Italy competed at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, Finland from 7–14 August 1983.

Athlete	Gendre	Event	Medal
Alberto Cova	Men	10,000 Metres	Gold
National Team Stefano Tilli Carlo Simionato Pierfrancesco Pavoni Pietro Mennea	Men	4x100 Metres Relay	Silver
Pietro Mennea	Men	200 Metres	Bronze

Italy national athletics team ranked 8th (with 12 finalists) in the IAAF placing table. Score obtained by assigning eight points in the first place and so on to the eight finalists.^[1]

Rank	Country				4	5	6	7	8	Pts
8	Italy	1	1	1	0	1	2	6	0	43

Track and road events Event Athlete Result Performances Notes 100 m Pierfrancesco Pavoni Quarter 10.44 QF; 10.33 Heat 200 m Pietro Mennea 3rd 20.51 F; 20.69 SF; 20.68 QF; 20.80 Heat Carlo Simionato 7th 20.69 F; 20.60 SF; 20.75 QF; 20.76 Heat 400 m Roberto Ribaud Heat DQ 800 m Donato Sabia Heat 1:47.62 1500 m Stefano Mei Semi 3:39.93 SF; 3:41.78 QF Claudio Patrignani Semi 3:38.36 SF; 3:38.35 QF 5000 m Salvatore Antibo 13th 13:40.76 F; 13:33.12 SF; 13:44.05 QF 10,000 m Alberto Cova 1st 28:01.04 110 m hs Daniele Fontecchio Quarter 14.05 3000 m st Mariano Scartezzini 9th 8:21.17 F; 8:23.30 SF; 8:28.27 QF 4x100 m relay National Team Stefano Tilli Carlo Simionato Pierfrancesco Pavoni Pietro Mennea 2nd 38.37 F; 38.74 SF; 39:40 QF NR 4x400 m relay National Team Stefano Malinverni Donato Sabia Mauro Zuliani Roberto Ribaud 5th 3:05.10 F; 3:05.70 SF; 3:07.90 QF Marathon Gianni Poli 7h 2:11:05 NR Marco Marchei 13th 2:11:47 Giampaolo Messina DNF NM 20 km walk Maurizio Damilano 7h 1:21:57 NR Carlo Mattioli 18th 1:25:53 Alessandro Pezzatini 24th 1:27:15 50 km walk Sandro Bellucci 7h 3:55:38

Field events Event Athlete Result Performances Notes Long jump Giovanni Evangelisti Qual. 7.70 m Marco Piochi Qual. 7.52 m High jump Luca Toso 10th 2.26 F; 2.21 m Q Gianni Davito Qual. 2.10 m Shot put Alessandro Andrei 7th 20.07 m F; 19.57 m Q Hammer throw Giampaolo Urlando Qual. 72.06 m

Track and road events Event Athlete Result Performances Notes 200 m Marisa Masullo Semi 23.36 SF; 23.58 QF; 23.37 Heat 400 m Erica Rossi Quarter 53.88 QF; 53.51 Heat 1500 m Gabriella Dorio 7th 4:04.73 F; 4:09.75 SF 3000 m Agnese Possamai 6th 8:37.96 F; 8:46.68 SF NR 400 m hs Giuseppina Cirulli Quarter 57.43 4x100 m relay National Team Carla Mercurio Erica Rossi Daniela Ferrian Marisa Masullo Semi 44.46 Marathon Laura Fogli 6h 2:33:31 Rita Marchisio 11th 2:35:08 Alba Milana DNF NM

Field events Event Athlete Result Performances Notes High jump Sara Simeoni Qual. 1.84 m Javelin throw Fausta Quintavalla Qual. 59.34 m

• 1ST IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ATHLETICS