07 Dec 2011
Abbagnale to get top rowing award
The youngest of the three brothers, and most successful in sculling, Agostino won three Olympic Gold medals (Seoul 1988, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000) and has two World Championship titles in the quadruple sculls from 1997 and 1998.
His recurring battle against thrombophlebitis (the inflammation of a vein with the formation of a blood clot) forced him out of the sport for five years after winning his first Olympic title in 1988. Overcoming these significant health problems make his achievements all the more remarkable. The disease finally forced him to retire shortly before his attempt to win gold medal number four at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
The "Tommy" has been established as the highest honour in the sport of rowing and is presented to recognise an exceptional rowing career as well as exemplary sportsmanship. Named after the late President of FISA, the first medal was first awarded to the great Norwegian oarsman Alf Hansen in 1990 and has already been won by Agostino’s brothers Giuseppe and Carmine in 1997 which makes this the first time that three brothers have won this award.
The 18-carat gold Thomas Keller Medal will be presented to Abbagnale by Dominik Keller, son of the late Thomas Keller, on Sunday 9 July 2006, just before the start of the afternoon finals at the Rowing World Cup final regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Previous recipients of the Thomas Keller Medal are:
1991 Thomas Greiner (GER)
1994 Yuri Pimenov (RUS)
1996 Francesco Esposito (ITA)
1996 Nikolai Pimenov (RUS)
1996 Rolf Thorsen (NOR)
1997 Giuseppe Abbagnale (ITA)
1997 Carmine Abbagnale (ITA)
1997 Jana Sorgers (GER)
1997 Thomas Lange (GER)
1998 Kerstin Koeppen (GER)
1998 Roland Baar (GER)
1999 Silken Laumann (CAN)
1999 Kathleen Heddle (CAN)
2001 Steve Redgrave (GBR)
2002 Marnie McBean (CAN)
2003 Peter Antonie (AUS)
2004 Nico Rienks (NED)
2005 Matthew Pinsent (GBR)
2006 Agostino Abbagnale (ITA)
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