Libania Grenot

Libania Grenot
	Grenot after winning the 400 metres at the 2016 European Championships
Personal information
Full name	Libania Grenot Martinez
National team	Cuba (2003-2007); Italy: 25 caps (2008-2019);
Citizenship	Italian (since 2008); Cuban;
Born	12 July 1983 (age 42); Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	61 kg (134 lb)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event	Sprint
Retired	2019
Achievements and titles
Personal bests	200 m: 22.56 (2016); 400 m: 50.30 (2009); 4 × 400 m: 3:25.16 (2016);
Medal record
Women's Athletics
Representing Italy
European Championships
Mediterranean Games
Representing Cuba

Last updated October 18, 2025

Libania Grenot Martinez (born 12 July 1983) is a Cuban-born Italian former^[3] athlete specialising in the 400 metres. Two times European champion (2014, 2016), she holds the Italian records in the 200 and 400 metres.^[4]

Biography

Born in Santiago de Cuba on 12 July 1983, Grenot started running at the age of 9. In 2003–05, she was a Cuban champion in the 400 metres. In 2006, she married an Italian man and relocated to Casal Palocco, a XXXIV zone of Rome.^[5]

Grenot acquired Italian citizenship in 2008, and that same year, she broke an Italian record in the 400 meters with a time of 51.05 s and then 50.83 seconds.^[5] The latter performance took place at the Beijing Olympics during the semi-final, but despite this effort she did not reach the final.^[6] In 2009, she won a gold medal in the distance at the XVI Mediterranean Games with a time of 50.30 s, a new Italian record.^[7]

In 2014, she won a gold medal in the 400 metres at the European Championships, becoming the first Italian woman to win an international track title since 1938.^[8] Grenot repeated this achievement two years later.

Statistics

International competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing Cuba
1999	World Youth Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	5th	400 m	54.43
2001	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	9th (h)	4 × 400 m	3:28.68
2003	Pan American Games	Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep.	4th	400 m	52.23
2003	Pan American Games	Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep.	5th	4 × 400 m	3:28.79
2005	Central American and Caribbean Championships	Nassau, Bahamas	3rd	400 m	51.53
	Central American and Caribbean Championships	Nassau, Bahamas	3rd	4 × 400 m	3:33.85
	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	34th (h)	400 m	53.05
Representing Italy
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	10th (sf)	400 m	50.83 NR
2009	Mediterranean Games	Pescara, Italy	1st	400 m	50.30 NR
	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	12th (sf)	400 m	50.85
	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	12th (h)	4 × 400 m	3:31.05
2010	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain	3rd ^[9]	400 m	50.43
2010	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain	3rd	4 × 400 m	3:25.71
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	9th (h)	4 × 400 m	3:26.48
2012	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	6th	400 m	52.57
	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	10th (h)	4 × 400 m	3:31.64
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	9th (sf)	400 m	51.18
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	11th (h)	4 × 400 m	3:29.01
2013	Mediterranean Games	Mersin, Turkey	2nd	200 m	23.20
	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	8th (sf)	400 m	50.47
	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	DQ	4 × 400 m	170.6 ^{[n 1]}
2014	IAAF World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	6th	4 × 400 m	3:27.44
	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	1st	400 m	51.10
	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	7th	4 × 400 m	3:28.30
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	14th (sf)	400 m	51.14
2016	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	1st	400 m	50.73
	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	3rd	4 × 400 m	3:27.49
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	8th	400 m	51.25
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	5th	4 × 400 m	3:27.05 ^{[n 2]}
2017	IAAF World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	DQ	4 × 100 m	R163.3(A) ^{[n 3]}
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	9th (h)	4 × 400 m	3:27.81
2018	Mediterranean Games	Tarragona, Spain	2nd	400 m	51.32
	Mediterranean Games	Tarragona, Spain	1st	4 × 400 m	3:28.08
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	9th (sf)	400 m	51.54
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	5th	4 × 400 m	3:28.62

National titles

Grenot won seven national championships at individual senior level (six as Italian, three as Cuban).^[10]

Italian Athletics Championships
- 200 m: 2012 (1)
- 400 m: 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 (5)
Cuban Athletics Championships
- 400 m: 2003, 2004, 2005 (3)

Notes

↑ Finishing the race without the baton. 3:29.62 in the heats.
↑ Italian squad set the national record in the heats with a time of 3:25.16. It would have been 3rd result in the final
↑ Lane infringement

References

↑ "Annuario FIDAL dell'atletica 2010" (PDF) (in Italian). asdpedaggio-castiglionetorinese.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
1 2 "Libania Grenot - Biografia" (in Italian). fidal.it. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
↑ Benatti, Andrea (25 April 2019). "Libania Grenot si è ritirata! Diventerà mamma..." Queen Atletica | AtleticaLive.it (in Italian). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
↑ "PRIMATI E MIGLIORI PRESTAZIONI ITALIANE" (PDF) (in Italian). fidal.it. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
1 2 "La Grenot incanta: record italiano in 51.05". fidal.it (in Italian). Italian Athletics Federation. 28 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
↑ "Libania GRENOT – Athlete Profile". World Athletics . Retrieved 19 June 2021.
↑ "Pescara 2009, Atletica: Grenot oro e record Italiano 400 metri". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2 July 2009. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
↑ Mills, Steven (26 August 2014). "European Championships: Women's events facts and stats". Athletics Weekly . Retrieved 19 June 2021.
↑ "A Grenot il bronzo europeo di Barcellona 2010". fidal.it (in Italian). Italian Athletics Federation. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
↑ "TUTTE LE CAMPIONESSE ITALIANE – 1923/2020" (PDF). sportolimpico.it. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.

External links

Libania Grenot at World Athletics

Libania Grenot at Diamond League

Libania Grenot at the Italian Athletics Federation (in Italian)

Libania Grenot at Olympics.com

Libania Grenot at the Italian National Olympic Committee (in Italian)

Libania Grenot at Olympedia

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[10] Finishing the race without the baton. 3:29.62 in the heats.

[11] Italian squad set the national record in the heats with a time of 3:25.16. It would have been 3rd result in the final

[12] Lane infringement

[ANNUARIO-1] "Annuario FIDAL dell'atletica 2010" (PDF) (in Italian). asdpedaggio-castiglionetorinese.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.

[FIDAL_BIO-2] 1 2 "Libania Grenot - Biografia" (in Italian). fidal.it. Retrieved 21 June 2021.

[3] Benatti, Andrea (25 April 2019). "Libania Grenot si è ritirata! Diventerà mamma..." Queen Atletica | AtleticaLive.it (in Italian). Retrieved 19 June 2021.

[4] "PRIMATI E MIGLIORI PRESTAZIONI ITALIANE" (PDF) (in Italian). fidal.it. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.

[:0-5] 1 2 "La Grenot incanta: record italiano in 51.05". fidal.it (in Italian). Italian Athletics Federation. 28 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2021.

[6] "Libania GRENOT – Athlete Profile". World Athletics . Retrieved 19 June 2021.

[7] "Pescara 2009, Atletica: Grenot oro e record Italiano 400 metri". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2 July 2009. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2021.

[8] Mills, Steven (26 August 2014). "European Championships: Women's events facts and stats". Athletics Weekly . Retrieved 19 June 2021.

[9] "A Grenot il bronzo europeo di Barcellona 2010". fidal.it (in Italian). Italian Athletics Federation. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.

[13] "TUTTE LE CAMPIONESSE ITALIANE – 1923/2020" (PDF). sportolimpico.it. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.

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