Carlo Airoldi

Biographical information

RolesNon-starter
SexMale
Full nameCarlo•Airoldi
Used nameCarlo•Airoldi
Born21 September 1869 in Origgio, Varese (ITA)
Died15 June 1929 in Milano, Milano (ITA)
AffiliationsSocietà Pro Italia Milano, Milano (ITA)
NOC Italy

Biography

Carlo Airoldi could have won the first marathon of the Modern Olympics, but he was not allowed to compete, having been disqualified as a professional upon his arrival in Athina, where he had arrived on foot from Milano after having traveled about 2,000 km in 28 days because he had no money to pay for the trip.

Airoldi was a son of peasants. He was not allowed to compete in 1896, officially because the Olympics did not admit professionals and Airoldi, in 1895, had accepted a cash prize for having won a race of 1,000 km from Torino to Barcelona, but that money had been given to him for a reason. He was winning the race but, a few kilometres from the finish, another athlete had cramps, so Airoldi carried him on his shoulders to the finish, and the judges decided to reward him to allow him to go home by train. That was enough for the Olympic Committee to disqualify him from the marathon, and despite appeals, Airoldi did not compete in 1896.

Back in Italy, he lived for two years in the Lombardy Region and then moved to Switzerland in 1898. Later, after a short stay in Milano, he moved to Latin America to seek his fortune by performing various endurance feats. One time, at Porto Alegre, he was at risk of being lynched after losing a match against a horse.

Airoldi returned to Italy in 1902 and remained in the world of sport as a race organizer and then as a manager of sports clubs, the last of which was the La Veloce cycling club in Legnano. Airoldi was married and had six children. He died from complications of diabetes in Milan in June 1929. In Italy, in the 2000s, two books were written about his Athenian adventure.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1896 Summer Olympics Athletics ITA Carlo Airoldi
Marathon, Men (Olympic) DNS