Giovanni De Benedictis (born 8 January 1968, in Pescara) is a retired Italian race walker, that won 9 medals at individual level, 7 of these at senior level, at the International athletics competitions. He participated at five editions of the Summer Olympics (from 1988 to 2004), this like only two others Italian athletes in track and field: the other racewalker champion Abdon Pamich and the sprinter Pietro Mennea. He also won four medals at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup team events (Lugano Trophy).
Biography Giovanni De Benedictis has won 28 times the individual national championship, third of all-time after Abdon Pamich (40) and Antonio Ambu (34). He has 42 caps in seventeen years in the national team from 1987 to 2004.
In addition to the five Olympic Games, he participated in six World Outdoor Championships and two of the World Indoor, four editions of the European Outdoor Championships and five European Indoor, six editions of the World Race Walking Cup and four of the European Race Walking Cup.
World best performances 3000 metres race walk: 10:47.11, San Giovanni Valdarno, 19 May 1990. world record held until 4 February 2001, and was beaten by the German Andreas Erm.
Achievements Olympic GamesYear Competition Venue Position EventTime Notes1988 Olympic Games Seoul9th20 km1:21:181992 Olympic Games Barcelona 3rd20 km1:23:111996 Olympic Games Atlanta27th20 km1:25:222000 Olympic Games Sydney16th20 km1:23:142004 Olympic Games Athens50 kmDSQWorld ChampionshipsYear Competition Venue Position EventTime Notes1991 World Championships Tokyo4th20 km1:20:291993 World Championships Stuttgart 2nd20 km1:23:061995 World Championships Gothenburg50 kmDSQ1997 World Championships Athens8th20 km1:23:331999 World Championships Sevilla8th20 km1:25:332001 World Championships Edmonton 50 kmRetiredWorld Indoor ChampionshipsYear Competition Venue Position EventTime Notes1989 World Indoor Championships Budapest5th5000 m18:40.871991 World Indoor Championships Seville 2nd5000 m18:23.60European ChampionshipsYear Competition Venue Position EventTime Notes1990 European Championships Split8th20 km1:24:511994 European Championships Helsinki 4th20 km1:20:391998 European Championships Budapest10th20 km1:25.062002 European Championships Munich50 kmDSQEuropean Indoor ChampionshipsYear Competition Venue Position EventTime Notes1988 European Indoor Championships Budapest6th5000 m18:58.401989 European Indoor Championships The Hague 3rd5000 m18:43.451990 European Indoor Championships Glasgow 2nd5000 m19:02.901992 European Indoor Championships Genoa 1st5000 m18:19.971994 European Indoor Championships Paris5000 mNMHe was 8th with the time of 19:18.39 in qualification round.World Race Walking CupYear Competition Venue Position EventTime Notes1989 World Race Walking Cup L'Hospitalet14th20 km1:22:251991 World Race Walking Cup San Jose5th20 km1:21:131993 World Race Walking Cup Monterrey7th20 km1:25:091995 World Race Walking Cup Beijing12th50 km3:49:301997 World Race Walking Cup Poděbrady22nd20 km1:20:492004 World Race Walking Cup Naumburg10th50 km3:54:25European Race Walking CupYear Competition Venue Position EventTime Notes1996 European Race Walking Cup A Coruña10th20 km1:23:211998 European Race Walking Cup Dudince20 kmNM2000 European Race Walking Cup Eisenhüttenstadt11th20 km1:21:432001 European Race Walking Cup Dudince15th50 km3:54:12Others competitionsYear Competition Venue Position EventTime Notes1985 European Junior Championships Cottbus 3rd10,000 m42:56.801986 World Junior Championships Athens4th10,000 m 41:06.951987 European Junior Championships Birmingham 1st10,000 m39:44.711989 World Military Championships Ostia 1st20 km1:24:211993 World Military Championships Tours 1st20 km1997Mediterranean Games Bari 1st20 km1:24:59
National titles He won 28 times the national championships at senior level.
EventOutdoorIndoor20 km walk road 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001 50 km walk road 2004, 2006 10,000 metres walk track 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992,The Italian title was won by Pietro Fiorini of G.S. Forestale, the sportolimpico.it web site, usually very accurate, reports an error attributed to De Benedictis. See note below. 1993, 1995, 1997, 2002 5000 metres walk 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 18 10
See also Italian Athletics Championships - Multi winners Italy at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup Italian all-time lists - 20 km walk Italian all-time lists - 50 km walk 3000 metres race walk All-time top 25 fastest
References
External links
Official website