Franco Menichelli

Franco Menichelli was one of the most influential Italian athletes of the 1960s, and probably the greatest of all Italian gymnasts. He stood just 163 centimetres (5’4”) but embodied genius, talent, and innovation. As of 2024 he remains the only Italian Olympic champion in floor exercise.

Shortly after the end of World War II, at the age of six, Menichelli left Roma and moved to Lake Bolsena to stay with his uncle for the summer. There, he befriended the children of circus acrobats and playfully learned to do somersaults, handstands, and flic-flacs. They invited him to work with them, but Menichelli’s father forbade it because he wanted him to be a footballer like his younger brother Giampaolo, who went on to play professionally for teams such as AS Roma and FC Juventus, and the Italian national team.

After being introduced to artistic gymnastics, Menichelli fell badly during an exercise at the age of 14 and suffered a back injury, a problem that would affect him for his entire career. Despite that, at the age of 16 he joined the national squad and made his début the following year (1958) under coach Jack Gunthard. In 1960, Menichelli won the first of six national titles - in seven seasons. That same year, at the Roma Olympics he won the bronze medal in both the floor exercise and team event.

In the years that followed, Menichelli reached the podium at European and World Championships, culminating in his performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where he outperformed the host nation and Soviet gymnasts to win three medals, including the gold in the floor exercise.

Menichelli achieved further international successes, and at the at Mexico Games in 1968 was once again among the favourites, but during the floor exercise ruptured his Achilles tendon, which effectively ended his career. Later, after graduating from the ISEF (Higher Institute of Physical Education), he taught for many years and was coach to the national team from 1973-79.

In 2004, along with journalist Federico Pasquali, Menichelli published his biography “Franco Menichelli - L’imperatore del Giappone” and in 2015 he received the Collare d’Oro for Sporting Merit from the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).