Gian Giorgio Trissino (equestrian)

Count Giovanni Giorgio Trissino (22 July 1877 – 22 December 1963) was an Italian horse rider who won Italy's first ever gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris 1900.[1][2]

Gian Giorgio Trissino
Illustration of Trissino, c. 1920
Personal information
Full nameGian Giorgio Trissino dal Vello d'Oro
NationalityItalian
Born(1877-07-22)22 July 1877
Vicenza, Italy
Died22 December 1963(1963-12-22) (aged 86)
Milan, Italy
Sport
CountryItaly Italy
SportEquestrian
EventJumping
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1900 Paris High jump
Silver medal – second place 1900 Paris Long jump

Biography

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In Paris he tied to the gold medal in the high jump event with Dominique Gardères and was fourth in the same competition with a different horse. He also won a silver medal in the long jump event.

The history of the Caprilli substitution

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At the Summer Olympic Games in Paris 1900, in both competitions he won the two medals on the saddle of Oreste, a horse that was initially due to the great Federico Caprilli, his teacher, who, after sending his horses to France, was recalled by a telegram from the Ministry of War that forbade the expatriation to the military in career following the dissolution of the Chambers. This situation evidently was not well communicated to the judges of the race and this led to confusion to the point that in some books of gold it was erroneously indicated Caprilli in place of Trissino. According to some reconstructions Caprilli could indeed have reached Paris in disguise from Turin to complete the preparation of his horses, giving rise to fictional voices related to his active participation in competitions.[3]

Awards

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On 7 May 2015, in the presence of the President of Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malagò, was inaugurated in the Olympic Park of the Foro Italico in Rome, along Viale delle Olimpiadi, the Walk of Fame of Italian sport, consisting of 100 tiles that chronologically report names of the most representative athletes in the history of Italian sport. On each tile are the name of the sportsman, the sport in which he distinguished himself and the symbol of CONI. The first tile is dedicated to Gian Giorgio Trissino precisely because of the conquest of the first Italian Olympic medal.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Medaglie d' Italia Dall' oro di Trissino ad oggi: azzurri due volte sul podio" (in Italian). gazzetta.it. Retrieved 11 October 2018. La prima vittoria olimpica italiana nei Giochi moderni fu ottenuta nell' equitazione dal conte Giangiorgio Trissino su Melopo il 2 giugno 1900 a Parigi.
  2. ^ "Gian Giorgio Trissino". Olympedia. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Federico Caprilli - The revolution of the Dark Knight". storiedisport.it. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Inaugurata la Walk of Fame: 100 targhe per celebrare le leggende dello sport italiano" (in Italian). coni.it. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
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