# Naturalized athletes of Italy

The Naturalized athletes of Italy are those naturalized citizens who are part, or have been part, of the Italy national athletics team.

## The rules

The Italian Government and consequently FIDAL firstly, and then the IAAF, grants Italian citizenship, and the Italian passport, therefore the naturalization, to those citizens of foreign origin born in Italy (Italians therefore of second generation), or who have married an Italian citizen for the following reasons.
* Automatically
** Ius sanguinis: for birth;
** If an Italian citizen recognizes, at a time after birth, a minor child;
** For adoption;
** To obtain or re-obtain from a parent.
* Following declaration
** By descent;
** Ius soli: by birth or descent in Italy;
* By marriage or naturalization
** By marriage: the foreign or stateless spouse of an Italian citizen may acquire Italian citizenship after two years of legal residence in Italy or, if residing abroad, after three years from the date of marriage;
** By naturalization: the foreigner can apply for Italian citizenship after ten years of legal residence in Italy, reduced to five years for those who have been recognized as stateless or refugee and four years for citizens of countries of the European Community.

## The list

(However, in the case of children born in Italy from foreign parents, citizenship is obtained by the eighteenth birthday).
When there is Y is last update verified naturalization.
| Continent | Country of origin | Athlete | Born | Reasons |
| Africa | Tanzania | Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli Y | 2002 | Born in Dodoma, Tanzania to an Italian father (anthropologist and researcher) and a Tanzanian mother, he moved with his family to Rome at the age of 5. |
| Africa | Rwanda | Dominique Rovetta Gasigwa | 1993 | Born in Rwanda, adopted by a Brescian family at the age of 6 months. |
| Africa | Eritrea | Eyob Faniel Y | 1992 | Born in Eritrea, came in Italy in 2004, he was naturalized in 2005 at 23. |
| Africa | Cameroon | Jacques Riparelli Y | 1983 | His family (Italian father and Camerounese mother), came in Italy when he was 3. |
| Africa | Cameroon | Paolo Dal Molin Y | 1987 | Born in Cameroun from Camerounese father and Italian mother, came in Italy when he was 10. |
| Africa | Sudan | Raphaela Lukudo Y | 1979 | Born in Italy. |
| Africa | Somalia | Zahra Bani Y | 1979 | Of Italian father. |
| Africa | Somalia | Mohad Abdikadar Y | 1993 | Born in Somalia, arrived in Italy in 2006 as a refugee, he is an Italian citizen since 2011. |
| Africa | South Africa | Marcello Fiasconaro Y | 1949 | Of Italian father, became Italian citizen in 1971. |
| Africa | South Africa | Zane Weir Y | 1995 | Weir is Italian thanks to the roots of his maternal grandfather, from Trieste. |
| Africa | Nigeria | Desola Oki Y | 1999 | Born in Italy from Nigerian parents. |
| Africa | Nigeria | Emmanuel Ihemeje Y | 1998 | He born in Carrara, Tuscany from Nigerian parents but lives in Verdellino near Bergamo. |
| Africa | Nigeria | Daisy Osakue Y | 1996 | Born in Italy, but naturalized at 18. |
| Africa | Nigeria | Ayomide Folorunso Y | 1996 | Her parents live in Italy from long time. She became Italian from the age of 18. |
| Africa | Nigeria | Kevin Ojiaku Y | 1989 | Born in Italy from Nigerian father already Italian citizen. |
| Africa | Nigeria | Eseosa Desalu Y | 1994 | Born in Italy from Nigerian parents, he acquires Italian citizenship at the age of 18. |
| Africa | Nigeria | Benedicta Chigbolu Y | 1989 | Of Italian mother. |
| Africa | Côte d'Ivoire | Zaynab Dosso Y | 1999 | Italian citizen from 2016. |
| Africa | Côte d'Ivoire | Moillet Kouakou Y | 1999 | Italian citizen from 2017. |
| Africa | Côte d'Ivoire | Audrey Alloh Y | 1987 | Her parents live in Italy from long time. She became Italian from the age of 18. |
| Africa | Côte d'Ivoire | Hassane Fofana Y | 1992 | Born in Italy from Ivorian parents, became Italian when he was eighteen. |
| Africa | Côte d'Ivoire | Delmas Obou Y | 1991 | His Ivorian parents came in Italy in 1993, he came in 1999 and became Italian when he was eighteen. |
| Africa | Côte d'Ivoire | Franck Brice Koua Y | 2001 | His Ivorian parents came in Italy. |
| Africa | Ghana | Gloria Hooper Y | 1992 | Born in Italy. |
| Africa | Ethiopia | Merihun Crespi Y | 1988 | Born in Blaten, Ethiopia, adopted when he was 3 by Italian family. |
| Africa | Ethiopia | Yemaneberhan Crippa Y | 1996 | Born in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, adopted when he was 7 by Italian family, he became Italian at 18. |
| Africa | Ethiopia | Yohanes Chiappinelli Y | 1997 | Born in Ethiopia, adopted by Italian family, he became Italian at 18. |
| Africa | Tunisia | Ala Zoghlami Y | 1994 | Zoghlami twins come in Italy at the age of two, but became Italian just nineteeners. |
| Africa | Tunisia | Osama Zoghlami Y | 1994 | Zoghlami twins come in Italy at the age of two, but became Italian just nineteeners. |
| Africa | Mozambique | Joao Bussotti Y | 1993 | Adopted by Italian father. He became Italian in from the age of 18. |
| Africa | Senegal | Erika Furlani Y | 1996 | Born in Italy from Italian father. |
| Africa | Morocco | Kaddour Slimani Y | 1984 | Become Italian citizen in 2007, at 28, per married with Wilma Biancossi. |
| Africa | Morocco | Yassin Bouih Y | 1996 | Born in Italy from Moroccan parents become Italian at 18. |
| Africa | Morocco | Laila Soufyane Y | 1983 | She married an Italian citizen. |
| Africa | Morocco | Mohamed Laqouahi Y | 1988 | Became Italian in 2013. |
| Africa | Morocco | Marco Najibe Salami Y | 1988 | Born in Italy from Moroccan father, became Italian in 2004. |
| Africa | Morocco | Marouan Razine Y | 1991 | Arrived in Italy in 2000 at the age of 6, he was naturalized Italian at 22. |
| Africa | Morocco | Yassine Rachik Y | 1993 | Italian citizen from 2015. |
| Africa | Morocco | Fatna Maraoui Y | 1977 | Naturalized by marriage from 2003. |
| Africa | Morocco | Nadia Ejjafini Y | 1977 | By marriage, |
| Africa | Morocco | Abdoullah Bamoussa Y | 1986 | He became Italian from 2015. |
| Africa | Morocco | Migidio Bourifa Y | 1971 | The father, of Moroccan origins, led him to be born in Morocco to provide him with a double passport. |
| Africa | Morocco | Mostafa Errebbah Y | 1971 | |
| Africa | Morocco | Abdellah Haidane Y | 1989 | |
| Africa | Morocco | Jamel Chatbi Y | 1984 | He was a Moroccan athlete since 2009. |
| Africa | Morocco | Ahmed El Mazoury Y | 1990 | Arrived in Italy at the age of 5, he was a naturalized Italian at 18. |
| Africa | Morocco | Touria Samiri Y | 1988 | She became Italian from 2008 at 20. |
| Africa | Egypt | Ashraf Saber Y | 1973 | Born in Italy to an Egyptian father and a Sicilian mother. |
| Africa | Egypt | Ahmed Abdelwahed Y | 1996 | Born in Rome to Egyptian parents, he became Italian at 18. |
| Africa | Republic of the Congo | Koura Kaba Fantoni Y | 1984 | He became an Italian citizen in 2002, following the adoption by the family of his trainer Milvio Fantoni. |
| Africa | Republic of the Congo | Jean-Jacques Nkouloukidi Y | 1982 | Born in Rome from a family of Congolese origins (from a father), he became Italian at 18. |
| North America | United States | Andrew Howe Y | 1985 | His mother married an Italian in second marriage, then he became Italian at 5 in 1990. |
| North America | United States | Jennifer Rockwell Y | 1983 | His grandfather was Italian. She has a double passport since the age of 29. |
| North America | United States | Marcell Jacobs Y | 1994 | Born in the USA from a Texan father, his mother is an Italian from Italy. |
| North America | United States | Giancarla Trevisan Y | 1993 | His father is Italian migrated in USA. Opted for Italian citizenship from 2017. |
| North America | United States | Nick Ponzio Y | 1995 | Born in San Diego in a family of Italian descent (his great-grandfather was Sicilian). Opted for Italian citizenship in 2021. |
| North America | Cuba | Libania Grenot Y | 1983 | By marriage. |
| North America | Cuba | Magdelín Martínez Y | 1976 | She started to compete with Cuba, she became Italian by marriage in 1999. |
| North America | Cuba | Thaimi O’Reilly Causse Y | 1976 | Born in Cuba, she moved to Italy in 1999 and in 2001 she acquired citizenship by marriage. |
| North America | Cuba | Yusneysi Santiusti Y | 1984 | She came in Italy by marriage in 2007, but was naturalized only in 2013. |
| North America | Cuba | Yadisleidy Pedroso Y | 1987 | By marriage. She is an Italian citizen since 7 February 2013. |
| North America | Cuba | Isalbet Juarez Y | 1984 | His parents live in Italy from long time. She became Italian from the age of 18. |
| North America | Dominican Republic | José Bencosme Y | 1992 | Arrived in Italy with his mother at the age of one. He became Italian from the age of 17. |
| North America | Dominican Republic | Robel Garcia Y | 1993 | Married a Dominican-Italian and naturalized through marriage. |
| North America | Dominican Republic | Johanelis Herrera Y | 1995 | Born in Santo Domingo, she came in Italy in 2003 and start to run for this country in 2013. |
| Europe | France | Fabe Dia Y | 1977 | She changed nationality on 2009 by marriage with the middle-distance runner Andrea Longo. |
| Europe | Turkey | Catherine Bertone Y | 1972 | Born in Turkey from Italian father and French mother. |
| Europe | United Kingdom | Fiona May Y | 1969 | By marriage with Gianni Iapichino, became an Italian citizen in 1994. |
| Europe | United Kingdom | Antonio Infantino Y | 1969 | Born in England to his Avellinese mother and his father from Agrigento, became an Italian citizen in 2016. |
| Europe | Ukraine | Dariya Derkach Y | 1993 | Her parents live in Italy from long time. She became Italian from the age of 20. |
| Europe | Albania | Eusebio Haliti Y | 1991 | He became Italian from 2012 (21 years old). |
| Europe | Hungary | Judit Varga Y | 1976 | |
| Europe | Russia | Vladimir Aceti Y | 1998 | Adopted when he was 5 by an Italian family. |
| Oceania | Australia | Danielle Perpoli Y | 1968 | Born in Australia, she began to care in this country before moving permanently to Tuscany and opting for Italian citizenship. |