Bruno Cipolla

Not yet 16 years of age, Bruno Cipolla had already won an Olympic gold medal and European title. The coxswain of the Italian coxed pairs, he led Primo Baran and Renzo Sambo to the European title in 1967 and the Olympic gold in Mexico next year. The Fiat factory presented him with a car for his victory, “I don’t even have a license. I’ll give it to my Dad, I hope he’ll get me a scooter instead.” A motorcycle accident later interrupted his career for half a year and he left the sport in 1971. He received in 2015 the Gold Collar for Sporting Merit from the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).

Having ended his sporting career immediately after the 1968 Olympics, Cipolla studied sports psychology and then worked as a psychologist with the Italian Rowing Federation between 1975 and 1980. In the same role he then joined the staff of important teams in his hometown of Treviso in the 1990s, notably Benetton Basketball and Sisley Volleyball.

Having been one of the youngest gold medallists in Olympic history, it was understandable that Cipolla’s love for rowing competitively returned and in the 2000s he took part in masters and university events.