Oreste Perri

Oreste Perri was the most famous Italian canoeist until the advent of Antonio Rossi. Perri competed at three Olympics and made the final of every event in which he competed but never quite made a podium. He was more successful at the World Championships, winning six medals with four gold medals, won in the K1-10K in 1974, 1975, and 1977, and the 1975 K1-1000. He also won four medals at the 1979 Mediterranean Games, with golds in the K1-500 and K1-1000. During the Montréal Olympics, Perri stayed with his girlfriend, Carola Zirzow, who had won a gold and bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics. After this was discovered Zirzow was kicked off the GDR canoe team and the episode ended her career.

Perri was long unbeatable in Italy with 29 national titles. In 1985 he was named coach of the senior national team. In the 2000s he devoted himself to politics with center-right parties. From 23 June 2009 to 12 June 2014 he was mayor of his hometown, Cremona. In 2004 he was named an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and in 2019 he was awarded the Collare d’Oro for sporting merit.