Agostino ABBAGNALE

Agostino Abbagnale was the younger brother of the renowned Italian rowing twins, Giuseppe and Carmine Abbagnale. But Agostino bettered them by winning three Olympic gold medals – the 1988 quad scull, the 1996 double scull, and back in the quad in 2000. He did not compete in the 1992 Olympics because of problems with blood clots in his legs, which forced him to out of competitive rowing for five years. At the 1988 Olympics, Agostino jumped in the lake after his victory and landed on his boatmates, Davide Tizzano, knocking the gold medal out of his hand. It was not recovered until scuba divers found it two days later. Agostino Abbagnale also won World Championship titles in 1997 and 1998 in the quad, and silvers in the double in 2002 and as a sweeper with the eights in 1985. He retired in 2003 after a recurrence of his problem with blood clots.