Manlio Legat

Manlio Legat was among the pioneers of track and field in Italy. The son of the well-known gymnast Remigio from Trieste, Manilo’s specialty was the pole vault. He made his domestic début in 1909 and, on 17 October in Bologna, set his first important mark with 3.20 m.

This result was confirmed a year later at Pesaro on 29 August, but Legat became the number one in Italy in 1911 when he reached 3.20 twice more, in Modena on 23 July and in Pistoia few days later. He improved in 1912 when he reached 3.47 m. at Verona on 5 May, and then joined the national team for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

On Swedish soil, Legat’s best vault was only 3.00 m., very far from the level he needed (3.65) in an event dominated by the American athletes. In the long jump he reached 6.20 m. on 17 October 1909 at Bologna, but at the Olympics he finished 29th and last with a poor 5.50 m. He also did not finish the decathlon after failing to start the high jump, in which he had a personal best of 1.72 m., achieved at Bologna on 17 October 1909.

Personal Best: PV – 3.47 (1912).