Renato Gardini

Renato Gardini competed in the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games in the middleweight B division and was eliminated after losing to home favorite and eventual finalist Anders Ahlgren. Representing S.G. Virtus Bologna, he was the all-around Italian champion in 1913, after winning the Royal Pentathlon Cup (including sprinting, discus throwing, high jump, long jump, and Greco-Roman wrestling for three consecutive years from 1911-13).

In 1914, Gardini went to the United States, where he wrestled professionally. He became the world professional catch-as-catch-can champion in 1920 in the middleweight division and 1924 in Philadelphia (all-around). In 1929, he was awarded the gold belt with diamonds. In 1928, he fought against Dimitrios Tofalos, a Greek gold medalist at the 1906 Intercalated Games. He returned to Italy occasionally, where he taught wrestling to policemen in the city of Milano. At the age of 47, he still won a tournament in Bologna tournament. On a trip to South America to promote wrestling, he died due to an aortic insufficiency while in Santos, Brazil.