Naturalized athletes of Italy

The Naturalized athletes of Italy are those naturalized citizens who are part, or have been part, of the Italy national athletics team.

The rules

The Italian Government and consequently FIDAL firstly, and then the IAAF, grants Italian citizenship, and the Italian passport, therefore the naturalization, to those citizens of foreign origin born in Italy (Italians therefore of second generation), or who have married an Italian citizen for the following reasons.

Automatically Ius sanguinis: for birth; If an Italian citizen recognizes, at a time after birth, a minor child; For adoption; To obtain or re-obtain from a parent. Following declaration By descent; Ius soli: by birth or descent in Italy; By marriage or naturalization By marriage: the foreign or stateless spouse of an Italian citizen may acquire Italian citizenship after two years of legal residence in Italy or, if residing abroad, after three years from the date of marriage; By naturalization: the foreigner can apply for Italian citizenship after ten years of legal residence in Italy, reduced to five years for those who have been recognized as stateless or refugee and four years for citizens of countries of the European Community.

The list (However, in the case of children born in Italy from foreign parents, citizenship is obtained by the eighteenth birthday).he Italian law allows to obtain the Italian citizenship at the end of the eighteenth year, even if the parents, of foreign origin, are already Italian citizens and their son was born in Italy. You are Italian citizens from birth if even one of the two parents is Italian. When there is is last update verified naturalization. ContinentCountry of originAthlete Born ReasonsAfricaTanzania 2002Born in Dodoma, Tanzania to an Italian father (anthropologist and researcher) and a Tanzanian mother, he moved with his family to Rome at the age of 5.Rwanda 1993Born in Rwanda, adopted by a Brescian family at the age of 6 months.Eritrea Eyob Faniel 1992Born in Eritrea, came in Italy in 2004, he was naturalized in 2005 at 23.Cameroon Jacques Riparelli 1983His family (Italian father and Camerounese mother), came in Italy when he was 3. Paolo Dal Molin 1987Born in Cameroun from Camerounese father and Italian mother, came in Italy when he was 10.Sudan Raphaela Lukudo 1979 Born in Italy.Somalia Zahra Bani 1979 Of Italian father. Mohad Abdikadar 1993Born in Somalia, arrived in Italy in 2006 as a refugee, he is an Italian citizen since 2011.South Africa Marcello Fiasconaro 1949 Of Italian father, became Italian citizen in 1971. Zane Weir 1995 Weir is Italian thanks to the roots of his maternal grandfather, from Trieste.Nigeria Desola Oki 1999Born in Italy from Nigerian parents.Emmanuel Ihemeje 1998He born in Carrara, Tuscany from Nigerian parents but lives in Verdellino near Bergamo. Daisy Osakue 1996Born in Italy, but naturalized at 18.Ayomide Folorunso 1996Her parents lived in Italy for a long time. She became Italian from the age of 18.Kevin Ojiaku 1989Born in Italy from Nigerian father already Italian citizen.Eseosa Desalu 1994Born in Italy from Nigerian parents, he acquires Italian citizenship at the age of 18.Benedicta Chigbolu 1989Of Italian mother.Côte d'Ivoire Zaynab Dosso 1999Italian citizen from 2016. Moillet Kouakou 1999Italian citizen from 2017. Audrey Alloh 1987Her parents lived in Italy for a long time. She became Italian from the age of 18. Hassane Fofana 1992Born in Italy from Ivorian parents, became Italian when he was eighteen.Delmas Obou 1991His Ivorian parents came in Italy in 1993, he came in 1999 and became Italian when he was eighteen.Franck Brice Koua 2001His Ivorian parents came in Italy.Ghana Gloria Hooper 1992Born in Italy. Ethiopia Merihun Crespi 1988Born in Blaten, Ethiopia, adopted when he was 3 by Italian family. Yemaneberhan Crippa 1996Born in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, adopted when he was 7 by Italian family, he became Italian at 18. Yohanes Chiappinelli 1997Born in Ethiopia, adopted by Italian family, he became Italian at 18.Tunisia Ala Zoghlami 1994Zoghlami twins come in Italy at the age of two, but became Italian just nineteeners. Osama Zoghlami 1994Mozambique João Bussotti 1993Adopted by Italian father. He became Italian in from the age of 18.Senegal Erika Furlani 1996Born in Italy from Italian father.Morocco Kaddour Slimani 1984Become Italian citizen in 2007, at 28, per married with Wilma Biancossi.Yassin Bouih 1996Born in Italy from Moroccan parents become Italian at 18.Laila Soufyane 1983She married an Italian citizen.Mohamed Laqouahi 1988Became Italian in 2013.Marco Najibe Salami 1988Born in Italy from Moroccan father, became Italian in 2004.Marouan Razine 1991Arrived in Italy in 2000 at the age of 6, he was naturalized Italian at 22.Yassine Rachik 1993Italian citizen from 2015.Fatna Maraoui 1977Naturalized by marriage from 2003.Nadia Ejjafini 1977By marriage, Abdoullah Bamoussa 1986He became Italian from 2015.Migidio Bourifa 1971The father, of Moroccan origins, led him to be born in Morocco to provide him with a double passport.Mostafa Errebbah 1971Abdellah Haidane 1989 Jamel Chatbi 1984He was a Moroccan athlete since 2009.Ahmed El Mazoury 1990Arrived in Italy at the age of 5, he was a naturalized Italian at 18.Touria Samiri 1988She became Italian from 2008 at 20.Egypt Ashraf Saber 1973Born in Italy to an Egyptian father and a Sicilian mother. Ahmed Abdelwahed 1996Born in Rome to Egyptian parents, he became Italian at 18.Republic of the Congo Koura Kaba Fantoni 1984He became an Italian citizen in 2002, following the adoption by the family of his trainer Milvio Fantoni. Jean-Jacques Nkouloukidi 1982Born in Rome from a family of Congolese origins (from a father), he became Italian at 18.North AmericaUnited States Andrew Howe 1985 His mother married an Italian in second marriage, then he became Italian at 5 in 1990. Jennifer Rockwell 1983 His grandfather was Italian. She has a double passport since the age of 29.Marcell Jacobs 1994Born in the USA from a Texan father, his mother is an Italian from Italy.Giancarla Trevisan 1993His father is Italian migrated in USA. Opted for Italian citizenship from 2017.Nick Ponzio 1995Born in San Diego in a family of Italian descent (his great-grandfather was Sicilian). Opted for Italian citizenship in 2021.Cuba Libania Grenot 1983By marriage. Magdelín Martínez 1976She started to compete with Cuba, she became Italian by marriage in 1999. Thaimi O’Reilly Causse 1976Born in Cuba, she moved to Italy in 1999 and in 2001 she acquired citizenship by marriage. Yusneysi Santiusti 1984 She came in Italy by marriage in 2007, but was naturalized only in 2013. Yadisleidy Pedroso 1987 By marriage. She is an Italian citizen since 7 February 2013. Isalbet Juarez 1984His parents lived in Italy for a long time. She became Italian from the age of 18. Dominican Republic José Bencosme 1992Arrived in Italy with his mother at the age of one. He became Italian from the age of 17. Robel Garcia 1993 Married a Dominican-Italian and naturalized through marriage.Johanelis Herrera 1995Born in Santo Domingo, she came in Italy in 2003 and start to run for this country in 2013.EuropeFrance Fabe Dia 1977She changed nationality on 2009 by marriage with the middle-distance runner Andrea Longo.Turkey Catherine Bertone 1972Born in Turkey from Italian father and French mother.United Kingdom Fiona May 1969By marriage with Gianni Iapichino, became an Italian citizen in 1994. Antonio Infantino 1969Born in England to his Avellinese mother and his father from Agrigento, became an Italian citizen in 2016.Ukraine Dariya Derkach 1993Her parents lived in Italy for a long time. She became Italian from the age of 20. Albania Eusebio Haliti 1991He became Italian from 2012 (21 years old). Hungary Judit Varga 1976Russia Vladimir Aceti 1998Adopted when he was 5 by an Italian family.OceaniaAustralia Danielle Perpoli 1968Born in Australia, she began to care in this country before moving permanently to Tuscany and opting for Italian citizenship.

Naturalized athletes of Italy

Bron en licentie