The arrival of Riccardo Golini in Cressi is the news of the day, although, after all, it was not so hard to imagine his landing on a prominent team.

Riccardo, 26, we had begun to appreciate him on the Tuscan selective circuit, capable, as he was, of competing head to head with the most experienced underwater fishermen in Zone 3. But it was the recent Italian Qualifying Championships in Trapani, Italy, that was the stage that drew the spotlights of attention of the most attentive observers to him.

With two days of absolute regularity, in which he demonstrated a tenacity and competitive maturity of superior rank, Riccardo, at his first experience in the “second” championship, won, with a brilliant sixth place, the qualification to the next Absolute 2025.

The call from one of the most coveted teams was not long in coming, to further strengthen the team after the entry of the Vice World Champion, Luigi Puretti.

Today, Riccardo Golini is officially a Team Cressi athlete, and we immediately contacted him, to congratulate him and to let you get to know him a little better.

Riccardo Golini, new Cressi athlete, and Nino Piras Head of the Cressi Spearfishing Team, at the Acquasport store in Grosseto
Riccardo Golini, new Cressi athlete, and Nino Piras Head of the Cressi Spearfishing Team, at the Acquasport store in Grosseto

Apnea Passion Magazine: Riccardo, meanwhile, congratulations on this joining such a prestigious team as Team Cressi. What are your hot feelings? Did you expect this? How do you imagine it will be, this new experience in such an important team?

Riccardo Golini: I am very excited and can’t wait to fully start this new path. Although in these two years I have made some excellent results at the competitive level, I never expected that such a prestigious team could bet on me .
This new experience will surely help me to grow both on a personal and competitive level being able to compare myself with great champions and, why not, maybe bring my own contribution to this great team.

AP: Tell us a little bit about yourself: how did this passion for spearfishing come about? And, how did you get into the sport and the world of competition ?

RG: My passion for spearfishing was passed on to me by my father. I remember the first hand-held spears, at the age of 13-14, to the first speargun at 16. From there on, there was an escalation of spearguns and equipment. I got into the world of competitions because I have always played sports competitively, and, in particular, swimming, and I have always been used to competitions. Competition, precisely, is something that I really enjoy. Swimming has also been very helpful to me in spearfishing for aquatics, knowing how to be comfortable in the water is, in itself, fundamental.


AP: Would you like to tell Apnea Passion readers what are your regular fishing spots, what are your favorite fishing techniques and prey?

RG: Living in Grosseto, the areas I frequent most are Giglio and Argentario although I often move to Livorno and Elba. The types of fishing that I enjoy most are fall and raiding fishing. in the fall especially on Giglio, and, when I find clear water conditions, on Elba as well. The preys I like to catch most are groupers and whitefish.


AP: Your arrival at Cressi is so recent that we can only ask if you’ve already gotten an idea, “at first glance,” of the equipment, since, surely, you haven’t had a chance to try anything yet.

RG: Yes, that’s right. I still haven’t been able to try the equipment in the water although, through the catalog and the Acquasport store in Grosseto, I was able to see a little bit, although not everything. Of course, I realized that the quality but, more importantly, also the quantity of equipment produced by Cressi is really a lot and there will be fun to be had.


AP: Let’s talk about the upcoming Apulia Absolute Championships: how are you preparing? What are your emotions and how do you plan to deal with this first experience in the top series?

RG: For the Absolute Championship in Apulia, I am training a lot. I go almost every day for running and alternate with swimming. And I try, of course, to go to the sea as much as possible.
The Championship will be very, very difficult, both because of the number of athletes competing – there will be a lot of us this year(over 50 in the men’s race alone – ed.)! – but also because of the presence of the strongest fishermen in Italy.
But this, for me, will be a stimulus to do well and I will try, of course, to make my mark.

Riccardo Golini, new Cressi athlete, at the Acquasport store in Grosseto
Riccardo Golini, new Cressi athlete