Bologna, Italy, July 14, 1929
As the 1930s approached, Italian athletics began to rise. France had previously won all of its three-nation matches against Italy and Switzerland, but in 1929, fortune changed, and Italy stormed to victory.
Italy’s Ettore Tavernari defeated world record holder Séra Martin in the 800. Luigi Facelli, Italy’s top track and field athlete of the season, secured the match points in the 400-metres hurdles, even though his relaxed effort still resulted in the eighth-best time of the 1929 season (53.6). Marcel Molines of France won the 400 with an impressive European time of 48.8.
Winners (Spalding’s Athletic Almanac)
Helsingin Sanomat, July 17, 1929 (in Finnish)