Serious start to season for Italy

Raced at the Italian national training centre in Piediluco, the home team faced competition from 14 other nations.

Over three days the 300 athletes involved gave a preview to the faces that have returned for the start of the new Olympic cycle and likely to appear at next month’s Rowing World Cup in Banyoles, Spain.

The Czech Republic’s rowing institution, Vaclav Chalupa was back in the men’s pair winning the event with partner Jakub Makovicha. Italy and Egypt followed in second and third respectively.

In the men’s single Lithuania’s Mindaugas Griskonis continued to add to his racing repertoire finishing first ahead of Italy’s Leopoldo Sansone and Marko Marijanovic of Serbia. The women’s single was won by Italian Beijing Olympian Gabriella Bascelli with Spain’s top woman rower, Nuria Dominguez in second.

Mexico’s lightweight women held their own finishing first in both the lightweight single (Analicia Ramirez) and the lightweight double (Lila Perez and Gabriela Huerta).

Under the guidance of new head coach Beppe de Capua, the Italian men’s eight and four appeared as a mixture of new and experienced. The men’s eight held off Russia to go under six minutes in trying conditions and take first. The four turned into a tight fight between Serbia, Italy and the Czech Republic with the Czech’s winning followed by Italy and Serbia.

After taking silver at the Beijing Olympics in the men’s quad, Italy is putting its weight behind this boat and at the Paolo d’Aloja regatta they filled the top five spots in the final. Beijing Olympians in the lightweight men’s double, Elia Luini and Marcello Miani showed that they are back for another season. Luini and Miani won the open men’s double after overtaking Serbia.

Italian press officer Marco Callai said the Italian coaches were pleased with the racing with Italy finishing at the top of the points table ahead of Spain and Serbia.

For a full list of results click here.