Ramon di Clemente

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Ramon di Clemente (born May 2, 1975 in Johannesburg ) is a former South African rower who, together with Donovan Cech, won the Olympic bronze medal in two without a helmsman in 2004.

Athletic career

Ramon di Clemente took part in Junior World Championships and U23 World Championships from 1993 . At the U23 World Championships in 1995, he and Steven Hasselbach finished fifth in the two-man team without a helmsman. In 1998 he formed a pair with Donovan Cech, and in this line-up the two rowed at all major championships for the next ten years.

Cech and Clemente finished eleventh at the 1998 World Championships . The following year they won the B final at the 1999 World Championships and qualified seventh overall for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney . At the Olympic regatta, the two reached the A-final and were sixth in the Olympics. In 2001 the two South Africans won the World Cup for the first time in Munich . At the World Championships in Lucerne, the British Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell won ahead of the Yugoslav two and Cech and Clemente. The following year, the two South Africans received the silver medal behind the two British at the World Championships in Seville . In 2003 in Milan, the Australians Drew Ginn and James Tomkins won ahead of the Croatian brothers Siniša and Nikša Skelin , Cech and Clemente received the bronze medal. The same finish took place a year later in the final of the Olympic Games in Athens . In 2005 the New Zealanders Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater won the World Championships in Gifu ahead of Cech and Clemente. At the 2006 World Championships in Eton , Cech and Clemente missed the A-final at the season highlight for the first time since 1999 and placed seventh. In 2007 in Munich , Cech and Clemente took fifth place again. After that, Cech retired due to persistent back problems.

Clemente started in 2008 with Shaun Keeling and finished fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing . In 2009, the two also reached the A-final at the World Championships in Poznan and finished sixth. In 2010 in New Zealand , Ramon di Clemente and his new partner Peter Lambert took seventh place. At the end of the 2011 season, Clemente ended his international rowing career.

The 1.92 m tall Ramon di Clemente rowed for St. Benedict's College Rowing Club from Bedfordview .

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personal data
SURNAME Clemente, Ramon di
BRIEF DESCRIPTION South African rower
DATE OF BIRTH May 2nd 1975
PLACE OF BIRTH Johannesburg