Paolo Costoli

Paolo Costoli was one of Italy’s top swimmers between the Wars. He won 19 Italian titles in his career, including seven in the 1,500 metre freestyle. He also played water polo with Rari Nantes Florentia and won four Italian Championships and placed fifth with the National team at the 1938 European Championships.

At the European Swimming Championships Costoli won silver medals in the 400 and 1,500 freestyles in 1934, also taking bronze medals in the 400 and 1,500 in 1931, and winning bronze medals in the 4x200 freestyle relay in 1931 and 1934.

Costoli later became a coach. He was coaching the Italian team that was called to compete in the important Bremen’s meeting at the beginning of 1966. On the evening of 28 January Costoli died in an aviation crash alongside Olympians Bruno Bianchi, Dino Rora and Sergio De Gregorio, and several other swimmers – Amedeo Chimisso, Carmen Longo, Daniela Samuele, Luciana Massenzi, and the well-known sports commentator Nico Sapio. At the funeral in Roma every coffin was covered by an Olympic flag.

Every year the Federazione Italiana Nuoto, the Italian Swimming Federation, commemorates the victims of the crash in Bremen with the trophy Coppa Caduti di Brema.