On Monday, October 19, in the Sala Pegaso at Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati in Florence, Larissa Iapichino received the "Pegaso per lo Sport" (Pegasus for Sport) award—an honor bestowed by the Tuscany Region upon athletes who represent the region on the international stage. The award, featuring the winged horse—a symbol of Tuscany—was presented to her by regional president Eugenio Giani.
The award was given to five Tuscan athletes who won medals at the recent European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. In addition to Larissa, who took gold in the long jump, the recipients included Leonardo Fabbri (gold in the shot put), Andy Díaz Hernández (gold in the triple jump), Sofia Fiorini (gold in race walking), and Andrea Cosi (bronze in race walking)—the latter of whom was present at the ceremony alongside Larissa.
Giani highlighted a personal connection to her journey: back in 2003, while serving as the Florence municipal official for sports, he inaugurated the city’s athletics stadium alongside Fiona May—at a time when Larissa was only one year old. Today, he noted, that same child has become the world’s number-one long jumper.
Larissa, an athlete for the Fiamme Oro sports group, accepted the award, expressing her pride in receiving it "as a Tuscan." She described the season as one full of achievements—while noting that there is still room for further growth—and shared that she has spent the past year rebuilding herself both as an athlete and as an individual, now reaping the rewards of that process, both on and off the track. Her goal, she concluded, is to continue improving in every respect.
It has been a standout year for Larissa: she is a European champion, winner of the Ultimate Championship, and currently ranked first in the world in her discipline.
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