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The Ottoz family is a sporting family consisting of many athletes, one of whom became a manager in the world of athletics.

Sandro Calvesi (1913–1980), the capostipite of the Calvesi family, coached the Italian hurdler Eddy Ottoz (born 1944), who afterwards became his son-in-law through his marriage with Lyana Calvesi. Calvesi was also the first coach of French Olympic champion Guy Drut. He was also the promoter of the athletic club, Atletica Brescia.

History

Calvesi's wife was Gabre Gabric, a former athlete who participated at 1936 Summer Olympics and 1948 Summer Olympics. In 1936 she finished tenth in the Olympic discus throw event. Twelve years later she finished 17th in the discus throw competition at the 1948 Olympics. At the 1938 European Athletics Championships she finished sixth in the discus throw contest and at the 1946 European Athletics Championships she finished seventh in the discus throw event. In 2008 she competed at the Veterans Athletic Championships and, following the 2011 death of Alfred Proksch, was the last known track and field competitor from the 1936 Olympic Games to still be competing.

Gabre Gabric's daughter, Lyana Calvesi (born 1944), is a former athlete who afterward assumed the role of manager of several Masters athletics teams and before founding the athletic master club, Atletica Calvesi. She married Eddy Ottoz, a former Italian hurdler (bronze medal in 1968 Summer Olympics and 5 times European champion) before becoming the manager of the Italian National Olympic Committee from 2001. He represented Italy at the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, and the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City, Mexico, where he won the bronze medal in the 110-metre hurdles event.

The couple had three children. Laurent Ottoz (born 1970) is a former Italian hurdler and member of FIDAL committee. In 1994 26 years after his father, Laurent Ottoz, broke the national record by completing the 110 metres hurdles in 13:42 seconds in Berlin. After this he changed event to the 400 metres hurdles. His personal best time is 48:52 seconds, and in Italy only Fabrizio Mori has a better record. In 1995, Laurent set the fastest automatically recorded time for the rarely run 200 metres low hurdles at 22.55, surpassing the best previously set by Colin Jackson, arguable the best hurdler of that time. His mark is current world best performance. Patrick Ottoz (born 1971) is a former Italian hurdler, while Pilar Ottoz (born 1972), is a former Italian athlete who became a journalist with the Italian public broadcaster, RAI.

The Borlée family inspired by the Ottoz family

In an interview of 21 August 2013 released to the major Italian sports newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Jacques Borlée stated that he was inspired by his training methods to Sandro Calvesi, in turn the progenitor of one of the greatest families of Italian athletics, the Ottoz family. Calvesi was in fact the husband of the Berlin Olympian 1936 Gabre Gabric, father-in-law of the Olympic bronze medalist in the 110 m hs in Mexico City 1968, Eddy Ottoz and father of Lyana Calvesi, current president of the Atletica Calvesi club and coach of the sprinter Eleonora Marchiando.

International competitions

Records

Members of the Ottoz family set three records at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. At the 1936 Summer Olympic Games, Gabre Gabric, with her 10th place established the Italian record in discus throw. Twenty-eight years later in 1964, her son, Eddy Ottoz established the first Italian record of his career in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 13:9 seconds and, 30 years later in 1994, Gabric's grandson Laurent Ottoz, broke the national record of his own father Eddy, running the 110-metre hurdles in 13:42 seconds.

References

1. Gianni Brera (14 June 1991). "IL VERO MAESTRO DELLA FAMIGLIA OTTOZ" (in Italian). repubblica.it. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
2. "Eddy Ottoz - Biography". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Father of Laurent Ottoz; Son-in-law of Gabre Gabric-Calvesi.
3. "Gabre Gabric-Calvesi - Biography". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Mother-in-law of Eddy Ottoz; Grandmother of Laurent Ottoz.
4. "Sandro Calvesi il mago degli ostacoli" (in Italian). corriere.it. Retrieved 25 July 2012. La fama di Sandro Calvesi come mago degli ostacoli era così diffusa anche all'estero che molti campioni stranieri gli chiesero consigli e piani di allenamento, vedi il francese Guy Drut
5. "Atletic Brescia 1950 - Storia" (in Italian). atleticabrescia1950.it. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Il prof. Alessandro Calvesi, classe 1913, campione italiano di 1^ cat. nei 400 hs in gioventù e appassionato allenatore , più tardi tecnico di fama internazionale. Riesce a convincere a venire in aiuto dell'atletica i dirigenti del Brescia calcio e quelli dell'Automobil Club d'Italia.
6. 16th European Veterans Athletic Championships Ljubljana 2008 Archived 2008-08-21 at the Wayback Machine
7. Gjerde, Arild; Jeroen Heijmans; Bill Mallon; Hilary Evans (2009-08-04). "Revenge of the Last of the Class of '36". Olympics. Sports Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
8. "IX MEETING "SANDRO CALVESI"" (in Italian). fidal.it. 1 July 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
9. "Eddy Ottoz confermato nella Giunta del "Coni" per la terza volta insieme a Gianni Petrucci, ancora presidente" (in Italian). sportvda.it. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
10. Italian all-time list, men's 400 metres hurdles
11. "Daegu 2011 Statistics Book - Part 1 (of 5)" (PDF). iaaf.org. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
12. "Il Sorriso Graffiato" (in Italian). youtube.com. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Il filmato è stato realizzato dalla giornalista RAI, Pilar Ottoz, per il Settimanale della TGR della Valle d'Aosta.
13. "C'è un pò di Italia nel miracolo Borlée "Noi figli di Calvesi"" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
14. ^ Mediterranean Games - GBR Athletics
15. ^ "17th WMA World Championships" (PDF). world-masters-athletics.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
16. ^ "World Masters Athletics - Lahti results". world-masters-athletics.org. Archived from the original on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
17. "Grande esempio" (in Italian). it.sport.atletica.narkive.com. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Una curiosità: nello stesso stadio, l'Olympiastadion di Berlino, nel 1936 la nonna si classificò decima ai Giochi, il padre fece il suo primo record italiano il 30 luglio 1964, e il nipote, a trent'anni esatti, il 30 luglio 1994, stabilì il suo primo record nazionale (13"42 nei 100 hs) strappandolo al papà, che ancora lo deteneva...Coincidenza o destino?

External links

• Atletica Calvesi web site

• Athletics in Italy
• Italian families
• Italian sports families