# Nicola Vizzoni

Nicola Vizzoni (born 4 November 1973 in Pietrasanta, Province of Lucca) is a male hammer thrower from Italy. He won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and ten years later at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. His personal best throw is 80.50 metres, achieved in July 2001 in Formia.
He has won 19 medals (8 gold, 8 silver, 3 bronze) at the International athletics competitions. Vizzoni is the coach of the Italian national team for the hammer throw.

## Biography

He made his first appearance at the World Championships in Athletics in 1997 but he did not make the final. In 1999 he finished seventh in the hammer throw final and the next year he took the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He just missed out on the podium at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics, finishing fourth, but he gained regional honours with a gold at the 2001 Mediterranean Games and also won gold at the Summer Universiade.
He competed at the following two Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, but was some distance off winning another medal. He became the Mediterranean champion for a second time with a win at the 2009 Mediterranean Games. Vizzoni made a strong start to the 2010 season, throwing 78.22 m early on and winning the gold at the 2010 European Cup Winter Throwing event.
He is engaged to former Italian athlete Claudia Coslovich, national record holder of the javelin throw.

## Progression

He finished the season 8 times in world top 25.
| Year | Time | Venue | Date | World Rank |
| 2013 | 75.03 | Vila Real de S. António | 25 May | |
| 2012 | 76.42 | Helsinki | 28 June | |
| 2011 | 80.29 | Florence | 4 June | 7th |
| 2010 | 79.12 | Barcelona | 28 July | 6th |
| 2009 | 79.74 | Campi Bisenzio | 17 May | 6th |
| 2008 | 78.79 | Lucca | 10 June | 25th |
| 2007 | 78.21 | Albufeira | 26 May | 17th |
| 2006 | 76.89 | Faenza | 27 September | |
| 2005 | 74.82 | Florence | 17 June | |
| 2004 | 76.95 | Florence | 10 July | |
| 2003 | 77.69 | Viareggio | 13 August | |
| 2002 | 78.80 | Viareggio | 23 August | |
| 2001 | 80.50 | Formia | 14 July | 13th |
| 2000 | 79.64 | Sydney | 24 September | 23rd |
| 1999 | 79.59 | Padua | 26 June | 17th |
| 1998 | 77.89 | Rome | 9 July | |
| 1997 | 77.10 | San Marino | 17 May | |
| 1996 | 75.30 | Pretoria | 1 January | |
| 1995 | 74.48 | Pescara | 13 September | |
| 1994 | 71.78 | Pescara | 18 June | |

## Achievements

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
| Representing Italy |||||
| 1991 | European Junior Championships | Thessaloniki, Greece | 8th | 62.20 m |
| 1992 | World Junior Championships | Seoul, South Korea | 5th | 66.96 m |
| 1995 | Universiade | Fukuoka, Japan | 13th | 70.70 m |
| 1997 | Mediterranean Games | Bari, Italy | 5th | 74.86 m |
| 1997 | Universiade | Catania, Italy | 5th | 75.12 m |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 22nd | 73.42 m |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 17th | 74.65 m |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 7th | 78.31 m |
| 1999 | World Military Games | Zagreb, Croatia | 2nd | 78.04 m |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 2nd | 79.64 m |
| 2001 | Mediterranean Games | İzmir, Tunisia | 1st | 78.48 m |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 4th | 80.13 m |
| 2001 | World Military Championships | Beirut, Lebanon | 1st | 77.93 m |
| 2001 | Universiade | Beijing, China | 1st | 78.41 m |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 13th | 77.57 m |
| 2002 | World Military Championships | Tivoli, Italy | 1st | 77.80 m |
| 2003 | European Cup Winter Throwing | Gioia Tauro, Italy | 1st | 75.35 m |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 15th | 75.76 m |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 10th | 74.27 m |
| 2005 | Mediterranean Games | Almeria, Spain | 4th | 73.64 m |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 25th | 70.77 m |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 9th | 76.55 m |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 16th | 73.64 m |
| 2007 | World Military Games | Hyderabad, India | 2nd | 74.97 m |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, PR China | 13th | 75.01 m |
| 2009 | European Cup Winter Throwing | Tenerife, Spain | 3rd | 78.51 m |
| 2009 | Mediterranean Games | Pescara, Italy | 1st | 75.92 m |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 9th | 73.70 m |
| 2009 | World Military Championships | Sofia, Bulgaria | 3rd | 78.06 m |
| 2010 | European Cup Winter Throwing | Arles, France | 1st | 76.63 m |
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 2nd | 79.12 m |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 8th | 77.04 m |
| 2012 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 5th | 75.13 m |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 8th | 76.07 m |
| 2013 | Mediterranean Games | Mersin, Turkey | 3rd | 76.86 m |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 7th | 77.61 m |

## Palmarès

Nicola Vizzoni has been a finalist 10 times in his 17 appearances in the three major International athletics competitions.
| Olympic Games | Olympic Games | Olympic Games | Olympic Games | World Championships | World Championships | World Championships | World Championships | World Championships | World Championships | World Championships | World Championships | World Championships | European Championships | European Championships | European Championships | European Championships | European Championships |
| 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 97 | 99 | 01 | 03 | 05 | 07 | 09 | 11 | 13 | 98 | 02 | 06 | 10 | 12 |
| 2 | 10 | NF | 8 | NF | 7 | 4 | NF | NF | NF | 9 | 8 | 7 | NF | NF | 9 | 2 | 5 |

## National titles

Nicola Vizzoni has won the individual national championship 28 times.
* 14 wins in the hammer throw (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014)
* 14 wins in the hammer throw at the Italian Winter Throwing Championships (1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014)

## Honours

Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 27 September 2004