To speak with Mattia Furlani is a game. And it's almost absurd that it is. It's hard to believe that you don't detect even a hint of tension in his words or behaviour, just as it's unthinkable to make even the slightest effort to maintain a conversation with him. Conversations flow smoothly like a river: After five minutes, there is already the confidence of a classmate, a lifelong friend, a neighbour. Mattia Furlani is a mate, and he simply doesn't have the heart to embarrass you or flexing a status he's earned more than ever by burning every stage, every finish line.

No sooner have we met than he hands us his recently published children's novel The Longest Jump, a story that already reveals, in part, Mattia's affinity for other people and his desire to share his experiences as an athlete and others. Mattia Furlani is the new protagonist of More Than; and it's easy to explain why he's already more than just an athlete. Just look at his pedigree or the way he handles pressure and responsibility with the composure of a veteran, a seasoned adult. But how does one become Mattia Furlani? Only he himself can explain that. The fact is that his life, and therefore his sporting career, are flavoured with ingredients that you rarely find in an athlete - especially not all at once.

We met him in Milan, on a classic Milanese day. It is 2 April: less than ten days have passed since the long jumper, born in 2005, became world champion in the indoor long jump in Nanjing. There are many more goals on the horizon that he would like to add to his list of successes, but above all what promises to be a decisive chapter in his life three years earlier than planned: the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. "After Nanjing, it's officially impossible for me not to think about my work. But that's never been a problem. I am so relaxed because it has never been an obstacle to talk about my work, about what I do, about the sacrifices behind it. Firstly, because these sacrifices are real and of course indispensable, and secondly, because my life is a long jump, and there are no excuses."