Luigina Giavotti was a member of the very young Italian team that won a silver medal in the gymnastics team event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. She and her teammates were trained locally in their native city of Pavia by the physical education professor Gino Grevi, who enthusiastically accepted the idea of forming a gymnastic team, despite few resources, and recruited the best students of the city’s schools.
Luigina Giavotti was the youngest of the group of 12 at only 11 years, 300 days old – through 2020, she remains the youngest known female Olympian. The group, called Piccole Ginnaste Pavesi, was on their first trip abroad and the silver medal was an exceptional result. They were congratulated by the Dutch Queen and the town Pavia greeted them joyfully on their return. In Roma they were received personally by Benito Mussolini.
Italy