Rita Peri

Rita Peri won her first Italian title at only 13-years-of-age on the balance beam, her favorite event. Her coach was Florindo Borgini and she débuted with the Italian Junior team in Roma in an event against Great Britain. She was the first athlete of Pro Novara to wear the Azzurro jersey. In 1971 she competed at the Mediterranean Games, where she won two gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, and also at her first European Championships in Minsk. That year she also won Italian titles on balance beam and floor exercise.

In 1972 Peri competed at the München Olympics and again won the Italian balance beam title. One year later she won the classic Gran Premio Federale and, in 1974, in her hometown, won the Trofeo Primavera. In 1975 she took two gold medals at the Mediterranean Games. The following year she captained the Italian team at her second Olympic Games. She ended her career in 1977 after two Olympic Games, as a four-time champion and nine-time medalist at the Mediterranean Games, with five Italian titles and 22 international caps.