Carlo Tacchini
- Country
- Italy
- National team
- Italy Canoe Sprint
- Born
- 1995
Carlo Tacchini is the Olympic silver medallist in the men's C2 500m — the man who, together with Gabriele Casadei, carried Italian canoe racing back onto the Olympic podium at Paris 2024 after a 64-year wait. Their 1:41.08 behind China's Liu Hao and Ji Bowen was Italy's first Olympic medal in the canoe discipline since the Rome 1960 Games. Born on 25 January 1995 in Verbania, Tacchini is a serving member of Fiamme Oro, the sports group of the Italian state police. For most of his career he was a single-canoe specialist: World Championship silver in the C1 500m in Račice in 2017, bronze over the same distance in Copenhagen in 2021, and an Olympic debut in the C1 events at Rio 2016. The double gave him a second act. With Casadei he has won European C2 titles three years running — the C2 500m in Kraków in 2023, the C2 1000m in Szeged in 2024 and the C2 500m again in Račice in 2025 — building one of the most consistent partnerships in the boat class. In 2026 he has logged 23 starts in the C1 and C2 across the World Cup circuit and the European Championships in Montemor-o-Velho, where he arrived among the [recognised medal contenders](/news/2026-eca-canoe-sprint-european-championships-preview-en), and has added a silver medal to the season's account. The World Championships in Poznań (26–30 August) are next on the season calendar, with Los Angeles 2028 qualification running through the world rankings — familiar terrain for a crew that has made championship finals a habit.