Cyclor Emanuele Liuzzi and his second America’s Cup on Luna Rossa
Cheerful, sociable and energetic, Emanuele Liuzzi is a force of nature in both physique and temperament, making him the perfect addition to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's Power Team.
Born in Ponticelli (a suburb of Naples), he began rowing at the age of 15, drawn by the appeal of outdoor sports and the sea. He immediately fell in love with this discipline. Fatigue doesn't scare him: «When I was a kid, I would take a one-hour bus ride eachway to train», he recalls, «it was a sacrifice, but when you have a strong motivation pushing you, you can overcome every limit».
Determined from an early age to be a professional athlete, he achieved his goal in 2010 by becoming world champion in the under-23 category. In 2017 he won bronze at the World Championships overall in Sarasota in his favorite specialty, “8+,” in which he also competed at the Rio Olympics. Throughout his career he participated in 11 World Championships and one Olympic event. Later, he approached the world of sailing, another great passion, participating in various offshore races, until he joined the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team with which he competed in the 36th America's Cup - presented by PRADA as a grinder.
Now a cyclor in Luna Rossa's Power Team, he trains aboard the AC75 together with his “old” rowing friends, Cesare Gabbia, Romano Battisti, and Bruno Rosetti. «I spent many years with them, and I think our friendship is an extra gear, an important glue for team spirit. When I was rowing, I used to train 13 times a week and often did running and biking as well, so pedaling in a boat is not a new activity for me».
Ashore, Emanuele works in the HMI (Human Machine Interface) department, which is in charge of communication during training between the sailing team on the AC75 and the support boats, while also helping to maintain the onboard devices.
Being with the team is a great satisfaction for him: «When you walk through the gate of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, you enter a totally different world, where in every department there is a professional. There is so much to learn, and I feel very lucky to be part of this squad».
With one Cup experience behind him, Emanuele knows what to expect from the 2024 edition in Barcelona and is preparing with great professionalism and a pinch of superstition: «Last time we came very close to winning, today we need a little extra. So, I will bring all my friends a lucky horn! Seriously, we are a close-knit and prepared group. We can do very well and then, as we say in Naples, if you have “cazzimma” (grit), it comes out in the race».
