Renato Dionisi

Renatio Dionisi was a pole vaulter who competed at the 1964 and 1972 Olympics. Coached by Fernando Jelli, he set his first Italian record in 1964 with 4.50, the first of 22 improvements over nine years. In 1968 he cleared the 5-metre barrier indoors in Bologna on 10 February and he improved with 5.01 on 2 June in Torino, reaching his personal record of 5.45 on 25 June 1972 in Rovereto.

Struggling with Achilles’ tendon injuries, Dionisi was eliminated in the qualifying round at both of his Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki and a gold medal at the 1973 European Indoor with 5.40. His best competitive day may have come in the 1969 Europe-America match in Stuttgart where he won with 5.20 ahead GDR athlete Wolfgang Nordwig, who in 1972 set a world record and won Olympic gold. Dionisi won 12 Italian titles and collected 47 international caps from 1964-78.

Personal Best: PV – 5.45 (1972).