31.08.2007 -  02.09.2007

With the Arco della Pace (Arc of Peace) - Parco Sempione as an inspirational setting for the men's teams, the Northern Italian city will host the men’s Challenger after organized with great success the 2005 women’s stop in the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour.  In that tournament China’ Jia Tian and Fei Wang won their first-ever “open” international gold medal in Milan by defeating two-time FIVB World Champions Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede. The best finish by an Italian team in those four events was fifths the past two seasons by Daniela Gattelli and Lucilla Perrotta in Milan.  Italy also hosted women’s challenge events Vasto (1996), Porto San Giorgio (1999) and Portici (1999).

PAST ITALY MEN’S CHALLENGER/SATELLITE PODIUM PLACEMENTS

Medals - Italy 13, Brazil 8, Argentina 1, Australia 1, Czech Republic 1, France 1, Germany 1, Japan 1, Switzerland 1, Austria 1, Sweden 1.

Site                 Year    Gold Medal                  Silver Medal                Bronze Medal

Agrigento 1996  Francisco Alvarez/Juan Rossell, BRA  / Andrea Ghiurghi/Nicola Grigolo, ITA / Julien Prosser/Lee Zahner, AUS

Cagliari 1999  Marcio Araujo/Benjamin Insfran, BRA / Taichi Morikawa/Ko Ozaki, JPN / Markus Egger/Bernhard Vesti, SUI

Cattolica 2004 Pedro Brazao/Marcello Duarte, BRA / Fosco Cicola/Andrea Raffaelli, ITA / Alfredo Tabarini/Francesco Tabarini, ITA

Cagliari 2005 Kay Matysik/Markus Popp, GER / Eugenio Amore/Riccardo Fenili, ITA / Ian Borges/Pedro Solberg Salgado, BRA

Roseto degli Abruzzi 2005 Jan Ferreira/Para Ferreira, BRA / Alex Acco/Luizao Correa, BRA / Mariano Baracetti/Pedro Depiaggio, ARG

Rimini 2005 Alex/Luizao, BRA / Ricardo Lione/Matteo Varnier, ITA / Amore/Fenili, ITA

Alba Adriatica 2005 Amore/Fenili, ITA / Lione/Varnier, ITA / Jaroslav Pavlas/Miroslav Svoboda, CZE

Palinuro 2005 Amore/Fenili, ITA / Ghiurghi/Gianni Mascagna, ITA / Jean-Philippe &Mathieu Daguerre, FRA

Vasto 2005 Amore/Fenili, ITA / Bruno De Paula/Rodrigo Monteiro, BRA / Giorgio Domenghini/Diego Nota, ITA

Cagliari 2006 Gosch-Huber AUT / Amore-Varnier ITA / Berg B.-Brinkborg SWE