by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interview: Caterina de Gavardo, Trieste Councilor for Urban Security; Walter Milocchi, Commander of the Trieste Local Police
More than 50 participants, including municipal police officers, military personnel and civilians, will take part Friday in Trieste’s first testing session for the Deutsches Sportabzeichen (DSA), Germany’s national sports proficiency badge.
The event marks the first time an Italian municipal police force has organized the examinations, after Trieste’s Local Police received authorization from the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB), the German Olympic Sports Confederation. The tests will be held at the Bruno Bianchi swimming pool and Campo Cologna athletics facility.
City officials presented the initiative Thursday at Trieste’s City Hall. Among those attending were Caterina de Gavardo, Trieste’s Councillor for Urban Security; Walter Milocchi, commander of the Local Police; Giuliano Crechici, deputy commissioner; and City Councilor Vincenzo Rescigno.
“This is the first municipal police corps in Italy to organize the examinations directly,” de Gavardo said, describing the event as both a sporting opportunity and a way to strengthen teamwork among officers and promote physical activity within the broader community.
A century-old German athletic tradition
Established in 1913, the Deutsches Sportabzeichen has been recognized as an official state honor in Germany since 1958. Originally associated with military fitness, it was later expanded to police forces and, beginning in 1993, to international participants.
Unlike a competitive sporting event, organizers emphasized that the DSA measures general physical fitness through age-adjusted performance standards rather than elite athletic achievement.
“The required times and distances are not comparable to national or world championship levels,” Crechici said. “They are realistic benchmarks for people who are in good health and maintain a reasonable level of fitness.”
Four fitness disciplines
Candidates must complete four categories of physical assessment:
- Swimming: 25-meter aquatic proficiency test
- Endurance: 3-kilometer run
- Strength: Shot put or standing long jump
- Coordination: High jump, long jump or rope skipping
Performance is evaluated according to the participant’s age and gender, with standards ranging from children to athletes over 90 years old. Successful candidates receive a gold, silver or bronze badge, which can be renewed annually.
Fifty-three participants
A total of 53 candidates are scheduled to participate: 33 officers from Trieste’s Local Police, including four women, and 20 civilians, members of the armed forces and officers from other police agencies. All Local Police participants are competing voluntarily and outside their regular working hours.
The examinations begin at 9 a.m. with the swimming test at Bruno Bianchi before moving to Campo Cologna for the remaining athletic events. The official examiner, known in German as the Prüfer, is a member of Italy’s Guardia di Finanza.
Those who successfully complete the tests will receive the German sports badge, accompanied by a medal and ribbon that uniformed personnel are authorized to wear during official service. Emergency medical support will be provided on site throughout the event.
