by Silvio Laccetti
It was the greatest moment of his racing career. It was the biggest disappointment he ever suffered in his career as a distance runner. Italian American Vincent Ciattei was being interviewed minutes after he finished his Olympic qualifier final race at storied Hayward Field at University of Oregon. He had run his 1,500 meters in a time of 3:31.78, almost 3 seconds faster than the record for that race. For this achievement it was a time of joy, pride and celebration. But he finished a quarter-second behind the third-place runner.
The dreaded fourth-place finish meant Ciattei would not be going to the Paris Olympics.
Racing experts called it the greatest and deepest race in the history of U.S. Olympic trials. The first eight contestants, all national medalists now, bested the old record. The stunning victory went to Cole Hocker in 3:30.59.
The post-race interview given by Ciattei was as amazing as the race itself. It consisted of stream-of-consciousness replies to a series of unscripted questions. The video is filled with powerful and moving facial expressions, voice intonations, sighs, smiles, gestures and soulful observations. A more talented writer than I am might do justice to all the elements of the interview, editing a presentation worthy of a Pericles, or a passage reminiscent of Shakespeare’s well known “band of brothers” in “Henry V.”
Like Ciattei, I will do my very best to convey the effects in this dramatic video, but let me refer you to the piece itself so the readers may ignite their own imagination.
At the opening, his downcast eyes, his tone and his hand gestures bespeak his own bewilderment. Smashing a record time while coming in fourth was “hard to swallow.” (He refers to his period of nausea.) But then his eyes light up as he forcefully states that the race was a testament to the greatness of the three athletes who placed higher than he. Smiles and luminous eyes are companions to his analysis of the race.
“No one picked me to be an Olympian,” he said.
I did. Ciattei was justly proud of the effort he put in all year to get to the trials. His countenance was glowing.
He proffered a slight critique of his race: Maybe he could have run more wisely in the last 200 yards. That’s when rival Hobbs Kessler stole that one step he needed to outlast Ciattei down the homestretch. Almost in a confessional tone, Ciattei stated flatly that he gave all he had, he was at his absolute limit. And his Olympic goal was beyond his reach by one step, one quarter-second.
He acknowledged that he came closer than ever, but … a smile … a headshake … and silence.
Then, like an athlete getting a second wind, he let us know: “This doesn’t mean my year is over.” He will build on this success. He was off to St. Moritz for European competition beginning at Monaco Diamond League — the highest level of professional racing in the world. Later in July, Ciattei raced in London with the Diamond League.
The winding road to his position today had been a rocky one. After graduating from Virginia Tech, he willingly chose to run professionally, forsaking a lucrative career in business/engineering. He struggled through bouts of serious injuries that easily could have ended his career. But he persevered like a champion. Back in 2021, he made the Olympic trials, but just before the finals, he suffered yet another serious injury and his run for glory ended.
Was it time to end his Olympic quest? No. Emphatically.
“To quit would have been self-betrayal,” he said. He knew he had more to do, and he did it.
At age 28 in 2023, Ciattei won his first championship, the USATF National Road Mile. Suddenly his career soared. Seven of his 10 personal best marks came between August 2023 and May 2024. And, at age 29, he ran his best race ever at the 2024 trials.
Among the important factors fueling his gritty determination to stay the course has been the support from his large Italian American family, his Italian heritage and its values. The Ciattei family traces its roots to the Trento region in Italy. His biggest fans are his family. Ciattei has channeled traditional Italian qualities of working hard, striving for excellence, combined with a never-say-die attitude and a willingness to butt heads when necessary.
If fate is fair, and I believe it is, then Vincent Ciattei is headed for the very best of times in his professional running career.
Silvio Laccetti, Ph.D, is a retired professor of history at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken. He lives in Fairview, where his eponymous foundation is based.
This article originally appeared on northjersey.com.