Giovanni Zucchi

Giovanni Zucchi was one of the best Italian rowers of the 1950s and 60s. An honorary member of the Italian Rowing Federation and member of the famous Moto Guzzi club, he reached the highlight of his sporting career with a bronze medal in the coxed fours at the 1960 Roma Olympics. He also competed in the 1956 Melbourne and 1964 Tokyo Games.

Zucchi and the Italian coxless fours were favourites for gold at the Melbourne Olympics, particularly after winning gold at the 1956 European Championships, but they could only finish fourth in Melbourne. Zucchi won five golds, one silver and one bronze at the Europeans, in both coxless fours and eights. He also won two coxless fours gold medals at the Mediterranean Games, in 1955 and 1983. Domestically Zucchi won 15 national titles. His son Franco was a two-time Olympian (1988 and 1996), and grandson Davide Comini was a silver medalist at the 2019 Under-23 World Championships in Duisburg.