Davide Tizzanocurrent president of the Italian Rowing Federation (he was elected a year ago) and winner of two Olympic gold medals (one in Seoul in the 4 sculls and the other, in Atlanta, in the doubles) died in Naples after fighting against the recurrence of a serious illness. Tizzano, Neapolitan, 57 years old, was an athlete (two Olympic gold medals in the 4 sculls in Seoul 1988 and in Atlanta 1996 in the doubles) and an eclectic manager. In addition to rowing, in fact, he practiced sailing. He participated in two America’s Cup campaigns, winning the Louis Vuitton Cup with Paul Cayard in 1992 in San Diego and riding Mascalzone Latino in 2007 in Valencia. In sports politics, in addition to being president of the Rowing Federation, he held the role of president of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games. The funeral tomorrow at 5pm in the Basilica of the Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio in Naples. “His light will never go out and he will forever guide his children Rosanna, Vittoria, Giuseppe Leone and his wife Roberta”, writes the Federation in a note. “The world of sport is losing a great champion, an absolute protagonist with the two splendid Olympic gold medals won in Seoul 1988 and Atlanta 1996, and a top-level sports manager. My and CONI’s most sincere condolences go to his family and to the entire Italian rowing movement.” Thus the president of CONI Luciano Buonfiglio.
Abbagnale: “Huge disappointment”
“I knew that in the past he had had quite serious health problems but I hoped and believed he had overcome them, but instead this news chilled me, it was a bolt from the blue for me – says Giuseppe Abbagnale -, it really is the worst way to end 2025. We shared a long journey together first as athletes and then in the federal council of the FIC for eight years, I was president and he was deputy. In the last electoral campaign we clashed, he won and as sportsmen we shook hands and I wished to do the best for our beloved sport.”
Career
Born on May 21, 1968, at the age of 11 his father Giuseppe enrolled him in the Naples Rowing Club. The talent was immediately evident, in 1982 Tizzano was included in the ‘Young Talents’ pilot project and moved to the College of Piediluco with the aim, achieved, of winning the Olympic medal within ten years: together with Piero Poli, Gianluca Farina and Agostino Abbagnale and under the technical guidance of Giuseppe De Capua, in Seoul 1988 he won the first Olympic title in the four sculls. There is a singular anecdote about him, dating back to the Korean expedition: after winning the gold in Seoul, he lost it by diving into the water to celebrate. To find him, two days later, the intervention of the South Korean navy was necessary. The following year he won silver at the World Championships in Bled in Slovenia, again with the 4 sculls. In 1995, Davide was convinced by the coach Aldo Cali and the managers of the Circolo Canottieri Napoli to take up the oars again. Thus one of the most successful couples in the world was reunited with Agostino Abbagnale and at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games he celebrated the second Olympic gold of his career in the two sculls.
