Ferdinando Gandolfi was one of the strongest defenders in Italian water polo and was also gifted with an unstoppable shot. Despite making his début for the national team in 1989 when he won a bronze medal at that year´s European Championships, Gandolfi´s name is linked more prominently to the 1992 Olympics. At the Barcelona Games, the water polo final was between the hosts Spain, and Italy. It turned out to be the longest water polo match in Olympic history. With the scores level at 8-8 and with just 32 seconds of the sixth overtime period remaining Gandolfi scored what was the winning goal to gain national notoriety as Italy won the title 32 years after doing so at Roma in 1960.
Gandolfi completed his “grand slam” with victories in the the 1993 FINA Cup in Athens and European Championships in Sheffield, and the 1994 World Championship at Roma. He also won two gold medals at the 1991 and 1993 Mediterranean Games. Domestically, Gandolfi won six Italian titles. One with Canottieri Napoli (1990), four with Circolo Nautico Posillipo (1993-96), and one with A.S. Roma (1999). Additionally, he won the Champions League in 1997 with Posillipo. After his sporting career, Gandolfi devoted himself to his work as an engineer and as a sports journalist. He received in 2015 the Gold Collar for Sporting Merit from the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).
Italy