Nicolás Covatti (born 19 June 1988) is an Argentine and Italian motorcycle speedway rider. He rides under an Italian licence and qualifies for the Italian national team and is a seven times national champion of Italy[1] and five times national champion of Argentina.[2][3]
| Born | 19 June 1988 Coronel Pringles, Argentina |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Argentinian & Italian |
| Career history | |
| Great Britain | |
| 2012–2014 | Birmingham |
| 2014 | Sheffield |
| 2015–2018, 2020 | Ipswich |
| 2018–2019 | Somerset |
| 2019 | Poole |
| 2020 | Kent |
| 2024 | Plymouth |
| Denmark | |
| 2015 | Fjelsted |
| 2024 | Region Varde |
| Individual honours | |
| 2008, 2013 2014, 2016 2019 | Argentine National Champion |
| 2013, 2015 2016, 2019 2020, 2021 2023 | Italian National Champion |
| Team honours | |
| 2019 | SGB Championship Fours |
Biography
editBorn in Coronel Pringles, Argentina, Covatti first came to the attention of the speedway public when he raced in the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Italy and was then signed up to ride for the Birmingham Brummies in the Elite League just days later.[4] He continued to ride for Birmingham the following year in the Elite League but suffered a broken wrist while riding as a wildcard in the Italian Grand Prix and lost his place;[5][6] He was not included in the team for the 2014 season.[7] After the team made a poor start to the season Covatti returned to Birmingham in May, replacing the British rider Edward Kennett.[6] With the Brummies folding during the season, Covatti joined Premier League team Sheffield Tigers in August.[8][9]
Also in 2014, Covatti represented Italy in the Speedway World Cup.[8] He was given a wildcard entry to the GP Challenge in Lonigo, and narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2015 SGP series, finishing in 5th place.[10]
A third consecutive Italian Championship was denied in 2017 after a second place finish.[11]
In 2018, Covatti signed again for the Ipswich Witches at the beginning of the season and then later in the season, he signed for Somerset Rebels after the controversial departure of Charles Wright. He was part of the Somerset team that won the SGB Championship Fours, which was held on 23 June 2019, at the East of England Arena.[12]
In 2023, he won his seventh individual national championship.[13] He joined the Plymouth Gladiators for the 2024 season[14] but suffered a serious setback after breaking his leg and arm in the 2024 Argentinian International Speedway Championship.[15] He did however represent Italy during the 2024 Speedway of Nations.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Pearson, Nigel (2012) "Nicolas Covatti wants to back at Birmingham next season", Birmingham Mail, 27 October 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2014
- ^ "HISTORICAL RESULTS 1930-2022 Argentinian Individual Speedway Championship". Historia Sportu Zuzlowego. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Birmingham Brummies confirm Nicolas Covatti signing", BBC, 13 August 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2014
- ^ "Birmingham Brummies: Nicolas Covatti agrees new deal", BBC, 13 December 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2014
- ^ a b "Elite League Speedway: Nico Covatti replaces Edward Kennett at Birmingham", Sky Sports, 6 May 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014
- ^ Turrell, Rhys (2014) "Speedway: Birmingham axe Argentinian rider Nicolas Covatti", Daily Star, 28 January 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014
- ^ a b "Sheffield speedway: Nico Covatti wants to return", Sheffield Star, 11 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014
- ^ "Covatti Joins Tigers", speedwaygb.co, 9 August 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014
- ^ "Birmingham Speedway: Covatti goes close.", worldspeedway.com, 21 September 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014
- ^ "Speedway, Covatti domina nella sua Terenzano". Messaggero Veneto. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Speedway: Somerset win Championship Fours". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Giorgio Lazzari (1 November 2023). "Speedway around the globe". Speedway Star.
- ^ "Covatti in to complete Gladiators". British Speedway. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "Covatti awaits surgery after crash in Argentina". FIM. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Antti Vuolas called up for Finland in Speedway of Nations". Cumbria Crack. Retrieved 22 August 2024.