Giorgio Cagnotto

Franco Giorgio Cagnotto (born June 2, 1947) is a former diver from Italy, who competed in five consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country, starting in 1964. He is considered to be one of the world's most prolific divers during the 1960s and 1970s.

Cagnotto was born in Turin. At the age of eight, he began to train with this uncle, professional diver Lino Quattrini. Just eight years later he found himself competing in the 1964 Summer Olympics, kicking off an Olympic career of sixteen years.

Cagnotto was best off the springboard, but medaled in the platform as well. After Tokyo, he competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, but it was during his third Olympic effort in the 1972 Munich Games that he earned a silver medal for his performance on the springboard and a bronze in the platform competition. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, he won his third Olympic medal – a silver in the springboard competition. He retired at the age of thirty-two after earning his fourth Olympic medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, where he again medaled in the springboard competition, taking the bronze.

Cagnotto was competing at a time when diving competition was dominated by fellow countryman Klaus Dibiasi, the only diver to win gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games. Holder of two gold, two silver, and two bronze European Cup Championships and a medal winner in every European championship from 1966 through 1977, Cagnotto won eight outdoor and twelve indoor Italian National Championships. Both Cagnotto and Dibiasi were coached by Carlo Dibiasi, a former Italian National Champion with a long career in the sport.

Cagnotto's daughter Tania later also represented Italy in diving. In 1992, he was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

References

* [http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=CAGNOFRA01 databaseOlympics]
* [http://olympics.flipnrip.com Diving at the Olympics on flipnrip]
* [http://www.ishof.org/92fgcagnotto.html Profile in ISHOF-site]