The Profile
All biographical data, anthropometric details, and technical specifications of the Italian 100 meters hurdles specialist.
Biographical Sheet
| Date of birth | December 26, 2005 |
| Place of birth | Desio (MB), Italy |
| Events | 100m Hurdles · 60m Hurdles |
| Italian Club | Bracco Atletica → |
| USA College Team | UCLA Bruins (Los Angeles) |
| Athletic Status | Italian National Elite / U23 Team |
| World Athletics | Official Profile → |
| UCLA Athletics | UCLA Profile → |
Technical Profile
Having developed her athletic career in Lombardy, she quickly established herself as one of the brightest prospects in Italian sprint hurdling, combining a natural gift for reactivity with consistent technical dedication.
Blessed with exceptional foot speed between the barriers and outstanding fluid movement, she embarked on a dual-career path in 2024 by moving to the United States to attend the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she balances her psychology studies with high-level athletic competition within the NCAA circuit.
Who is Celeste
Raised in Desio, within the Brianza region, Celeste Polzonetti learned early on that discipline does not stop at the starting blocks. Outside of the stadium, she plays the violin—two seemingly distant worlds that tell the story of the same individual: precise, methodical, and capable of absolute focus.
Since 2024, she has been living in Los Angeles, attending UCLA, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, with the goal of earning her degree in psychology. Her choice of study is no coincidence—understanding the human mind, pressure management, and mental performance is an integral part of her athletic development.
The dual-career model—studying and competing at the highest levels concurrently—is far from simple. It demands exceptional organization, sacrifice, and a maturity rarely seen at twenty years old. Celeste approaches it with the same quiet discretion that characterizes everything else she does: never seeking the spotlight, and letting her results do the talking.
Her Club
Celeste Polzonetti has competed for Bracco Atletica since 2021, one of the most established and well-structured organizations in Italian track and field. Within the Lombardy-based club, she built the technical foundations of her career, in an environment that combines sporting tradition with a strong focus on developing young talent.
Her bond with the club remains strong even during her university experience in the United States: Bracco Atletica continues to serve as the Italian point of reference for her career, the team she returns to for national and international competitions wearing the Italian colors.
Her Coaches
Aldo Maggi — coach in Italy at Bracco Atletica, overseeing Celeste's technical preparation within the national context, including block work, hurdle clearance technique, and seasonal planning ahead of national team competitions.
Joanna Hayes — coach at UCLA, a former American hurdler and Olympic champion in the 100m hurdles at Athens 2004. She has coached Celeste since 2024, from her arrival in the United States, bringing to her development the first-hand experience of someone who competed at the highest level in the same event.