Livio Berruti, Olympic champion in the 200 meters at the 1960 Rome Games, has died at the age of 87 in a clinic in Turin after a period of illness. The news was confirmed by sources close to the family. He leaves behind his wife Silvia. The funeral will be held in private.

Born in Turin on 19 May 1939, Berruti took up athletics in 1955 at the Liceo Cavour, immediately showing talent in sprint events. Initially interested in tennis, he was steered toward athletics by his results in school competitions.

On 3 September 1960, at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Berruti won gold in the 200 meters in 20.5 seconds, equaling the world record and setting an Olympic record. He was the first European sprinter to win the title in the event, ending a US dominance that had lasted since 1932. In the final he finished ahead of American Lester Carney, second in 20.6, and French-Senegalese Abdou Seye, third in 20.7.

At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Berruti competed again in the 200 meters, finishing fifth in 20.83, first among Europeans, in a race won by American Henry Carr in 20.36. He held the world record in the 200 meters from 1960 to 1963.

After retiring from competition, Berruti worked in communications and advertising. In 2006, he was among the eight Italian flagbearers at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Turin. His name is inscribed on the Walk of Fame of Italian sport in Rome, dedicated to figures who have marked the history of Italian sport.

Numerous reactions followed his passing. President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella remembered Berruti as a highly representative figure of Italian sport. Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani called him a myth for his generation. The president of the Italian Athletics Federation, Stefano Mei, emphasized that Berruti made the country fall in love with athletics. Sprinter Marcell Jacobs announced his intention to dedicate his upcoming European Championship participation to Berruti.