Gruppo Sportivo della Marina Militare is the sports group of the Italian Navy.
The group primarily comprises athletes who participate in water sports.
History The first Olympic gold medal for the Gruppo Sportivo della Marina Militare was won by wrestler Enrico Porro at the 1908 London Games.
Sports The Gruppo Sportivo della Marina Militare originally included nine disciplines across five competitive sports centres. This number later increased to fifteen disciplines.
When there is are the seven new disciplines, excluding any that were subsequently removed:
Competitive sports centre for swimming Swimming Open water swimming Lifesaving Diving Surf lifesaving
Competitive sports centre for whitewater slalom Wildwater canoeing Canoe freestyle
Competitive sports centre for shooting Shooting Shotgun Archery
Sports yachting centre of Naples Sailing (Olympic) Sailing Mini 650 Offshore sailing
Navy rowing sports centre Rowing Canoeing (sprint) Naval pentathlon
Notable athletes
Past athletes Canoeing Aldo Dezi – Olympic silver medallist in 1960; the first Italian to win an Olympic medal in canoeing. Oreste Perri – Four-time world champion from 1974 to 1977.
Rowing Giliante D'Este – Olympic champion in 1928; also won a bronze medal for the Marina Militare in 1932. Daniele Boschin – World champion (1982) Renzo Borsini – World champion (1982) Alfredo Striani – World champion (1988) Enrico Barbaranelli – World champion (1988) Franco Falossi – World champion (1990) Roberto Romanini – World champion (1990) Michelangelo Crispi – World champion (1992) Franco Sancassani – Nine-time world champion between 1996 and 2011.
Sailing Luigi De Manincor – Olympic champion in 1936. Agostino Straulino – Olympic champion in 1952. Nicolò Rode – Olympic champion in 1952. Gabrio Zandonà – World champion in 2003.
Athletes qualified for London 2012 Five athletes of Marina Militare qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Gabrio Zandonà (Sailing) Pietro Ruta (Rowing) Michele Benedetti (Diving) Tommaso Rinaldi (Diving) Elania Nardelli (Shooting) Stefano Cipressi (Canoe slalom)
Athletes qualified for Rio 2016 Nine athletes of Marina Militare qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Giovanni Abagnale (Rowing), won Luca Parlato (Rowing) Antonio Barillà (Shooting) Michele Benedetti (Diving) Elisa Bozzo (Synchronised swimming) Linda Cerruti (Synchronised swimming) Beatrice Callegari (Synchronised swimming) Costanza Ferro (Synchronised swimming) Stefanie Horn (Canoe slalom)
Olympics gold medals Athletes from the Gruppo Sportivo della Marina Militare have won a total of six gold medals at the Olympic Games.
Competition Athlete Event MedalOlympic GamesLondon 1908 Enrico Porro Wrestling - Greco-Roman lightweight Paris 1924 Francesco Martino Gymnastics - Rings Gymnastics - Team all araundAmsterdam 1928 Giliante D'Este Rowing - Coxed four Berlin 1936 Luigi De Manincor Sailing - 8 metre London 1948 Geminio Ognio Water polo Helsinki 1952 Agostino Straulino, Nicolò Rode Sailing - Star
See also Italian Navy Italian military sports bodies
References
External links