Filippo Tortu (born 15 June 1998) is an Italiansprinter. He was the first Italian to break the10-second barrier and is the second fastest Italian in the 100 metres afterMarcell Jacobs. He ran the anchor leg in the4 × 100 m relay of theItalian team that won a gold medal at the2020 Summer Olympics. His leg was the fifth fastestanchor of all time.
He is coached by his father, Salvino Tortu, a formerSardinian sprinter who moved toLombardy.[1]
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Born in Milan to aSardinian father, former runner Salvino, and aLombard mother, Paola Confalonieri, he began to play sports at the age of eight years, dividing his time betweentrack and field andbasketball.
In 2010 and 2011, he won the title of fastest runner in Milan while competing in the categories ofprima media andseconda media (first and second years ofmiddle school). He then began to dedicate himself entirely to track and field, coached by his father. In 2013, he won the 80 meters in the Italian championships in Jesolo (categorycadetto) with a time of 9.09.
He finished third at the 2014 trials for the European Youth Olympic Games, but did not qualify. He did, however, qualify for the 200 meters, but in a preliminary race for the Youth Olympics, he fell at the finish line; he broke both arms, and as a result, he was not able to compete in the finals. In 2015, he broke the Italian youth record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.33, as well as in the 200 meters with a time of 20.92.
In 2016, he broke the Italian junior record of 100 meters in Savona, twice obtaining a time of 10.24; this record had been unbeaten for 34 years, and was held byPierfrancesco Pavoni who ran the distance in 10.25 at the1982 European Championships. A month later, he landed his first Italian title in Rieti, winning the final of 100 meters in 10.32. He took part in the European Championships in Amsterdam, where he qualified for the semifinals by winning with a time of 10.19, which was a new Italian junior record. He failed, however, to reach the final by 0.03 seconds. He also ran the final leg of 4 × 100 relay, finishing in 5th place. He participated at the World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, where he won the silver medal in 100 meters with a time of 10.24, behind AmericanNoah Lyles (10.17). In the same championships, he participated in the 4 × 100 relay where they finished 7th.
At the2020 Summer Olympics, Tortu competed in the men's 100 m. He reached the semi-final, but did not qualify for the finals.[2] Tortu also ran the anchor leg in the 4 × 100 relay final, coming from behind to pip the British team by one-hundredth of a second, running his leg with only 8.845 seconds and winning an unexpected historic gold.[3]
In 2024, he competed at theSummer Olympics, this time competing in the 200 metres instead. He reached the semifinal round but did not qualify for the finals.[4] He ran the anchor leg of the 4 × 100 relay to defend their title, but finished in 4th.[5]
Madrid, 22 June 2018) - former Italian record[6]
Tokyo, 6 August 2021), he ran final leg in the team withLorenzo Patta,Marcell Jacobs,Eseosa Desalu[7]| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Youth Olympic Games |  Nanjing | Final | 200 metres | DNS | [8] |
| 2016 | European Championships |  Amsterdam | 9th (sf) | 100 metres | 10.19 |  |
| 5th | 4 × 100 m relay | 38.69 | ||||
| World U20 Championships |  Bydgoszcz | 2nd | 100 metres | 10.24 | ||
| 7th | 4 × 100 m relay | 40.02 | ||||
| 2017 | IAAF World Relays |  Nassau | Heat | 4 × 100 m relay | DQ | R170.7 |
| European U20 Championships |  Grosseto | 1st | 100 metres | 10.73(–4.3) | ||
| 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 39.50 | ||||
| World Championships |  London | 17th (sf) | 200 metres | 20.62 | w | |
| 2018 | Mediterranean Games | Tarragona | 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | 38.49 |  |
| European Championships |  Berlin | 5th | 100 metres | 10.08 | ||
| Heat | 4 × 100 m relay | DQ | R170.7 | |||
| 2019 | IAAF World Relays | Yokohama | Final | 4 × 100 m relay | DNF | [9] |
| World Championships |  Doha | 7th | 100 metres | 10.07 | SB | |
| 10th (sf) | 4 × 100 m relay | 38.11 | NR | |||
| 2021 | World Athletics Relays | Chorzów | 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | 39.21 | [10] |
| Olympic Games | Tokyo | 18th (sf) | 100 metres | 10.16 | [11] | |
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | 37.50 | NR | |||
| 2022 | World Championships |  Eugene | 9th (sf) | 200 metres | 20.10 | |
| 10th (h) | 4 × 100 m relay | 38.74 | SB | |||
| European Championships | Munich | 3rd | 200 metres | 20.27 | ||
| 2023 | European Team Championships | Chorzów | 5th | 200 metres | 20.61 | |
| 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 38.47 | SB | |||
| World Championships |  Budapest | 25th (h) | 200 metres | 20.46 | ||
| 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 37.62 | SB[12] | |||
| 2024 | World Athletics Relays | Nassau | Final | 4 × 100 m relay | DQ | [13] |
| European Championships | Rome | 2nd | 200 metres | 20.41 | [14] | |
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | 37.82 | EL | |||
| 2025 | World Relays | Guangzhou | 5th | 4 × 100 m relay | 38.20 |
Madrid, 22 June 2018)Tokyo, 5 August 2021)Eugene, 19 July 2022)...the European junior champion clocked 9.99 to beat the long-standing Italian record of 10.01 set byPietro Mennea back in 1979, 19 years before Tortu was born.
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| Preceded by | Italian Sportsman of the Year 2018 | Succeeded by |
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| Men's track & road athletes |
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| Men's field athletes | ||
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| Women's field athletes | ||
| Men's track & road athletes |
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| Men's field athletes | ||
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| Women's field athletes | ||
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