Water polo: farewell to Geppino D’Altrui, captain of the 1960 Settebello d’Oro

Neapolitan, Pescara by adoption, he was 89 years old. His son Marco also won the Games in 1992

He would have turned 90 on April 9th, but Geppino D’Altrui left us before receiving a special celebration. Neapolitan, Pescara by adoption, he was leader of the Settebello who won the 1960 Rome Games under the guidance of Zolyomy. La Gazzetta wrote on that occasion: “He is the still young captain who boasts dozens of international matches, he is silent but he is everywhere and supports his technical and moral task in a perfect way”. He was in fact a mild and reserved man. He played in Rari Nantes Napoli and Fiamme Oro, he was coach of Rari Nantes Napoli, Salerno, Mameli, Chiavari and Pescara which he led to the first promotion to Serie A in 1977. Geppino – born Giuseppe – had also played in the 1956 Games in the water and 1964, he won the European bronze in 1954 in Turin and the Mediterranean Games in Barcelona in 1955 and in Naples in 1963. In 2015 CONI awarded him the Golden Collar for sporting merit. His son Marco also made history, winning the grand slam (Olympic, European and world gold between 1992 and 1994) with Rudic, when he visited the Gazzetta with D’Altrui senior. He is now the coach of the Pescara Aquatic Club. Marco said: “Dad told me that my Olympic gold is worth even more than his because it was won on the field of my opponents, the Spaniards.” Both are inducted into the Water Sports Hall of Fame. Geppino in the Abruzzo capital was coach of Franco Di Fulvio (later winner of the 1987 treble), father of Francesco – captain of today’s Settebello – who instead had Marco as his first coach, in Simply.

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