Carlo Toniatti

Carlo Toniatti became a member of the Canottieri Diadora of Zara rowing club at a young age, thanks to the encouragement of his older brother Alfredo, who was also an excellent rower. From the age of 16 until the years leading up to World War I, Carlo had started to make his mark in the sport, but his career was interrupted as he served on the front line during the War.

Upon his return to the sport after the hostilities, Toniatti helped Diadora become a dominant force in Italian rowing between 1920-24. In 1922 he was in the Italian eight that won the silver medal at the Barcelona European Championships, and the gold medal the following year at Como. At the 1924 Paris Olympics he collected a surprise bronze medal as Italy finished third behind the United States and Canada.

When the Diadora team disbanded immediately after the Olympics, Toniatti moved to Napoli, where he continued his career with the Circolo Nautico Giovinezza team, whose honorary president was Benito Mussolini. After a successful two years with them between 1925-27, Toniatti retired as a rower, but stayed in Napoli as coach of Giovinezza (later Posillipo) until 1935, after winning three under-23 Italian titles.