Bruno Bianchi

Bruno Bianchi was a specialist at short distances who débuted with the Italian National team in 1959 and won a gold medal in the 4x200 freestyle relay at the Mediterranean Games. A year later, at the 1960 Roma Olympics, he was sixth in the 4x100 medley relay. At only 16 he was Italian champion in the 200 freestyle and he was called “The Italian Konrads.”

In the following years Bianchi had many difficulties swimming in Trieste and did not participate at the 1962 European Championship in Leipzig. That year he left the swim club in Trieste and moved to FIAT Torino, where he was well-accepted. At FIAT Bianchi worked days as a clerk, and also enrolled at the University, studying engineering. In 1963 he was Italian champion in the 100 freestyle, repeating in 1964 as set the national record with 56.1.

Bianchi lost this record at the Tokyo Olympics to the young Pietro Boscaini, but in 1965 Bianchi won many events and became the Captain and leader of the Italian team. His career – 40 caps with Italy and 12 Italian titles – was not finished at the beginning of 1966 when he was called to compete in the important Bremen’s meeting.

While traveling to that meet, on the evening of 28 January, Bianchi died in an aviation crash alongside Olympians Sergio De Gregorio and Dino Rora, and several other swimmers – Amedeo Chimisso, Carmen Longo, Daniela Samuele, Luciana Massenzi, the coach and Olympian between the two World Wars Paolo Costoli and the well-known sports commentator Nico Sapio. At the funeral in Roma every coffin was covered by an Olympic flag.