Emanuele Bruno won the first season of Physical Italia, Netflix’s physical competition show featuring 100 Italian athletes, claiming the €100,000 grand prize after a nearly two-hour push-of-war final against firefighter Tommaso Nisi. The 33-year-old Roman judoka survived a grueling 100-person tournament that culminated in a six-person final round also featuring Manuel Lombardo, Edoardo Papa, Matteo Sartori, and Giulio Domi.
A Family Tradition on the Tatami in Rome
Born in Rome on December 10, 1992, Bruno began practicing judo at age five. Martial arts run deep in his family: his mother, Sabrina Giungi, is a former Italian absolute champion who also competed among the 100 contestants on the Netflix series. His aunt, Alessandra Giungi, claimed the 52 kg world title in 1991, won two European titles, and finished third in the women’s demonstration tournament at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Bruno joined the Fiamme Gialle elite sports group of the Guardia di Finanza in 2011 after securing the Italian junior title in 2010 and the under-23 crown in 2011.
Bruno Wins Medals Across Three Weight Divisions
Bruno established his competitive credentials on the international circuit in the 66 kg division. In 2013, he captured a silver medal at the European Under-23 Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria, defeating Russia’s Yakub Shamilov in the semifinals before falling to Hungary’s Gábor Hagyó in the gold-medal match. He also took second place at the 2013 Italian Absolute Championships in the same weight class. As his career progressed, Bruno transitioned to the 73 kg and 81 kg divisions, collecting a bronze medal at the 2015 Italian Absolute Championships, a bronze at the Prague European Open in 2018, and a silver medal at the World Police Games in Milan in 2019.
Guinness World Records in Speed and Throws
Beyond traditional competition, Bruno set two unique records recognized by Guinness World Records. In 2024, he completed 54 shoulder-above martial arts throws in one minute on the Canale 5 television program Lo show dei record, demonstrating the explosive speed and movement control honed during his judo career. He followed that feat in 2025 by executing 22 flying armlocks in a single minute. Alongside his athletic pursuits, Bruno completed the CONI fourth-level European coaching course in 2021 and teaches judo at the Nippon Club Pomezia, his family’s sports facility south of Rome.
Overcoming Elimination on Physical Italia
Bruno’s turbulent path through the Netflix tournament involved facing elimination in episode five when his original team cut him during the Pillars of Hercules challenge. Reassigned as captain of a newly formed squad of discarded athletes alongside Tommaso Nisi, Pietro Checchi, and Sara Del Prete, Bruno led his team to victory in the heavy chariot race. He subsequently survived the punishing dead-hang test in episode seven, where competitors held onto overhead bars above a pool. That endurance test ultimately narrowed the field to the final six athletes, setting up his grueling victory over Nisi in the closing showdown.
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