Renato Canova

Renato Canova is an Italian athletics coach.

Biography

He coaches the Kenyan-born Qatari Saif Saaeed Shaheen (3000m steeplechase world record holder), 10,000 meter runner Nicholas Kemboi (26:30.03), Dorcus Inzikuru (2005 World 3000m steeplechase Champion), Moses Mosop (2005 World Championships 10000m bronze medalist and 2007 World Cross Country Championships silver medalist, and 25000m and 30000m world record holder in 1:12:47.4 and 1:26:25.4), Florence Kiplagat (2009 World Cross Country Champion and 2010 World Half-Marathon Champion), Wilson Kiprop (2010 World Half-Marathon Champion and 10000m altitude world record holder in 27:26.93), Silas Kiplagat (2011 World Championships 1500m silver medalist), Sylvia Kibet (2009 and 2011 World Championships 5000m silver), Imane Merga (2011 World Cross Country Champion and 2011 World Championships 10000m bronze medalist), and Abel Kirui (2009 and 2011 World Marathon Champion). At Olympic Games 2012 in London, the athletes he coached won one Silver (Abel Kirui, Marathon) and two Bronze medals (Wilson Kipsang, Marathon, and Thomas Longosiwa, 5000m).

Canova's athletes have won many medals in top international middle and long distance competitions. Some of his other world champion athletes include Christopher Koskei (1999 3000m steeplechase), Paul Kosgei (2002 Half-Marathon), and Saif Saaeed Shaheen (2003 and 2005 3000m steeplechase). At the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Nanning, his athletes Florence Kiplagat and Wilson Kiprop became world champions in a 22-minute period, a record for an athletics coach. At the 2011 Boston Marathon, Moses Mosop recorded 2:03:06, the fastest debut marathon of all-time and the second-fastest marathon time in history. On June 3, 2011, Mosop set both the 25000m (1:12:25.4) and 30000m (1:26:47.4) world records in a special race at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. On 16 February 2014, his athlete Florence Kiplagat bettered the two WR of 20 km (road) in 1:01:56, and of HM (1:05:12). She improved her WR again on 15 February 2015, bettering in Barcelona 3 World Records in the same race : 15 km (46:14), previously held by Tirunesh Dibaba (46:26), and her two records of 20 km (1:01:54) and Half Marathon (1:05:09). The last athlete coached by Canova, winning a title of World Champion, is Caleb Ndiku (3000m in World Indoor Championships 2014).

In 2007, his athletes obtained silver medals at the World Cross Country Championships (Moses Mosop), and in the World Championships Marathon (Mubarak Shami).

He was previously responsible for the Italian Marathon Team from 1987-1998 with Luciano Gigliotti. His athletes in this period included Ornella Ferrara (1995 World Championships marathon bronze medalist), Maria Curatolo (1987 World Road Race Championships 15 km bronze medalist and 1994 European Championships marathon silver medalist) and Maura Viceconte (1998 European Championships marathon bronze medalist).

He is lecturer for the IAAF, and is frequently invited to speak in international congresses about the training methodology.

In September 2014, the Chinese Federation appointed him as national Head Coach for middle and long distances, including marathon, for both men and women.[1]

Canova advocates extensive hill work, including circuits (mixing technical exercises and uphill running) and short uphill sprints for strength. His training advocates increasing both the intensity and amount of hard running, with great differences in intensity between hard sessions and recovery days.

References

  1. ↑ Steiner, Ryan (2013-09-11). Renato Canova named head distance coach for Chinese Athletics Federation. Flotrack. Retrieved on 2014-09-29.