Italian pole vaulter Sonia Malavisi

Sonia Malavisi is an Italian pole vault athlete, who is five-time national champion, European U20 Championships bronze medalist and Mediterranean U23 champion. Her personal best is 4.52m, achieved in 2024 at the Meeting Internazionale Citta di Nembro.

Sonia Malavisi was born on October 31, 1994, in Rome, Italy. She started in sports at an early age and initially was in the Artistic Gymnastics, before turning to athletics. She showed her great talent and skills, having a junior personal best of 4.42 m, which is the second best junior world performance in 2013.

Sonia Malavisi started her competitive career already in 2010, competing at the Rieti Italian U18 Championships. She cleared 3.20m which was far from the honors level.

During the next season, however, she already won her first junior medal, winning the bronze at the Ancona Italian U18 Indoor Championships with 3.40m. At the Rieti Italian Club Championships, she won the bronze with 3.50m, while at the Rieti Trofeo Citta di Rieti she cleared 3.55m, while by the end of the season won the gold at the Castellon ECCC Juniors Group A with 3.60m and set a personal best of 3.80m at Rieti Italian U18 Championships.

In 2012, Sonia Malavisi won the pole vault silver at the Misano Adriatico Italian Junior Championships and Rieti Trofeo Citta di Rieti, as well as the bronze at the Rieti Italian Club Championships, before competing at the Barcelona IAAF World Junior Championships, where failed to overcome the qualifications, although clearing 4.05m. by the end of the season she earned the silver medals at the Rieti Regional Championships, Modena Italian Club Championships, and Rieti Italian U23 Club Championships.

Sonia Malavisi won her first senior national honor in 2013, earning the bronze at the Ancona Italian Indoor Championships. Later during the season she competed at the Gateshead European Team Championships, where finished 6th with 4.25m and won the bronze at the Rieti European Junior Championships with 4.20m. Meanwhile, she cleared 4.41m at the Rieti Italian Junior Championships, where earned the gold, setting a personal best.

Sonia Malavisi started the 2014 season strongly by winning the gold at the Fermo Pole Vault Meeting and finishing 6th at the Dresden Springermeeting, clearing 4.32m. She won the gold at the Ancona Italian U23 Indoor Championships and earned the silver at the Ancona Italian Indoor Championships. Sonia Malavisi made her Diamond League’s debut at the Roma Golden Gala – Pietro Mennea, finishing 10th with 4.30m, before earning the gold at the Aubagne Mediterranean U23 Championships. At the Braunschweig European Team Championships, Sonia Malavisi finished 7th with 4.15m, but later won another national honor at the Rovereto Italian Championships, earning the bronze with 4.15m. At the end of the season, she competed at the Zurich European Championships, but missed to overcome the qualifications.

In 2015, Sonia Malavisi won the gold at the prestigious Dijon Meeting Happy, finished 11th at the Tallinn European U23 Championships, and 5th at the Goteborg Folksam GP and Rieti IAAF World Challenge. She won her first national title at the Torino Italian Championships and also competed at the Cheboksary European Team Championships. Her season’s best was 4.40m at the Rieti Regional Championships, where earned the gold.

In 2016, Sonia Malavisi won the national titles at the Ancona Italian Indoor Championships and Rieti Italian Championships. She finished 9th at the Diamond League’s Roma Golden Gala – Pietro Mennea and also competed at the Amsterdam European Athletics Championships, but did not overcome the qualifications. She won the silver at the Padova Meeting Citta Di Padova with 4.51m, which gave her opportunity to compete at the Rio Olympics, where finished 10th in the qualifications with 4.45m and unfortunately did not advanced ahead. Meanwhile, during the season, she competed at the prestigious Golden Spike Ostrava 2016 and Rovereto Palio Citta della Quercia.

Sonia Malavisi had a slow down in 2017, although competing at the Diamond League’s Roma Golden Gala – Pietro Mennea and Villeneuve d’Ascq European Team Championships, she did not succeeded to earn some significant honor. Her season’s best was 4.40m at the Rieti Regional Championships. At the end of the season she competed at the Taipei City Universiade.

Sonia Malavisi started the 2018 season by competing at the Athina Street Pole Vault, where finished 7th with 4.36m. She earned the silver at the Aosta Asta in Piazza and the bronze at the Rieti Trofeo Perseo, as well as finished 5th at the Avila ESP-ITA-POR U23 Match and Pescara Italian Championships. However, it was another season with modest results for her and without earning a significant honor.

Sonia Malavisi returned in top form in 2019, winning the national titles at the Ancona Italian Indoor Championships and Trentino-Alto Adige Italian Championships. Her biggest achievements during the season were the bronze at the Meeting Pro Athle Tour de Sotteville les Roue and Meeting Madrid 2019. She also competed at the Bydgoszcz European Athletics Team Championships, Napoli Universiade, Filothei Women Gala 2019, Diamond League’s Golden Gala – Pietro Mennea, Glasgow European Indoor Championships, and Meeting Villa de Madrid, but narrowly missed the honors. Her season’s best was 4.50m.

In 2020, Sonia Malavisi started by winning the silver at the Memorial Roberto Donzelli and Ancona Italian Indoor Championships, as well as the gold at the prestigious 31th Meeting International di Atletia leggera sport soudarieta and the bronze at the Padova Italian Championships.

In 2021, Sonia Malavisi won the bronze at the XI International Meeting of “Castiglione Della Pescaia” and Rovereto Italian Championships, as well as the silver at the XXIV Meeting Internazionale Citta di Nembro.

After missing the 2022 season, Sonia Malavisi returned on the track and field in 2023. She started the season by finishing 5th at the Tampere Indoor Meeting and 4th at the Ancona Italian Indoor Championship. Later she earned the bronze at the Memorial Josip Gasparac Pole Vault in Osijek and 19.Int. Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, as well as the gold at the Kalamata Street Pole Vault. She proved being in top form, as by the end of the season she won the silver at the Meeting Internazionale Citta’ Di Nembro and BMW Louyet Meeting in Huizingen, as well as the bronze at the Int. Hofer Sparkassen Stabhochsprung and Meeting Nikaïa in Nice.

In 2024, Sonia Malavisi improved her personal best to 4.52m at the Meeting Internazionale Città di Nembro, where earned the gold. Meanwhile, she triumphed with the gold at the Miting Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona, as well as the silver at the Grifone Meeting in Asti, Atleticageneve – EAP in Geneve, and La Spezia Italian Championships.

Sonia Malavisi continue performing strongly in 2025, winning the silver at the Starperche in Bordeaux.

Sonia Malavisi in numbers

5x National champion
1x European U20 Championships bronze medalist
1x Mediterranean U23 champion
Personal best: 4.52m (Pole vault)

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