As many as nine boats and 12 Italian athletes qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with only one class (men’s 49er) which will not see Azzurri at the start. The numbers for Tokyo 2020 improved significantly, the edition in which Italy qualified six boats and nine athletes, with only one medal achieved: Tita-Banti’s gold in Nacra 17, a triumph that brought the Tricolore back to the Olympic podium 13 years after Alessandra Sensini’s silver in Beijing 2008.
There sailing tradition it is an integral part of Italian culture, practically since the dawn of the State. So much so that the first written testimony of a regatta organized and held in Italy (on Lake Como) dates back to 1850while the first regatta or rowing clubs were founded in 1872. The successors of those pioneers reach up to the present day, so let’s go to know in detail all the Azzurri qualified for the 2024 Olympics.
Laure Manaudou is the first French torchbearer
Nicolò Renna (IQFoil)
From father to son, given that his father Vasco he is an icon of this sport and manages one of the most famous sailing schools in the world on Lake Garda. Nicolò, born in 2001, began his competitive activity in 7 years, becoming one of the best in a very short time. It is no coincidence that at the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Games he was able to win a splendid silver. Two years later, he exploited the Covid-19 pandemic to change specialtyabandoning theRS:X to instead embrace theiQFOiL, i.e. the new flying Olympic sailing board. And the results arrived after less than five years: European gold and world bronze in 2023Then World Champion in February 2024. Predestined talent and great expectations towards Paris 2024.
Riccardo Pianosi (Formula Kite)
Even for Pianosi, a passion passed down from father to son. Although very young (born in 2005), has been on the crest of the wave for at least four years one of the strongest kitesurfers on a global level, enough to win three consecutive European medals (bronze in 2022, gold in 2023 and silver in 2024), as well as theworld silver in May 2024. Perfect example of the contemporary sportsmanthanks to an almost obsessive attention to his athletic preparation as well as nutrition, at youth level he has already won the European gold and the U21 world bronze in 2023.debut at Cinque CerchiParis 2024 will almost certainly already be the Olympic edition of the consecration for Pianosi.
Lorenzo Chiavarini (ILCA 7)
Born in Rome in 1994, as a child he moved to Scotland with his family and, together with his dog, discovered his love for sailing. The talent he is one of the pure ones, to the point that in 2014 Chiavarini won both the world and European U21 gold in the Laser Standard. Destined for a string of successes competing for Great Britain, two serious injuries (wrist and back) risked jeopardizing his career, forcing him to stay out of the Tokyo 2020 Games after theEuropean gold 2019. In 2022, here is the choice to change federation, passing under the Italian flag, with excellent results: immediately a 6th place at the 2022 European Championships, then the 5th obtained at the 2023 World Championships. Now the Olympic dream, to be lived without pressure and defending the blue colors.
Marta Maggetti (IQFoil)
Artistic gymnastics, basketball, volleyball and, finally, the current love for sailing. All-round sportswoman, the Cagliari native born in 1996 returns to the Olympic Games after Tokyo 2020, an edition in which she obtained an excellent 4th place. Her transition to the iQFOiL table was immediately congenial to her, so much so that it pushed her toworld gold in 2022 – a result that Italy had not achieved for 14 years – and excellent placings world champions (9th and 10th respectively) between 2023 and 2024. In the waters of Marseille it will be one of the most awaited during the challenge for the Olympic medals, also thanks to spectacular performances comeback skills. Of course, bringing the Tricolore back to the Olympic podium 16 years after the last Italian medal – Sensini’s silver in Beijing 2008 – will not be easy at all.
Maggie Pescetto (Formula Kite)
Born in Ireland but of Ligurian origins, born in 2000, only entered the Italian kitesurfing national team seven years ago – and after having practiced volleyball for some time – yet capable, in such a short time, of achieving incredible steps forward. Both at European level, going from 21st place in 2020 to 10th obtained in Los Alcazares 2024, and in the World Championships, improving from 19th place in 2021 to 12th in the last edition, held in Hyères in 2024. Like several national team teammates , Pescetto will also be atOlympic debutmoreover in a category introduced by Paris 2024. Important expectations for the Italian who “she lives where the wind takes her“.
Chiara Benini Floriani (ILCA 6)
In the footsteps of Francesca Pavesi and Larissa Nevierov, the twenty-two year old from Rovereto will try to enjoy the spectacle of the Olympic Games as best she can, knowing full well that she has great talent in the Laser Radial category. In 2021 it was silver both to Europeans that you Under 21 World Cup, while in 2022-23 the first important placings also arrived at senior level. In summer 2023, during the Olympic test right in the waters of Marseille, Benini Floriani placed at 3rd place, making excellent impressions. He had actually won the Olympic pass (not nominal) in this category Carolina Albano with the placement at the 2023 World Championships, but the FIV then decided to indicate the name of the 2001 class in view of Paris 2024.
Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi (49er:FX)
In a recently established class, Italy finds a couple qualified after well eight years. In Rio de Janeiro 2016, Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich they finished in 5th place, in what was the beginning of the Olympic domination of the Brazilian duo Martine Grael-Kahena Kunze. The green and gold remain big favorites for Paris (or, better, Marseille), but the blue pair can play all his cards. Germani from Trieste and Bertuzzi from Garda have in fact already won a bronze (2022) and a silver (2023) at the European Championships, as well as the bronze to last World Cup, as well as several other podiums in important competitions. Both Navy athletes, trained by Michele Marchesini and now united for a long time link which goes far beyond “work”, Germani and Bertuzzi can also make Italy dream of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandra Dubbini (470)
Ferrari, born in Rome in 1996, fell in love with sailing at the age of seven and almost by mistake, getting on a school boat of the Italian Naval League in Ostia Lido. Quickly became a talented helmsman, paired with his bowman Giacomo Calabrò, won a gold and a silver at the 2018-19 U21 World Championships and then 6th place at Tokyo 2020 in the men’s 470. After the Japanese Olympics, the transition to 470 mixed and, from 2023, joining the crew with Dubbiniborn in Bergamo in 1998, sailing has been in her blood since she was a child thanks to her grandparents and today bowman with a lot of experience behind. In April 2024, the blue couple triumphed at the Last Chance Regatta of Hyères, thus obtaining the Olympic card for Paris, where the mixed 470 will make its debut.
Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti (Nacra 17)
The golden duo of Italian sailing. Three consecutive world gold medals (2022-24), several victories at international level and, above all, the Olympic gold won in Tokyo 2020. The queen couple of the Nacra 17 specialty aims to confirm themselves also in Marseille waters, although there will be no shortage of competition. However, Tita-Banti’s mantra is always the same, in the name ofsporting humility: “There is always something new to discover, every day, it’s a continuous job to keep improving“. In Japanese waters they brought the Tricolor back to the top step of the Olympic podium 21 years after Alessandra Sensini’s feat in Sydney 2000; at the Paris Games they will attempt a back-to-back which, in the history of this specialty, has so far only been achieved by the Austrian couple formed by Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher between Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.
In the history of sailing at the Olympic Games, Italy has so far conquered fifteen medals (4 gold, 3 silver and 8 bronze), of which well four thanks to the immense talent of Alessandra Sensini, who continuously finished on the podium in the MOD category from Atlanta 1996 (bronze) to Beijing 2008 (silver). In the edition of Tokyo 2020the Tricolor waved only one once on the podium at Cinque Cerchi, thanks to gold medal conquered by Tita-Banti in Nacra 17. This time, the blue contingent will try to do better: and it has all it takes to do so.
The Olympic Flame is lit: the journey to Paris begins
