Our role model ‘Peppe’ Ottaviani passed away peacefully at 104 years of age on Sunday.
We are very sad to lose a great athlete who never stopped to live his passion for athletics. Born in 1916 his life started with suffering from the First World War but he made his way throughout the years and shared the sport with generations of sons and daughters.
We will miss you Giuseppe.
Our thoughts are with his family in Italy.
On behalf of EMA
Kurt Kaschke
Giuseppe Ottaviani started with athletics only after turning 70. As a young man he was at the front during the Second World War, after which he began his work experience as a tailor, before falling in love with sport. He came to the fore in 2014, at the age of 97, winning 10 gold medals at the World Masters Indoor in Budapest, then he successfully competed at EMA Championships indoors, Ancona 2016 and Madrid 2018, at the Malaga Worlds in 2018, but also last year in Jesolo European Champs. He still holds 6 World Records and 12 European Records.
photo by Alfred Hermes