Assunta Legnante (born 14 May 1978) is a visually impaired Italian shot putter. She has competed in both the Olympics and the Paralympics, one of the few athletes to do so. As of February 2013^[update], she is the current F11 shot put world record holder.^[1] She competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, in Women's discus throw F11, and Women's shot put F12, winning silver medals.^[2][3]

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Assunta Legnante

Personal information
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1978-05-14) 14 May 1978 (age 45) Naples, Italy
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight	122 kg (269 lb)
Sport
Country	Italy
Sport	Athletics Paralympic athletics
Disability	Visually impaired
Disability class	T11
Event(s)	Shot put Discus throw
Club	Italgest Athletic Club
Achievements and titles
Personal bests	Shot put: 19.04 m (2006) Shot put indoor: 19.20 m (2002) Shot put F11: 17.32 m (2014) Discus Throw F11 : 32.72 m (2012)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Italy Paralympic Games 2012 London Shot put F11–12 2016 Rio de Janeiro Shot put – F12 2020 Tokyo Discus throw – F11 2020 Tokyo Shot put – F12 World Championships 2015 Doha Shot put – F12 2019 Dubai Discus throw – F11 2023 Paris Shot put – F12 European Championships 2014 Swansea Shot put – F11/12 2014 Swansea Discus – F11/12 European Indoor Championships 2007 Birmingham Shot put 2002 Vienna Shot put Mediterranean Games 2001 Radès Shot put 2009 Pescara Shot put European Cup Winter Throwing 2008 Split Shot put 2002 Pola Shot put 2004 Marsa Shot put 2005 Mersin Shot put 2007 Jalta Shot put European U23 Championships 1999 Gothenburg Shot put European Junior Championships 1997 Ljubljana Shot put

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Legnante won the silver medal at the 2002 and the gold medal at the 2007 European Indoor Athletics Championships, where she captained the Italian team.^[4] She finished fifth at the 2006 European Athletics Championships. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, having missed the 2004 Olympics due to dangerously high intraocular pressure.^[4][5]

Her personal best throw is 19.04 metres, achieved in September 2006 in Busto Arsizio. Her best indoor result is 19.20 metres, achieved in February 2002 in Genova.^[6]

Legnante was born with congenital glaucoma in both eyes.^[4] In 2009, she suddenly lost the sight in her better, right eye.^[4][5] Her left retina then deteriorated.^[4] She had a cataract removed in March 2012, but that did not improve her sight. She now has light perception in her left eye, but nothing more.^[4]

The 2007 European indoor champion did not lose heart and started a new career as a Paralympic athlete, training for the forthcoming 2012 Summer Paralympics.^[5]

At the 2012 Italian Paralympic Athletics Championships in Turin she set a new F11 shot put world record with a throw of 13.27 metres.^[7] On 8 June, at Memorial Primo Nebiolo in Turin, she improved the world record, three times, to 15.22 m.^[8] At the London Paralympics, she broke her own world record with a throw of 16.74 metres.^[1]

In 2014, she returned to international level throwing 17.09 on 20 June and 17.39 at the regional championships in Naples eight days later.

• List of athletes who have competed in the Paralympics and Olympics
• Italian all-time lists – shot put