bronze medal-winning relay quartet alongside Massimiliano Ferraro, Diego Marani, and Delmas Obou.[7] He was selected both individually and for the relay for Italy at the 2014 European Athletics Championships. He was a semi-finalist in the 200 m, having set a best of 20.55 seconds in the heats, and was a finalist in the relay with Fabio Cerutti, Marani and Obou (although the Italians failed to finish).[6]
Desalu had his first appearance at global senior level at the 2015 IAAF World Relays, though the regrouped European Championships team did not make it past the heats. At the 2015 Military World Games he won the 200 m gold medal, a tenth of a second ahead of runner-up Serhiy Smelyk.[8] He came close to a second medal at the games in the relay, placing fourth with Cerutti, Obou and Matteo Galvan.[9]
On 4 September 2020, he became the first Italian to win a 200 m race event of the Diamond League during the Memorial Van Damme in 20.39 seconds.[10] The following year, he made history by being part of the Italian team that won the gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo.[11]
At the 2026 European Championships held in Birmingham, Desalu claimed the bronze medal in the 200 metres with a time of 20.26 seconds.[12]
Statistics
National records
- 4 × 100 m relay: 37.50 (
Tokyo, 6 August 2021), he ran third leg in the team with Lorenzo Patta, Marcell Jacobs, Filippo Tortu.[13]
Personal bests
- 60 metres – 6.76 seconds (2015)
- 100 metres – 10.21 seconds (2022)
- 200 metres – 20.08 seconds (2024)
- 110 metres hurdles – 14.20 seconds (2010)
- 60 metres hurdles – 7.86 seconds (2011)
- All information from European Athletics[14]
For reference:
- split time of 4 × 100 m relay - 9.170 (third leg) (2021)
Achievements
1Did not finish in the final
National titles
Desalu won six national championships at individual senior level.[15][16]
- Italian Athletics Championships
- 100 m: 2025 (1)
- 200 m: 2016, 2017, 2021, 2024, 2025 (5)
