Igino Ciabatti

Igino Ciabatti began rowing at the age of 20 with Canottieri Arno of Pisa and in 1907 finished third in the Italian Coxed Four Championship. He also tried his hand at sculling and was third in the national championship won by Erminio Dones. Having refined his technique and style, Ciabatti beat the stronger and more experienced Giovanni Battista Brunialti in 1908 to establish himself as the strongest Italian single sculler.

Selected for the 1908 London Olympics Ciabatti did not advance beyond the first round. After the Games, he alternated between rowing in eights and single sculls, but victories eluded him, and he was regularly relegated to the runners-up berth. Ciabatti gave up sculling following the arrival on the scene of the legendary Giuseppe Sinigaglia, who won eight national titles, was the European champion three times, and won the prestigious Diamond Sculls at Henley, prior to his untimely death during World War I.