Intesa Sanpaolo is proud to be supporting Mattia Furlani, confirming its commitment to promoting excellence, young people and sport. 

The long jump is a sport in which the result is purely objective: the sand provides a precise measurement, leaving no room for interpretation. In this competitive environment, Mattia Furlani has established himself as one of the most promising figures in international athletics.

With a distance of 8.38 metres, which earned him the Under-20 world record, Furlani has jumped further at his age than any of the sport’s greats before him. Not even champions like Carl Lewis or Mike Powell had achieved such distances so early on. This result highlights his exceptional talent and has cast the Italian athlete as one of the spearheads of the new generation of long jumpers. A bold decisiveness, combining instinct and reason, because that is precisely where his talent finds its most natural expression and the greatest scope for growth.

In this interview with Giovane Tony, Mattia Furlani opens up in an informal and personal way, sharing childhood memories, his passions and his daily routines. From his discovery of athletics, through the development of his training regime, right through to the goals that have shaped his journey, a portrait emerges of a determined young athlete, capable of combining ambition with authenticity.

Born in 2005 in Marino (Rome), Mattia Furlani grew up in a sporting environment that instilled in him a sense of method and discipline. As a youngster, he competed in various track and field disciplines, including the high jump – his favourite event – before choosing the long jump as his main competitive discipline. And this decision was designed to makes the most of his physical and technical attributes.

It didn't take long for the first international-level performances to emerge. In 2024, he won the silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, finishing behind Olympic champion Miltiadīs Tentoglou. Just a few months later, at the European Championships in Rome, he grabbed another silver with a jump of 8.38 metres, once again finishing behind the Greek champion. That same year, at the Paris Olympic Games, he won bronze in the long jump final, stepping onto an Olympic podium for the first time.

In December 2024, World Athletics named him ‘Rising Star of the Year’, an award given to the best emerging athlete of the season – a distinction never before achieved by an Italian athlete. On 17 September 2025, Furlani went on to win the world title with a jump of 8.39 metres – a new personal best – at the championships in Tokyo. He thus became the first Italian athlete to be crowned world champion in the men’s long jump and the youngest in the history of the discipline.

In March 2026, at the World Indoor Championships, he confirmed his consistency at the very highest level by winning the silver medal in the long jump, cementing his place among the world’s leading athletes in the discipline.

In May 2026, Furlani kicked off the outdoor season with another impressive performance, winning the long jump at the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai with a jump of 8.43 metres. A new personal best, beating the record he set in Tokyo 2025 by four centimetres and representing the second-best Italian performance of all time, just four centimetres short of the national record.

Alongside his sporting achievements, Mattia Furlani represents a generation of athletes who communicate directly and naturally with the public, both on the take-off board and in front of the microphones. His story is one of the commitment, talent and constant growth that embody sport at the highest level.

And his is perfectly reflected in his partnership with Intesa Sanpaolo. The Group recognises sport as one of the most effective ways to engage with the younger generation and nurture emerging talent. Alongside Mattia Furlani, Intesa Sanpaolo is reaffirming its commitment to supporting excellence and promoting sport as a platform for personal development, responsibility and opportunities for young people.