Italian rowing looks strong at season opener

Celebrating the opening of the Italian rowing season, the Paolo D’Aloja Memorial attracted 22 outside nations to Piediluco, home of the Italian national training centre.

As 2008 Olympic qualification looms into view some well-known faces have resurfaced and at the Memorial Italy’s Rossano Galtarossa started his quest towards Olympics number five racing in his Olympic gold event, the men’s quad.

“I hadn’t hoped to be back on the team so soon and I’m really happy to have done so in this speciality,” said Galtarossa who has been away from the international rowing scene following his 2004 Olympic bronze medal in the double. Galtarossa’s quad won both days of the two day regatta – day one over Belgium and day two ahead of Italy’s under 23 crew.

The Italian men’s eight, current world silver medallists, showed that they are back on pace winning over Croatia which featured five members of the 2000 Sydney Olympic bronze medal eight including Igor Boraska, Niksa and Sinisa Skelin, Branimir Vujevic and coxswain Silvijo Petrisko. Croatia held Italy until the last 500 metres, but a superior sprint gave the Italians gold on the first and second day by just one second.

“This is the first time we officially field this crew,” said Italy’s stroke Lorenzo Carboncini, “and we still lack unison. The Croatians, who are better amalgamated, took us to the limit.”

Gabriella Bascelli, Italy’s top female sculler, easily won the women’s single on both days while Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic (current world bronze medallist) dominated the men’s single.

A new Italian lightweight men’s four of Daniele Gilardoni (top male rower for 2006), lightweight men’s quad World Champion, Daniele Danesin, former lightweight single World Champion Stefano Basalini, and four-time lightweight double World Champion Leonardo Pettinari beat the Athens Olympics bronze medallists of Bruno Mascarenhas, Catello Amarante, Salvatore Amitrano, and Lorenzo Bertini.

Unlike last year’s event, held under the guidance of the then Italian head coach Giuseppe de Capua, the 2007 Memorial was not a selection regatta for the Italian national team, but more an indication. New head coach, Andrea Coppola will decide the composition of national team crews in the course of upcoming training events. At the first Rowing World Cup (Linz, Austria 1 – 3 June), some events will see more than one Italian crew will take part.

“We can be pleased with the results achieved at this Memorial but we cannot certainly sit on our laurels,” said Coppola. “There’s still lots to do if we want to reach the goal we’ve set ourselves of qualifying nine boats for the Beijing Olympics in Munich. Because, let it be clear, our objective will not be any other but that.”

History of the Paolo D’Aloja Memorial
– By Franco Morabito, Italian Rowing Press officer

The first Paolo D’Aloja Memorial Regatta took place in 1987. The initiative came from the Italian Rowing Federation, Terni local government bodies and a group of friends of Paolo D’Aloja, our unforgettable Federal President who died in 1984. D’Aloja had the outstanding merit of being able to manage, what was at times, a none too brilliant period in Italian rowing with much farsightedness, restoring it to its erstwhile traditions. We can recall the successes of our junior teams, the thrust given to women’s rowing, the amazing victories achieved by our lightweights – a category D’Aloja supported with determination with FISA – the hiring of the Norwegian coach Thor Nilsen and the creation of the Piediluco centre, which soon became a rowing university, recognised and appreciated by one and all at world level.

That first D’Aloja Memorial – which has now reached the important goal of the 21st edition – saw the participation of 22 nations and 336 athletes, from three continents.

Looking at the list of the winners, we find names that have made all-time history in rowing; names such as Giuseppe and Carmine Abbagnale (ITA) and their inseparable coxswain Peppiniello Di Capua who won the coxed pairs, and the equally legendary Soviet brothers Nikolaj and Jurij Pimenov, who for years dominated the coxless pairs.

Overall ranking:
1. Italy 139
2. Greece 48
3. Czech Republic 16
4. Lithuania 11
5. Romania 9
6. Japan 6

Saturday Results

M 2X
1 GRE (Tsamis I., Christou I.)(06:37:80) 2 ITA (Smerghetto J., Negrini P.)(06:37:90) 3 TUR (Kaya S., Kaya S.)(06:44:50)

M 4-
1 GRE (Tsilis I., Tziallas G., Tsiompanidis I., Gavrielidis P.)(06:19:90) 2 ITA (Fossi F., Canciani S., Massimo V., Tramontano A.)(06:21:50) 3 ITA (Pinton V., Resemini M., Lunardi G., Porzio L.)(06:23:50)

LM 4-
1 ITA (Gilardoni D., Danesin D., Basalini S., Pettinari L.)(06:16:60) 2 ITA (Amitrano S., Amarante C., Moriconi N., Tuccinardi G.)(06:17:20) 3 ITA (Bertini L., Di Somma S., Cerasola D., Mascarenhas B.)(06:19:90)

M 2-
1 ITA (De Vita G., Leonardo R.)(06:56:00) 2 CZE (Makovicka J., Schindler J.)(06:57:40) 3 SRB (Stojic N., Jagar G.)(07:01:00)

M 1X
1 CZE (Synek O.)(07:21:20) 2 LTU (Griskonis M.)(07:27:30) 3 NOR (Hoff N.)(07:33:70)

LM 1X
1 JPN (Takeda D.)(07:24:70) 2 GRE (Pappas E.)(07:28:00) 3 BEL (Van Der Fraenen W.)(07:30:80)

W 1X
1 ITA (Bascelli G.)(07:51:30) 2 GRE (Tsiavou A.)(07:59:10) 3 ESP (Dominguez N.)(08:01:60)

LM 2-
1 ITA (Caianiello A., Dell'aquila A.)(06:54:70) 2 ITA (Sancassani F., Scala L.)(06:56:90) 3 ESP (Gonzales X., Fernandez J.)(07:08:80)

W 2X
1 ITA (Schiavone L., Sancassani E.)(07:19:20) 2 LTU (Arbociute V., Romeryte A.)(07:22:90) 3 GRE (Sakellaridou M., Kourkoumpa K.)(07:33:80)

W 2-
1 ITA (Molina S., Roccarina S.)(07:39:70) 2 ROM (Albu N., Cojocariu A.)(07:43:90) 3 CHI (Jadue S., Orellana M.)(07:49:20)

LW 1X
1 ITA (Bello E.)(08:21:60) 2 ITA (Tamboloni C.)(08:23:30) 3 TUR (Ozturk N.)(08:23:70)

LW 2X
1 GRE (Mpiskitzi H., Giazitzidou H.)(07:24:40) 2 ITA (Milani L., Gallo F.)(07:27:70) 3 ITA (Galmarini V., Mai E.)(07:30:10)

LM 2X
1 ITA (Luini E., Miani M.)(06:34:30) 2 GRE (Polymeros V., Mougios D.)(06:38:10) 3 CZE (Vetesnik O., Vetesnik J.)(06:39:10)

W 4X
1 CHN (Tu Fen Q., Tong Yun Y., Jin Zi Y., Wu Li P.)(06:55:10) 2 ROM (Costea A., Bejnar A., Dumitru A., Harpa A.)(06:56:90) 3 ITA (Pinto A., Pagliarella E., Novelli M., Wurzel C.)(06:57:90)

M 4X
1 ITA (Ghezzi L., Venier S., Galtarossa R., Raineri S.)(05:53:10) 2 BEL (Smulders S., Poelvoorde B., Raes C., Maeyens T.)(05:56:00) 3 UKR (Pavlovskyi V., Prokopenko D., Biloushchenko S., Gryn S.)(05:58:00)

M 8+
1 ITA (Mornati C., Frattini P., Agamennoni L., Loriato P., Dentale D., Sartori A., Mornati N., Carboncini L., Iannuzzi G. -Tim.)(05:37:00) 2 CRO (Vujevic B., Boraska I., Skelin N., Begovic M., Begovic B., Maric H., Stojcevic J., Skelin S., Petrisko S. -Tim.)(05:38:40) 3 ROM (Bucevschi A., Lauric F., Robu G., Florea R., Stoica A., Priscoveanu C., Todirenchi C., Luchian M., Codrici B. -Tim.)(05:46:00)

Sunday Results

M 4-
1 CZE (Gruber J., Zof J., Bruncvìk M., Neffe K.)(06:15:20) 2 GRE (Tsilis I., Tziallas G., Tsiompanidis I., Gavrielidis P.)(06:15:60) 3 ITA (Fossi F., Canciani S., Massimo V., Tramontano A.)(06:16:90)

LM 4-
1 ITA (Gilardoni D., Danesin D., Basalini S., Pettinari L.)(06:13:20) 2 ITA (Mascarenhas B., Amitrano S., Amarante C., Bertini L.)(06:15:30) 3 ITA (Moriconi N., Di Somma S., Cerasola D., Tuccinardi G.)(06:22:90)

M 2-
1 ITA (De Vita G., Leonardo R.)(06:47:60) 2 CZE (Makovicka J., Schindler J.)(06:49:90) 3 SRB (Popovic J., Nikitovic C.)(06:56:30)

M 1X
1 CZE (Synek O.)(07:10:20) 2 GRE (Christou I.)(07:17:60) 3 ITA (Gattinoni F.)(07:21:10)

LM 1X
1 JPN (Takeda D.)(07:20:00) 2 GRE (Pappas E.)(07:23:30) 3 BEL (Gevaert J.)(07:27:10)

W 1X
1 ITA (Bascelli G.)(07:50:80) 2 ESP (Dominguez N.)(07:59:40) 3 NOR (Helgeland M.)(08:13:80)

LM 2-
1 ITA (Caianiello A., Dell'aquila A.)(06:51:20) 2 ITA (Scala L., Sancassani F.)(06:55:50) 3 GRE (Liolios A., Goudoulas N.)(06:59:90)

W 2X
1 ITA (Schiavone L., Sancassani E.)(07:20:70) 2 ITA (Pinto A., Novelli M.)(07:30:80) 3 GRE (Sakellaridou M., Kourkoumpa K.)(07:37:10)

W 2-
1 ITA (Molina S., Roccarina S.)(07:38:70) 2 CHI (Jadue S., Orellana M.)(07:43:10) 3 ROM (Albu N., Cojocariu A.)(07:43:60)

LW 1X
1 GRE (Tsiavou A.)(08:07:40) 2 GRE (Pavlou S.)(08:17:00) 3 ITA (Bello E.)(08:19:80)

LW 2X
1 ITA (Milani L., Mai E.)(07:21:70) 2 GRE (Mpiskitzi H., Giazitzidou H.)(07:25:60) 3 NOR (Ellingsen A., Gudem H.)(07:33:50)

LM 2X
1 ITA (Miani M., Luini E.)(06:35:20) 2 GRE (Polymeros V., Mougios D.)(06:38:60) 3 ITA (Petracci M., Gallo G.)(06:39:00)

W 4X
1 ROM (Costea A., Cristea D., Preda A., Harpa A.)(06:48:40) 2 LTU (Arbociute V., Romeryte A., Saltyte L., Vistartaite D.)(06:50:30) 3 CHN (Tu Fen Q., Tong Yun Y., Jin Zi Y., Wu Li P.)(06:54:60)

M 4X
1 ITA (Ghezzi L., Venier S., Galtarossa R., Raineri S.)(05:48:90) 2 ITA (Montrone D., Rosetti B., Tranquilli A., Borghesi F.)(05:53:40) 3 UKR (Pavlovskyi V., Lykov O., Biloushchenko S., Gryn S.)(05:54:40)

M 8+
1 ITA (Mornati C., Frattini P., Agamennoni L., Loriato P., Dentale D., Sartori A., Mornati N., Carboncini L., Iannuzzi G. -Tim.)(05:33:20) 2 CRO (Vujevic B., Boraska I., Skelin N., Begovic M., Begovic B., Maric H., Stojcevic J., Skelin S., Petrisko S. -Tim.)(05:34:10) 3 ITA (Peretti M., Salani E., Tonini S., Sansone L., Boschelli M., Palmisano A., Michelotti M., Cecchin M., Peraz S. -Tim.)(05:40:80)

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