Kelly Doualla

Last updated
Kelly Doualla
Personal information
Full nameKelly Ann Maevane Doualla Edimo
NationalityItalian
Born (2009-11-20) 20 November 2009 (age 15)
Pavia
Sport
Sport Athletics
Event Sprinting
ClubCUS Pro Patria Milan
Coached byWalter Monti
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing Flag of Italy.svg Italy
European U20 Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2025 Tampere 100 m
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2025 Tampere 4x100 m relay
European Youth Olympic Festival
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2025 Skopje 100 m
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2025 Skopje Medley relay

Kelly Ann Maevane Doualla Edimo (born 20 November 2009) is an Italian sprinter. In 2025, she set new European U18 best times for the 60 metres and 100 metres. [1]

Contents

Career

She is a member of CUS Pro Patria Milan and trained by Walter Monti. [2]

2024

In February 2024, at the age of 14 years-old, she ran 7.27 seconds for the 60 metres. [3] In April 2024, she ran the best time by an Italian in the under-16 age-group for the 80 meters, whilst competing in Pavia, Italy, with a run of 9.39 (+1.8 m/s). [4] That month, she also recorded a run of 11.70 seconds for the 100 meters at the Italian Student Championships. [5] In Pescara, Italy, in May 2024, she ran 11.52 for the 100 metres. [6]

2025

She ran 7.23 seconds, the fastest ever 60 metres by a European U18, at the Memorial Giovannini, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger meeting, in Ancona, Italy, on 18 January 2025. [7] The previous European under-18 record was 7.24 seconds, by the Dutch sprinter N'Ketia Seedo. This also placed her fourth on the all-time senior Italian list behind only Zaynab Dosso, Marisa Masullo and Manuela Levorato. [8] In Ancona, Italy on 8 February 2025, she ran in the final of the Campionati Italiani Allievi, registering a time of 7.19 seconds. [9] Speaking after that race, the president of the Italian Athletics Federation, Stefano Mei, said there would be no pressure on Doualla to compete at the highest level given her young age saying "I don’t choose the schedule if they [athlete and coach] decide they are ready to compete at the top level, I have no objections. And I don't have any demands, either." [10]

On 21 July 2025, she won the 100 m race at 2025 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in Skopje, with a new U18 European best of 11.21 seconds, breaking the record set by Jodie Williams in 2010. [11] At the age of 15 years-old, she was selected for the Italian team for the 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, winning her 100 metres semi final in 11.56 (-0.3m/s) before winning gold in the final ahead of Mabel Akande of Great Britain with 11.22 (-0.1). [12] [13] She also anchored the Italian women's 4x100m relay team to the gold medal. [14]

Personal life

She was born in Pavia, Lombardy, to Cameroonian parents. [8] She was reportedly given her name Kelly Ann in honour of the Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. [15]

References

  1. "Kelly Ann Marvane Doualla Edimo". World Athletics. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  2. "Regional Individual Championships. Long and 80 meters. Double cadet record for Doualla Edimo". Quotidiano.net. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  3. Meyers, Christaline (Feb 20, 2024). "Track and Field: 14-Year-World Shocks the Athletics World With Historic Achievements". Essentially Sports. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  4. "Athletics, Trevisan's first 400m of the season is good. Doualla sets another youth record in the sprint". oasport.it. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  5. Landoni, Luca (30 April 2024). "Lodi, Studenteschi Kelly Doualla Edimo runs a time in the 100 three tenths under the Italian record (but it is not homologated)". Atletikalive.it. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  6. Landoni, Luca (May 30, 2024). "Student: Kelly Doualla (stratospheric time) wins an epic duel with Margherita Castellani in the 100! (VIDEO)". Atletikalive.it. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  7. "Douala runs 7.23 for 60m in Ancona aged 15!". European Athletics. 18 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Kelly Dualla: Breaking Records and Expectations". ilmessaggero.it. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  9. "Doualla senza limiti: 7.19 nei 60 di Ancona!".
  10. "Mei, the blue future is running fast. "This is the strongest Italy ever. No pressure on Doualla and Succo"". Quotidiano.net. 11 Feb 2025. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  11. "ATHLETICSTORNADO DOUALLA! At 15, she wins the EYOF with a crazy time: the European U18 record is shattered!". oasport.it. 21 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  12. "Italian sprint star Doualla Edimo speeds through to 100m final". European Athletics. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  13. Mills, Steven (28 Jul 2025). "Italy selects star-studded team of 91 athletes for Tampere 2025". European Athletics. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  14. Mills, Steven (10 August 2025). "Doualla strikes again! 15-year-old anchors Italy to 4x100m gold in Tampere". European Athletics. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  15. "At the indoor meeting in Bergamo. Doualla-record in the 60. The Lombard improves her u20 times twice". Quotidiano.net. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.