Antonietta Di Martino


Antonietta Di Martino is a retired Italian high jumper. She currently holds the Italian national women's high jump record at 2.03 metres for outdoor events and 2.04 metres for indoor events. She also currently holds the women's all-time highest jump-differential, meaning she has jumped the highest more than her own height.
Her first significant international achievement was winning silver medal at the 2007 European Indoor Championships in Birmingham. In the same year, she won the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. After a disappointing Olympics in Beijing, she won her first gold medal at the European Indoor Championships in 2011 in Paris and the bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. In 2012, she won another silver medal at the World Indoor Championships.

Biography

Early years (1990–2001)

Her athletics history began at the age of 12 at the Youth Games, which highlighted her beginnings. Coincidentally, the high jump was not her first specialty. For much of her youth, she practiced the javelin throw and continued trying for multiple disciplines. She debuted in the national team for heptathlon in the European Cup in 2001.

Early achievements (2001–2006)

Her skills as a high jumper were first discovered in July 2001, during the Italian Championship in Catania when her jump raised her personal best from 1.93 to 1.98 meters, thus equalling the personal best of accomplished Italian high-jumper Antonella Bevilacqua. A month later, she was able to reach the world finals where she finished twelfth at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton. In 2006, she finished fifth at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow and tenth at the European Championships in Gothenburg.

The Golden year - 2007

In February 2007, she cleared 2.00 metres in Banská Bystrica, breaking Sara Simeoni's previous Italian indoor record of 1.98 m. She followed this up with a silver medal at the 2007 European Indoor Championships, where she jumped 1.96 m.
Di Martino also won the silver medal at 2007 World Championships, having jumped 2.03 m. Her 2008 season was not so successful and she managed only the tenth position at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and closed the year carrying a serious toe injury, making her consider retiring from the sport.

Her return (2009–2012)

In September 2009, she changed coach and a resurgence in her form. She won the Italian Indoor Championships, but illness ruled her out of the 2009 European Indoor Championships a few months later. She took bronze at the 2009 European Team Championships and soon after, she beat Blanka Vlašić to win the Golden Gala meeting, jumping 2.00 m in Rome. She cleared 1.99 m at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, securing a fourth-place finish. She capped off the year with a bronze at the final edition of the World Athletics Final.
Antonietta Di Martino won the gold medal at the 2010 European Team Championships, but did not even pass the qualifying round at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. She rebounded at the start of the 2011 season, jumping to an Italian indoor record of 2.04 m in Banská Bystrica in Slovakia. She continued with her good form in March by winning the European Indoor Championship in Paris with 2.01 m.

Records and achievements

Her personal best outdoor jump is 2.03 metres, achieved on 24 June 2007, in Milan by surpassing her own previous Italian record of 2.02 m, while her best indoor result came at an indoor high jump meeting in Slovakia on 9 February 2011 with a new national record of 2.04 m. Standing at only 1.69 m, this jump is the unofficial women's world record for the highest jump over her own height. Di Martino used to be active in heptathlon, achieving a personal best of 5542 points.

Missing the 2012 Summer Olympics

Di Martino suffered an injury on her knee in April 2012, just four months before the Olympic Games. She was forced to stop training for a period of time. However, the National Athletics Federation underestimate the nature of the injury, which was diagnosed in the three weeks of rehabilitation. But less than a month before the Olympics, they came to know that the injury was more serious than expected, forcing her to undergo surgery, ruling her out of London. Her knee surgery was performed just a few days before the race in the Olympics high jump.
Her coach in an interview, accused the FIDAL have underestimated the nature of the injury and failing to ensure an athlete who has contributed immensely to Italian sport the right care at the time of rehabilitation.

National records

Amtonietta Di Martino made 12 career jumps over 2.00 m.

Others meetings and championships

National championships

Antonietta Di Martino has won the individual national championship 10 times.
Antonietta Di Martino ranked 15 times in the top 25 of the world for the season list. Her 2.04 m indoor is also the 8th best performance of all-time.
;Outdoor
YearPerformanceVenueDateWorld Rank
20112.00 Daegu3 Sep3
20112.00 Málaga7 Aug3
20102.01 Grosseto30 Jun4
20092.00 Rome10 Jul6
20092.00 Leiria21 Jun6
20081.97 Milan2 Jul15
20072.03 Osaka2 Sep2
20072.03 Milan24 Jun2
20061.94 London28 Jul14
20061.94 Gateshead11 Jun
20051.90 Marano21 May
20041.86 Rome15 May
20031.90 Barcelona11 Jul
20021.91 Desenzano del Garda11 May
20011.98 Catania7 Jul8
20001.88 Matera20 Sep

;Indoor
YearPerformanceVenueDateWorld Rank
20121.95 Istanbul10 Mar8
20121.95 Istanbul9 Mar8
20112.04 Banská Bystrica9 Feb1
20091.96 Turin21 Feb8
20081.97 Stockholm21 Feb12
20072.00 Banská Bystrica13 Feb4
20061.96 Moscow12 Mar8
20031.96 Birmingham21 Feb18
20011.90 Genoa21 Jan24

High Jump Differentials

All time lists of athletes with the highest recorded jumps above their own height.
AthleteBornTallJumpYearDiff.
1 Antonietta Di Martino19781.692.04i20110.35
2 Kajsa Bergqvist19761.752.08i20060.33
2 Niki Bakoyianni19681.702.0319980.33
4 Yolanda Henry19641.682.00i19900.32
4 Emilia Dragieva19651.682.00i19870.32
6 Marie Collonvillé19731.631.9419970.31