The best at the Paolo d’Aloja

Italy’s national team gets the 2006 rowing season fired up this weekend with the Memorial Paolo d’Aloja, on their home course, and their largest rowing training centre, Piediluco.

The Paolo d’Aloja will serve as a qualifying event for the Italian team. Italian boats that win in the senior and lightweight events will get to represent their country at the first Rowing World Cup in Munich at the end of May. This includes the return of the battle for the men’s lightweight double between Leonardo Pettinari, partnered with Stefano Basalini against Elia Luini and partner Marcello Miani.

The Italian men’s eight that finished in silver position at last year’s World Rowing Championships will also be racing along with Olympic medallist Alessio Sartori.

This 20th edition of the race has attracted an unprecedented 21 nations from as far away as Chile and Japan as well as a large Egyptian contingent.

For a number of years the Paolo d’Aloja waned in popularity, but this year it has experienced a renaissance. Nearly 160 crews are competing including Croatia’s Skelin brothers, rowing in a four and an eight, and Olympian Frida Svensson of Sweden in the women’s single.

The event opened last Tuesday in the presence of Mr Renato Nicetto, (President of the Italian Rowing Federation) and federal councillors, Enzo Molteni and Massimo Guerrieri as well as Michele de Lauretis, Beppe de Capua and Giuseppe Boccoloni from the Italian Rowing Federation and representatives of the Italian Olympic Committee.

Paolo d’Aloja is named after former Italian Federation president of the same name. D’Aloja played a significant role in the development of rowing in Italy in the 1980s and can take credit for the creation of the country’s first national training centre at Piediluco. The race was first held in 1987 starting off as a major event with 22 nations competing.

Copy with thanks to Marco Callai.

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