Giampiero Galeazzi, historical voice of Italian sport, died in Rome.

Rai journalist, commentator, presenter and former rower, he was 75 years old and had been suffering from an illness for some time.

Originally from Piedmont, after graduating in economics his first love was rowing. In 1967 he won the Italian championship in singles and in 1968 in doubles with Giuliano Spingardi, also participating in the Olympic Games in Mexico City.

Then joining Rai as a sports journalist, first on the radio and then on TV, on Domenica Sportiva and on Wednesday Sport.

Unforgettable the commentary for the Olympic victories of the Abbagnale brothers in 1988 in Seoul and Rossi and Bonomi in Sydney in 2000, and the 90th minute conduction from 1992 to 1999.

In 1996 he participated in the Sanremo festival with Pippo Baudo. In 2010 and 2012 at World Nights and European Nights. On TV he had said goodbye for some time: his last appearance dates back to three years ago in a living room he knew very well, that of Domenica In.

REACTIONS - On social media there are hundreds of messages of condolence for "steak", as Galeazzi was affectionately called.

"Hi Giampiero! Thank you for having experienced sport first as an athlete and then as a journalist - the tweet of the Undersecretary for Sport, Valentina Vezzali -. Your voice, full of enthusiasm and passion, is linked to the memories of many blue emotions. I'm sure that tonight even the Olympic Stadium will remember you for how you deserve ".

"A great inspiration - writes Pierluigi Pardo -. Competence and preparation combined with the right dose of lightness and irony. An enormous pain".

"My big steak ... an important piece of my life goes away", the moving post by Mara Venier on her Instagram page.

"Rome, his city, greets him moved and will not forget him", the words of the mayor Roberto Gualtieri.

(Unioneonline / D)

The historical commentary by the Abbagnale brothers:

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