# Maria Benedicta Chigbolu

Maria Benedicta Chigbolu (born 27 July 1989) is an Italian sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in 4 × 400 m relay.

## Biography

Maria Chigbolu was born in Rome to an Italian mother and a Nigerian father. She has five siblings. Her grandfather Julius Chigbolu was a Nigerian athlete, who competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics, and later became president of Athletics Federation of Nigeria. She is engaged with the Italian sprinter Matteo Galvan.

## Career

Besides medals in the 400 metres and 4 × 400 m relays from the 2013 and 2018 Mediterranean Games, Chigbolu won a bronze in the individual event at the 2016 European Championships.
She was a member of the 2016 Olympics squad, which set the Italian national record at the 4x400 metres with a time of 3:25.16 sec.
Chigbolu took bronze medals at the 2019 World Relays (4 × 400 m), and at the 2019 European Team Championships (400 m and 4 × 400 m).
At the Italian Championships, she won 1 time in the 400 metres (2017), 8 times in the 4 × 400 m relay, and twice in the indoor relays (4 × 200 m, 4 × 400 m).

## Achievements
### International competitions

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time | Notes |
| 2013 | Mediterranean Games | Mersin, Turkey | 2nd | 400 m | 52.66 | PB |
| 2013 | Mediterranean Games | Mersin, Turkey | 1st | 4 × 400 m | 3.32.44 | SB |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | DQ (final) | 4 × 400 m | DQ | 170.6 |
| 2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 7th | 4 × 400 m | 3:31.31 | |
| 2015 | European Indoor Championships | Prague, Czech Republic | (heats) | 400 m | 54.17 | |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | (heats) | 400 m | 52.48 | |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | (heats) | 4 × 400 m | 3:27.07 | SB |
| 2015 | DécaNation | Paris, France | 5th | 400 m | 52.81 | |
| 2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | (semifinals) | 400 m | 52.69 | |
| 2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 3rd | 4 × 400 m | 3:27.49 | SB |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | (heats) | 400 m | 52.06 | |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 5th | 4 × 400 m | 3.27.05 | (NR h) |
| 2017 | European Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 4th | 4 × 400 m | 3:32.87 | |
| 2017 | European Team Championships | Lille, France | 4th | 400 m | 52.36 | |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | (heats) | 400 m | 53.00 | |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | (heats) | 4 × 400 m | 3:27.81 | SB |
| 2018 | Mediterranean Games | Tarragona, Spain | 3rd | 400 m | 52.14 | |
| 2018 | Mediterranean Games | Tarragona, Spain | 1st | 4 × 400 m | 3:28.08 | GR |
| 2018 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | (semifinals) | 400 m | 52.26 | |
| 2018 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 5th | 4 × 400 m | 3:28.62 | |
| 2019 | IAAF World Relays | Yokohama, Japan | 3rd | 4 × 400 m | 3:27.74 | SB |
| 2019 | European Team Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 3rd | 400 m | 52.19 | |
| 2019 | European Team Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 3rd | 4 × 400 m | 3:27.32 | SB |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | (heats) | 400 m | 52.63 | |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | (heats) | 4 × 400 m | 3:27.57 | |
* ↑ Finishing the race without the baton
* ↑ Time from the heats; Chigbolu was replaced in the final
* ↑ Italian squad set the national record in the heats with a time of 3:25.16 sec. It would have been 3rd result in the final
* ↑ Chigbolu clocked season's best time of 51.76 sec in the heats

### National individual competitions

* Italian Championships
** 400 m: (1) 2017