Mandello del Lario, home of great rowers. If you grow up in this small town in the province of Lecco, your destiny, at least in sporting terms, is sealed. History proves it, as do the current exploits of a certain Andrea Panizza. And it is with him, one of the stars of the Italian four pair, that we continue our march towards Paris 2024 on Italia Team TV. "As a child I also played rugby, basketball and went swimming," says the latest athlete to come under the magnifying glass of Italia Team Stories, "but my mother, brother and two sisters were rowers and in the end I followed the family tradition. I also like the idea of continuing Mandello's history with the sport, like my many predecessors, including Carlo Mornati (now CONI Secretary General, ed).” In addition to his origins, the 25-year-old from Lombardy discusses his relationship with his teammates, the best memories and the biggest disappointments of his career. He then reflects on next summer's Olympic Games, for which he has qualified in the boat he shares with Giacomo Gentili, Luca Chiumento and Nicolò Carucci: "I want to bounce back after the fifth place in Tokyo 2020. There is a lot of work to do to arrive at the event in the best possible condition. It is definitely the first goal I have in my head when thinking about the future.” However, he is also looking further ahead: "I want to try to join the national bobsleigh team with the hope of participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. It's a sport I discovered by chance and I loved it from the very first time I tried it.” Make sure you listen to the interview with Olympic talent Andrea Panizza.

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