Olympic Games Gold Medalist Athlete. She was the first female Italian athlete to win an Olympic medal. At the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin, Valla won the Woman's 80m-hurdle semi-final in 11.6 seconds, a new record. The following day she ran the final race and won the gold medal. After the Olympics she was forced to limit her competitions because of back problems, though she continued to compete into her early 40s. Overall she set 21 Italian records as an international champion.
Olympic Games Gold Medalist Athlete. She was the first female Italian athlete to win an Olympic medal. At the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin, Valla won the Woman's 80m-hurdle semi-final in 11.6 seconds, a new record. The following day she ran the final race and won the gold medal. After the Olympics she was forced to limit her competitions because of back problems, though she continued to compete into her early 40s. Overall she set 21 Italian records as an international champion.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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