Who is Samuele Ceccarelli? Meet the Italian sprinter who beat Olympic 100m champ Marcell Jacobs... twice

If you want to make a name for yourself, there are worse ways to do it.

Samuele Ceccarelli was a little-known sprinter outside of his native Italy before 2023. But all that changed when, within the space of a month, he won the Italian National Championships 60m race and triumphed over the same distance at the European Athletics Indoor Championships.

On both occasions, the man who followed him to the line was the reigning men’s Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs.

But how much do you know about Ceccarelli, the rapid 23-year-old who is shattering the status quo in European sprinting? Find out everything you need below.

• Marcell Jacobs reflects on his journey to the top

Samuele Ceccarelli: A late starter whose first love was karate

Just like his Italian counterpart Jacobs, who only turned to sprinting in 2019 after a successful stint as a long jumper, Ceccarelli’s introduction to the world of athletics came later than most runners.

In fact, Ceccarelli was 16 when he started taking athletics seriously, with his love for the sport ignited during competitions as a student when he was working towards graduating as a lawyer in 2016.

“I’m a simple boy who lives in Massa and studied law in Pisa,” he said about his rise from diligent student to Italian champion. “I started athletics relatively late compared to many of my colleagues, but I’ve always been excited by it... but never at this level. It's awesome!"

If his beginnings as a sportsman were anything to go by, he may have had more of a chance competing on the tatamis at Tokyo 2020 than aiming for the 100m final at Paris 2024.

Ceccarelli trained in karate from an early age and even earned a black belt in the sport. He also credits karate with giving him a grounding in the way to behave as a sportsperson, saying: “It taught me respect and fair play.”

Even the world of football may have been a more likely fit if he’d followed in his grandfather’s footsteps. His mother’s father Gastone Giacinti played as a goalkeeper for Foggia in Serie A in the 1970s - though Ceccarelli himself supports Juventus.

Samuele Ceccarelli’s coach was a guide at the Paralympic Games Sydney 2000

Ceccarelli currently lives in Massa, Tuscany where he is trained by Marco Del Medico - someone who knows a thing or two about performing on the biggest sporting stages. 

At Sydney 2000, Del Medico was a guide for Italian Paralympian Lorenzo Ricci, who won the gold medal in the Men's 100 metres T11 category for athletes with a visual impairment. He also had the role of guide in Italy’s triumphant run in the men’s 4x100m relay T13 final.

Having turned his hand to coaching, Del Medico now has one of the country’s hottest sprinting talents under his wing and will be hoping his experiences 23 years ago in Australia can help him guide another champion to victory.

Samuele Ceccarelli: Just getting faster

This Indoor athletics season has really seen Ceccarelli come into his own. On 10 February, just a month after celebrating his 23rd birthday, the young Italian clocked 6.58 seconds over 60m.

He followed it up with a run of 6.54 at the Italian National Championships to become the third-fastest man over the distance in his country’s history and dethrone Olympic champion Jacobs who finished just behind him in 6.55 seconds.

But his greatest victory to date was yet to come.

On 4 March, in the final of the European Athletics Indoor Championships 60m, Ceccarelli stormed to gold in 6.48 seconds to become the continental champion. It came after a semifinal in which he set the second-fastest 60m time in Italian history (6.47 seconds) - despite having a fever!

He now sits just 0.6 seconds behind Jacobs on the national 60m ranking, with the Olympic champion setting his fastest time of 6.41 seconds in March of 2022.

What does the future hold for Samuele Ceccarelli?

If Ceccarelli is to make it to the next Olympic Games in Paris, he will need to improve upon his current 100m mark of 10.45 - a time that doesn’t make it into the top 100 in the history of his country let alone make him an Olympic contender.

However, having proven his raw speed on the indoor 60m scene, he will be hoping for a strong performance in the 2023 outdoor season to put him in contention for Paris 2024.

Italy will enter the next Olympics not only with the reigning 100m champion but also as champions in the 4x100m where Jacobs, alongside Lorenzo Patta, Eseosa Desalu and Filippo Tortu broke the national record in the Olympic final with a time of 37.50 seconds.

But even though they have an enviable strength in depth, it will still be a surprise if Ceccarelli - twice conqueror of the Olympic 100m gold medallist - doesn’t make the team aiming to defend their relay title at Paris 2024.

One person who is supporting him in his quest to join Italy’s 4x100m team is his compatriot Jacobs, who said of his young rival after losing to him in the European Indoors final: “I was waiting for him to medal. I was hoping it wasn’t the gold medal but at least it remains at home [in Italy]... Together we’ll do great things in the relay!” To which, Cecarelli replied: “It would be an honour to be part of it. I’ll be prepared, but I’ll respect whatever choice is taken.”

Samuele Ceccarelli: Key stats and numbers

• Nationality: Italian
• Date of birth: 9 January 2000
• Height: 1.84m
• Weight: 80kg
• Athletics Club: Atletica Firenze Marathon
• 60m PB: 6.47 seconds
• 100m PB: 10.45 seconds
• Titles: European Indoor Champion 60m; Italian champion 60m