Wladimiro Calarese

Wladimiro Calarese was among the best Italian sabre fencers of the 1960s. Born in Sicily, in the mid-1950s he moved with his family to Torino where he worked at the American Consulate. In 1959 he won a gold and a silver medal at the Summer Universiade.

Calarese lived in Torino until 1967, after which he worked in the USA as an aerospace engineer for NASA. A left-hander, he competed at three Olympic Games, winning a total of four medals. He won individual sabre bronze at Roma in 1960 and medaled in the team events at Roma, Tokyo, and Mexico City. He competed at seven World Championships, winning bronze medals in Gdansk 1963 and in Paris 1965.

After his retirement in 1970, he returned to Italy occasionally, notably after the passing of his only son Gino, who died from pneumonia at only 20-years-old. In the 2000s Calarese developed heart problems and died from a stroke at 75.