The Italian Job © Detlev Seyb / Myrowingphoto.Com

18 DEVELPOMENT

The Italian job © Detlev Seyb / MyRowingPhoto.com

Antonio Alfine is Italy’s technical director of rowing. He coordinates the work of seven head coaches with the task of making the National Rowing Centre in Piediluco working at its best.

Alfine, 52, has experience that goes back to What about the Under-23s? The selection process What is the status of athletes in Italy? his own rowing days on the national team. He is similar to that of the juniors and the selection Italy’s Junior Men’s Eight went on to join the National Rowing Centre in regatta is done together with the junior rowers. The junior rowers and some of the under-23s are (Marco di Costanzo, Piediluco 21 years ago under Thor Nilsen helping The best are sent to the World Rowing Under 23 students. For the other under-23s and seniors, the Matteo Macario, Roberto in a technical role. In 2001 Alfine became technical Championships. The same rules also apply for club best ones have the possibility of joining the police, Bianco, Fabio Vigliarolo, director assistant and he is now nearly two years crews who win the selection regatta. the marines or a couple of government positions. Giuseppe Vicino, Enrico into the role of technical director at a time when In some cases, a wealthy club may pay its athletes. D’Aniello, Vincenzo Abbagnale, Italy is working on rebuilding their success. How does this compare to selection at the Senior This is the case for Rossano Galtarossa in Padova. Simone Angeloni, level? At the senior level, the technical comission Bernardo Nannini) won bronze Alfine talked to FISA commission member look at results from regional and national regattas. Is there much interaction between the squads? at the 2010 World Rowing Junior Pat Lambert about the selection process and the The Italian Federation then invites the best for a test Championships. life of those on Italy’s elite rowing team. to make up the national team. Here, again, there There is regular contact between junior and under- is a possibility for clubs to qualify boats – if a club 23 rowers through the technical commission Tell us about the selection process boat wins at a national regatta they are invited to and also between the under-23s and the seniors. the Memorial Paolo d’Aloja Regatta which is held at Juniors and lightweights train together in Piediluco. How do the Italian Juniors get selected? Three Piediluco in April. If the crew wins both days, they are There is also regular contact and interaction on members of Italy’s technical commission go on invited to participate in a Rowing World Cup event. a personal basis between rowers using social a talent discovery tour. They visit clubs and do A medal at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup ensures networking tools for their social and rowing life ergometer and physiological tests. They also attend a place on the World Rowing Championships team, regional and national regattas. The best athletes but it may be in combination with other athletes. “There is a good interaction between juniors, under- are invited to a selection regatta to which clubs 23s and under-23s and seniors,” says Alfine. “Very can also send crews. The winners are invited to a Alfine insists that this possibility for clubs to qualify often the head coaches are participating in the training camp before they compete at the junior boats/rowers is politically very important and others’ training camps to know and evaluate the worlds and the Coupe de la Jeunesse. stimulating. training and technical status of the athletes.” >

Issue 15 – December 2010 19 DEVELPOMENT

> The Italian job

Italy 2010 medal table > Tell us about women’s rowing in Italy This year the Federation has also restarted the Youth Gold Silver Bronze Total College in Piediluco – after a break of five years – to Senior + adaptive 1 4 2 7 As the level of women’s rowing has been quite allow juniors to stay on rowing and develop into Under 23 3 1 4 low, the technical commission has defined specific the senior squad. Agostino Abbagnale will be in Junior 3 2 5 objectives for women’s rowing and already results charge of this college. 4 8 4 16 are starting to show. Dutch Olympic gold medal coach, Josie Verdonkschot is in charge of all the Where does the Italian squad traditionally senior women. train?

What keeps the Italians rowing? During the winter all groups train together at the national training centre in Piediluco as the climate The Italian Federation is dealing with the problem and conditions are better there in winter. When of drop out from the sport when the junior rowers speciﬁc preparation begins, the rowers split into go to university, so the Federation puts emphasis their various squads as they cannot all stay there. on how to retain these athletes. Only six juniors Also, it is important for each group to focus on Leonardo Pettinari – a role model for young Italian rowers from 2009 competed at the under-23s this year. their own objectives.This is when the women go There are now two university colleges (Ferrara to Varese, the under-23s to Sabaudia, the juniors Olympic medallist and World Champion, and Pavia) where students can row and study and and lightweight stay in Piediluco and the seniors Leonardo Pettinari is a member of the Italian Federation tutors from the Federation keep an eye on them. are split between Piediluco and Varese. and wants to bring all the experience he gathered during Pat Lambert/M.S.B his long rowing career at federal level to help develop rowing in Italy. Pettinari, now retired from elite rowing, Italy’s 2010 Under-23 went to this year’s World Rowing Junior Championship World Champions in the as a mentor, a role model for the Italian juniors an d Lightweight Quadruple Sculls: discovered the athletes were keen to learn as much as Deborah Battagin, Sabrina Noseda, possible from Pettinari’s experience. Giulia Pollini and Eleonora Trivella. Pettinari also works to discover new talent. One of his discoveries is Matteo Baluganti whom Pettinari spotted doing xed seat rowing. Pettinari suggested to Baluganti’s coach that Baluganti should try Olympic rowing and he is now part of the national team.