Salvatore Gionta

Salvatore Gionta took up aquatic sports as a teenager and had a lengthy and successful water polo career representing Italy. His first major international success came at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, when he won a bronze medal with the national team. Two years later, he followed that up with bronze at the 1954 European Championships, before taking home gold in the competition at the 1955 Mediterranean Games. He was not selected for the team at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, but returned in 1960 in his home country to capture the gold medal. In-between, he took bronze at the 1959 Summer Universiade. He retired from active competition shortly after the Rome Olympics, but continued to remain active in coaching and administration and, in 2015, was among the recipients of the Italian Olympic Association Gold Medal as a former Olympian.