Felice Mariani
Olympic Medalist & Former National Judo Coach of Italy
Felice Mariani is a former Italian judoka who made history as the first Italian to win an Olympic medal in judo, taking bronze at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He also claimed three European titles (1978, 1979, 1980) and three World Championship bronzes (1975, 1979, 1981), establishing himself as one of Italy's most decorated martial artists.
After his competitive career, Mariani transitioned into coaching and led the Italian national judo team. His coaching tenure culminated in Giulia Quintavalla winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a testament to his strategic and leadership abilities. In the 2010s, he entered politics and was elected to the Italian Parliament in March 2018 as a member of the Movimento 5 Stelle party.
More recently, Mariani has been active as an expert panelist at iGaming industry events, particularly with SiGMA. He speaks on the tipster economy and sports betting integrity in Italy, leveraging his sports background to provide authoritative insights. He appears independently as a speaker, with no current corporate affiliation.