ROME — Former canoe athlete Luciano Buonfiglio, who competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, has been elected as the new president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) on Thursday. His election comes as the organization prepares for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
Buonfiglio, aged 74, has led the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation since 2005 and was the candidate favored by the outgoing CONI president, Giovanni Malagò. Malagò completes his tenure after 12 years, spanning three terms, though he continues to serve as the president of the Milan-Cortina organizing committee.
Buonfiglio secured his presidency by winning the election in the first round, garnering 47 out of the 81 votes cast. His rival, Luca Pancalli, the long-standing head of Italy’s Paralympic Committee for 25 years, obtained the remaining 34 votes. Franco Carraro, an 85-year-old former member of the International Olympic Committee who ran as a conciliatory figure, surprisingly did not receive any votes.
In his speech prior to the vote, Carraro expressed his worry that the factions supporting Buonfiglio and Pancalli were in stark opposition to one another. Nonetheless, he encouraged his supporters to back one of the two main contenders. Buonfiglio had previously served as a vice president of CONI from 2013 to 2018.