Novella Calligaris

Born in Padua but of Triestine origins, Novella Calligaris followed her brother Mauro in the pool, and at the age of 13 and a half, she was already part of the Italian National Team after winning her first Italian title.

The first Italian to win an Olympic medal in swimming, Novella Calligaris, after participating in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, set the European record in the 800 meters freestyle (9:38.0) in 1969, then won a bronze medal at the 1970 European Championships.

In 1971, he confirmed the continental record three times over the same distance, improving his times in the 400 meters and 1500 meters freestyle.

At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Novella Calligaris won the silver medal behind Australian star Shane Gould, and set the European record of 4:22.44 in the 400 freestyle. The following day she competed in the 400 IM, beating the national record in the heats and setting another European record for the bronze. In the final of the 800 freestyle, she won the bronze medal, with another European record of 8:57.46.

In the first edition of the FINA World Championships in Belgrade in 1973, Novella Calligaris reached the peak of her swimming career, winning the 800 freestyle in 8:52.97 and improving the world record by 0.7 seconds. Calligaris also won bronzes in the 400 freestyle and 400 IM.

In 1974 in Vienna, she concluded her competitive career at the age of 20, with a silver in the 800m freestyle and a bronze in the 400m freestyle.

At the end of her sports career, in 1975, Novella Calligaris began working with the most important Italian newspapers, including Corriere della Sera. Since 1976 she has collaborated with RAI as a journalist; in particular for RaiNews24 she still covers important sports events and various sections, from politics to culture, to sport. In the 1990s, Novella Calligaris embarked on a career in integrated communication and international marketing for large Italian and foreign companies.

In 1986 she entered the International Swimming Hall of Fame. On February 26, 2006, she was the Olympic flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin. A plaque was dedicated in her honor on the Walk of Fame of Italian Sport in Rome in May 2015, reserved for Italian athletes who have distinguished themselves on the international scene, and in 2019 she was awarded the Golden Collar for sporting merits.

On March 13, 2021, Calligaris was elected president of the Associazione Azzurri Olimpici d'Italia (ANAOAI), the first woman in the history of the association. Since 2023, Novella Calligaris has been responsible as the fifth full member of the Safeguarding Officer FGI commission.