Trieste’s Culture Takes the Plunge at Ausonia: Jury Announced for the 19th Olimpiade dele Clanfe
Trieste’s Culture Takes the Plunge at Ausonia: Jury Announced for the 19th Olimpiade dele Clanfe
This year's Jjury of the Olimpiade dele Clanfe will have a distinctly cultural flavour—or rather, a cultural-and-seaside one. Five prominent personalities from Trieste’s cultural world—two museum directors and three actors—will judge the dives, the splashes, and, above all, the morbin, the uniquely Triestine spirit of wit, fun and showmanship that defines the event.
The Jury will include Riccardo Cepach, director of Trieste’s LETS Literary Museums dedicated to Italo Svevo and James Joyce; Rino Lombardi, founder and president of the Museum of the Bora Wind; Enza De Rose, actress and theatre producer at Teatro La Contrada; Lara Komar, actress working in both Italy and Slovenia; and Samuel Volturno, the young actor who starred in Laura Samani’s film One Year of School. Once again, the line-up perfectly reflects the true nature of the Olimpiade dele Clanfe: a diving competition, certainly, but also a great community celebration, a collective ritual, and a stage where Trieste joyfully performs its own identity. Costumes, comic sketches, disguises, battle cries, applause in mid-air, and everything else that can transform a simple dive into a memorable performance are all part of the show.
The event will take place on Saturday, 25 July 2026, starting at 1:00 p.m., at Ausonia Beach Resort, Riva Traiana 1, Trieste. In case of bad weather, it will be postponed to Sunday, 26 July.
The format remains the same as in previous years. Each participant will perform one dive, choosing between the traditional clanfa, the bomb, or the testabalòn/kamikaze. The Jury will evaluate the technical style of the dive, the size of the splash, and the morbin—the competitor's ability to entertain the audience with a genuine artistic performance. Because at the Olimpiade dele Clanfe, simply entering the water is never enough: you have to leave a lasting ripple in the city's memory.
As tradition dictates, competitors may once again attempt to "bribe" the Jury—but only with food and drinks. No money, no secret deals, no shady business: any bribery must be public, openly declared, and entirely edible. This humorous tradition has accompanied the event since its very first edition and serves as a playful reminder of some less admirable human habits.
First organised almost as a joke in 2008, the Olimpiade dele Clanfe has grown into one of Trieste’s most eagerly awaited summer events, bringing together people of all ages: children, teenagers, adults, families, friends, grandparents and grandchildren, all united by the same noble mission—to make the biggest splash possible while having as much fun as possible.
Competitors will be divided into age categories, from the youngest participants to the most experienced divers. There will also be a special U.F.O. category dedicated to the dives with the highest degree of difficulty.
The event will once again be broadcast live on Telequattro MediaNordEst, allowing those unable to attend Ausonia to enjoy Trieste’s biggest collective splash from home.
Registration is mandatory and must be completed online at www.spiz.it by Thursday, 23 July 2026. The official entry form must then be signed in person by Friday, 24 July.
