Mario USTOLIN

Italian Mario Ustolin dabbled in football, basketball, and rugby prior to taking up rowing as an athletic pursuit in 1941. His victories in several national senior events during the 1947 season were enough to earn him a spot on Italy’s national rowing delegation to the 1948 Summer Olympics. He competed alongside Francesco Dapiran in the double sculls event and was eliminated in the semi-finals by the eventual silver medal winning Danish team. In 1950 he won a silver medal in the same event with partner and future Olympian Silvio Bergamini and repeated this feat the following year with Bruno Cressa. He prepared himself to compete at the 1952 Summer Olympics, but was put out of a commission by an operation on a slipped disc. Shortly after he began coaching with his home club, Ginnastica Triestina, and remained there until 1965, when he switched allegiances to the rival club of Vigili del Fuoco. After another spell at Ginnastica Triestina, from 1971 through 1982, he spent three years at Canottieri Nettuno prior to returning to his longtime affiliation and remaining there until his 1991 retirement.