Claudio Licciardello has started 2008 the way he means to go on. Photo by Andy Heading

Following his lifetime best achievements at the European Indoor Cup in Moscow this February, and a even more dominant performance at the Italian Championships in Genova, 400m specialist Claudio Licciardello, appears to have found his form just in time for Beijing.

The 22-year-old Italian shattered his indoor personal best by more than half a second to win heat two of European Indoor Cup 400m in 45.57, finishing second in the event, an agonising 0.02 behind heat one winner Johan Wissman of Sweden.

The Sicilian had made a huge progression in what was his first outing of the indoor season and his continued success at the Italian Championships where he equalled this time again, suggests he is capable of much more, not only for the remainder of the indoor season but also outdoors in Olympic year.

But was Licciardello also surprised by his performance in Moscow?

"Yes, but only in part, because during this winter, and especially in the last period before Moscow, I have been running really fast," he explained. "All the tests indicated to me that I could run around the 46-second something, and finally I did it. To be honest, I was more surprised to run in the second heat with an outdoor personal best of 45.59!"

From the city of Catania, Licciardello tried water polo, swimming, football and basketball as a youngster but he was convinced his future lie in athletics after posting a time of 36.10 for the 300m aged just 15.

He reached the 400m semi-finals at the 2004 World Juniors on his international championship debut and in 2006 hinted at his ability by running a personal best of 45.59 in Geneva but after picking up a bone stress response injury to his leg in his opening race of last season at the European Champions Clubs Cup in Portugal he missed most of the rest of the year and he failed to make any progress.

This year, however, with the benefit of a solid winter's training behind him, the 22-year-old is buzzing and confident of much more to come.

"We concentrated more on long distances and on strength exercises," he said of winter training. "Not much sprinting, and now, therefore, I suppose I can improve a lot for the outdoor season, when adding sprint training."

Licciardello comes out of the strong stable of sprinters from Sicily and trains alongside former European Junior 200m Champion Alessandro Cavallaro, 11.37 women's 100m runner Anita Pistone, and 10.27 100m sprinter Rosario La Mastra.

Coached by the wily Filippo Di Mulo and training alongside such a quality group of athletes he believes he is in the perfect environment to thrive at the highest level.

"Alessandro Cavallaro was my idol when I started training with the group," explained Licciardello. "He had just run 20.4 at the World Championships, and has an elegant running-style. He stimulated me to run in the correct way. But most of all, I have learned from coach, who dedicated himself to coaching. He is the one who made me become an athlete."

Yet why should the relatively small island of Sicily, which was also interestingly the home of 1990 European 5000m and 10,000m Champion Salvatore Antibo, now provide so many international sprinters?

"Good question, but tough to answer," he added. "Up until the Eighties, Sicily produced only middle-distance runners all from the west. Since then, a lot of sprinters come from the east side, in and around Catania. I don't know why, maybe it is genetic. Jokes apart, the truth is we have a great coach here, professor Di Mulo who has created a real sprint school."

Boosted by his breakthrough performance in the Russian capital, and his win in Genova, the passionate Juventus football fan is excited by the summer ahead and the prospect of competing in the Beijing Olympic Games.

"Obviously, I wish to be selected for the Olympic Games," he added. "First of all, I want to reach the entry standard then when there, I dream of reaching the semi-finals."

But after making such massive progress in the European Indoor Cup the burning question remains how much faster can the Italian, who has a build not unlike, Olympic and World 400m Champion Jeremy Wariner, go?

"I don't know...as fast as possible. I wish to surprise myself," he added.