# Zahra Bani

Zahra Bani (born 31 December 1979) is a Somalian-born Italian javelin thrower.

## Biography

Bani was born in 1979 in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, to an Italian father and a Somali mother. In 1989, she moved to Torino, Italy with her family and started playing volleyball. She soon thereafter discovered her specialty: javelin. Bani's personal best throw is 62.75 metres, achieved at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. However, since 2005, she has been suffering from health problems, which have significantly hampered her athletic performances. Bani ranks second on the all-time Italian list behind Claudia Coslovich. She retired in 2022 and is now a coach in Torino, Italy.

## Achievements

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Measure | Notes |
| 1998 | World Junior Championships | Annecy | 26th (q) | Javelin throw | 44.38 m | |
| 1999 | European U23 Championships | Gothenburg | 6th | Javelin throw | 51.90 m | |
| 2001 | European Throwing Cup | Nice | 13th | Javelin throw | 51.10 m | |
| 2001 | European U23 Championships | Amsterdam | 21st (q) | Javelin throw | 43.78 m | |
| 2003 | European Throwing Cup | Gioia Tauro | 9th | Javelin throw | 54.10 m | |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki | 5th | Javelin throw | 62.75 m | PB |
| 2005 | Universiade | İzmir | 6th | Javelin throw | 55.02 m | |
| 2005 | European Cup (Super League) | Florence | 3rd | Javelin throw | 61.66 m | |
| 2005 | Mediterranean Games | Almería | 2nd | Javelin throw | 62.36 m | |
| 2005 | World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo | 8th | Javelin throw | 55.02 m | |
| 2006 | European Throwing Cup | Tel Aviv | 5th | Javelin throw | 56.54 m | |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg | 9th | Javelin throw | 57.91 m | |
| 2006 | World Athletics Final | Stuttgart | 6th | Javelin throw | 60.54 m | |
| 2007 | European Throwing Cup | Yalta | 3rd | Javelin throw | 58.95 m | |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka | 14th | Javelin throw | 59.02 m | |
| 2008 | European Throwing Cup | Split | 3rd | Javelin throw | 59.42 m | |
| 2008 | European Cup (Super League) | Annecy | 3rd | Javelin throw | 58.13 m | |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing | — | Javelin throw | NM | |
| 2008 | World Athletics Final | Stuttgart | 4th | Javelin throw | 60.22 m | |
| 2009 | European Throwing Cup | Los Realejos | 9th | Javelin throw | 55.19 m | |
| 2009 | European Team Championships (SL) | Leiria | 3rd | Javelin throw | 59.11 m | SB |
| 2009 | Mediterranean Games | Pescara | 2nd | Javelin throw | 60.65 m | |
| 2010 | European Throwing Cup | Arles | 8th | Javelin throw | 56.93 m | |
| 2010 | European Team Championships (SL) | Bergen | 7th | Javelin throw | 54.79 m | |
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona | 11th | Javelin throw | 53.67 m | |
| 2011 | European Throwing Cup | Sofia | 4th | Javelin throw | 54.55 m | |
| 2011 | European Team Championships (SL) | Stockholm | 6th | Javelin throw | 55.92 m | |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu | 13th | Javelin throw | 58.92 m | |
| 2012 | European Throwing Cup | Bar | 7th | Javelin throw | 56.99 m | |
| 2012 | European Championships | Helsinki | 12th | Javelin throw | 53.40 m | |
| 2015 | European Throwing Cup | Leiria | 13th | Javelin throw | 51,32 m | |
| 2017 | European Throwing Cup | Las Palmas | 8th | Javelin throw | 55,85 m | |
| 2018 | European Throwing Cup | Leiria | 5th | Javelin throw | 56.48 m | SB |
| 2021 | European Throwing Cup | Split | 11th | Javelin throw | 57.15 m | SB |

## National titles

Bani won 17 national championships at individual senior level.
* Italian Athletics Championships
** Javelin throw: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2021 (8)
* Italian Winter Throwing Championships
** Javelin throw: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 (9)