Zahra Bani

Zahra Bani (born 31 December 1979 in Mogadishu, Somalia) is a Somali-Italian javelin thrower.

Zahra Bani

Personal information
Nationality	Italian
Born	31 December 1979 Mogadishu, Somalia
Height	1,73 m
Weight	73 kg (161 lb)
Sport
Country	Italy
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Javelin throw
Club	G.S. Fiamme Azzurre
Coached by	Maria Marello
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Javelin throw 62.75 m (2008)
Medal record Mediterranean Games 2005 Almeria Javelin Throw 2009 Pescara Javelin Throw European Cup 2005 Florence Javelin Throw European Cup Winter Throwing 2007 Yalta Javelin Throw 2008 Split Javelin Throw

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.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing  Italy
1998	World Junior Championships	Annecy, France	26th (q)	44.38 m (old spec.)
1999	European U23 Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	6th	51.90 m
2001	European U23 Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	21st (q)	43.78 m
2005	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	5th	62.75 m = PB
	Universiade	İzmir, Turkey	6th	55.02 m
	Mediterranean Games	Almería, Spain	2nd	62.36 m
	World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	8th	55.02 m
2006	European Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	9th	57.91 m
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	6th	60.54 m
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	14th	59.02 m
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	—	NM
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	4th	60.22 m
2009	Mediterranean Games	Pescara, Italy	2nd	60.65 m
2010	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain	11th	53.67 m
2012	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	14th	53.40 m

National titles

She has won the individual national championship 16 times. (Italian all-time record-woman).[1]

• 7 wins in the javelin throw (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017)
• 9 wins in the javelin throw at the Italian Winter Throwing Championships (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017)

See also

• Italian all-time lists - Javelin throw
• Italian Somalians

References

1. ""CAMPIONATI "ASSOLUTI" ITALIANE SUL PODIO TRICOLORE – 1923 2012" (PDF). sportolimpico.it. Retrieved 24 February 2013.

External links

• Zahra Bani at World Athletics
• Zahra Bani at FIDAL (in Italian)