Looks can be deceiving. At first glance, Gabriele Casadei stares at you with a mischievous grin while Carlo Tacchini appears to be the silent one.
But once they start talking, a different picture emerges. Their contrasting personalities come alive — Casadei is the quiet, shy one, while Tacchini leads the conversations.
Yet when they’re on the water, their personalities fade into focus. They are one unit — winners. The 2024 season was a historic one not only for the two of them but for Italian sprint canoeing.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, they won silver in the men's canoe double 500m, marking Italy's return to the podium in the discipline after 64 years.
While life has changed significantly for both since then, the banter and the camaraderie between the teammates are stronger than ever.
“He has had the most significant change because he has been a model since. I'm just kidding. I think it's pretty much the same. We keep on training and definitely, we have more responsibilities and that is the big difference. Now, we must continue to be the legacy of Italy in canoeing. We also felt a little bit more visibility,” Tacchini said.
Having set the standards, Casadei and Tacchini are aware of the pressure that comes with it, especially with a home International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint World Championships set to take place in Milan in August.
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But far from feeling overwhelmed, the pressure seems to fuel them. If anything, there is a hunger and motivation to grab a medal that has eluded them for a long time, pointing at how close the results have been in the C2 500m.
“People know our potential now and want us to perform. But I would say that's what makes it fun. We want to fight against the best and be at the top. Of course, the World Championships medal is the one that we missed in the past. So, you know, an opportunity to get that medal in your home country would be the best thing. We know how difficult it is. We want to put our feet on the ground and move forward,” the 30-year-old added.
As they dive into the preparations for the season, their bond becomes more apparent. Tacchini, by age and by nature, plays the role of an older sibling — poking fun at Casadei one moment, lifting him up the next.
“He is the most popular one,” Tacchini jokes as they speak about taking a break before resuming training.
“We took a little time to rest at the end of the season. I stayed in Mallorca for some days to relax and started training in October,” Casadei said.
Tacchini agreed. After four years of intense training, they both needed it but was quick to point out his teammate's mentality and eagerness to return to the grind.
Casadei returned the favour, underlining the hard work done by his counterpart for the sport before the Olympic medal.
“I think the canoe legacy in Italy after our medal has changed a little bit but before our medal, it was high thanks to Carlo. Now, it is harder, but we try together,” the 22-year-old Casadei said.
Speaking about their short journey together, Tacchini spoke about how they have evolved, but only after a chuckle and cheeky dig at Casadei's music taste.
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“Jokes apart, I think the most challenging part was to connect the two ways of working. Making that work together on a team boat was the challenging and interesting part. But we bonded together and got a big result. That's also the goal for the next season. We need to keep growing as a team. We have only paddled together for two years, and we need to know more about each other,” Tacchini added.
When asked about any rituals or traditions that help them sync up before races, Casadei shared a unique one.
“Before jumping into the boat, I dip the paddle into the water before the race and take it off to the sound. If it makes a particular sound, then it is great. Otherwise, something is wrong,” Casadei said.
As the conversation shifted to preparations for the World Championships in Milan, the duo shared about collaborating with the Institute of Sports Medicine and Science in Rome, one of the biggest changes in their routines since Paris.
With the ICF Canoe Sprint season a little more than a month away, starting with the World Cup in Szeged, the focus for them is the trials in April to determine the Italian team.
Casadei is also looking forward to taking on the course in Milan in the summer before the flagship event to familiarise and be ready.
“It is a process in the making. We are sharing a lot of data and getting feedback. I think we have a good chance of making the team, and we are positive. I think we both want to race C1 and C2. The next Olympic cycle is starting, and we need to get back to the racing feeling and get as much time on the boat as possible,” Tacchini said.
With all this in mind, the duo also had a message that extended beyond results.
They hope their success inspires broader change within the sport — especially in terms of gender equality.
“We hope that something has changed since our medal. We hope that we can have more and more high-level athletes, both men and women. Canoeing is not just for men. We need to focus on that a bit more and get more women involved. The clubs are getting bigger, and we hope they will start to reach a good high international level. But I think something is moving definitely. We hope we can play a role in helping them get there,” Tacchini concluded.
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