ROME (ITALPRESS) – The international beach sprint season, a rowing discipline poised to make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles 2028, kicks off next Friday. The beach in Mondello (Pa) is hosting the first of four stages of the Lido Filippi Trophy, named after the historic founder of Cantiere Filippi. As many as 398 athletes will be competing, ready to compete aboard 279 boats, powered by 45 Italian clubs and as many as eight, including clubs and national teams, arriving from Austria, Croatia, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland.
Great expectations are high for the competing champions. Among them, multiple world and European medalist Giovanni Ficarra (Peloro Rowing), a beach sprint specialist, who will compete among others with the stars of traditional rowing, ready to throw themselves into the new 5-circle discipline after the successes already accrued in the “flat water” field. Three names out of all: Olympic medalists Stefano Oppo (Carabinieri), Pietro Willy Ruta (Fiamme Oro) and Gabriel Soares (Navy).
Oppo boasts two medals in the Lightweight doubles, the silver won with Soares in Paris 2024 and the bronze won with Ruta in Tokyo 2020. In the women’s field, the spotlight will be on Federica Cesarini (Fiamme Oro), the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion in the women’s lightweight doubles, and Austria’s Magdalena Lobnig, bronze medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the women’s singles. The beach sprint format ensures entertainment for the audience.
The races, set on a 500-meter coastal course with a buoy turnaround, will feature a running start and finish on the beach. University and Master’s students will open the program Friday at 1 p.m., with the preliminary stages. On Saturday and Sunday, the start of the races will be at 8:15 a.m., with Under-19s and Seniors taking the stage. Next stops will be Lazise on Lake Garda (May 2-4), Taranto (May 23-25) and Marina di Castagneto (June 6-8) in Livorno.
– Photo Federcanottaggio press office –
(ITALPRESS).
