Chiara Pellacani completed a perfect European Championships in Paris, winning 5 gold medals in the 5 diving events she entered and establishing a record no diver had ever achieved at a single edition.
The 23-year-old Italian began her extraordinary campaign by helping Italy win the mixed team event. She then produced a remarkable double on the same day.
Alongside Matteo Santoro, the reigning world champions dominated the mixed synchronized 3-meter springboard with 305.85 points, nearly 20 ahead of their closest rivals. Less than 3 hours later, Pellacani successfully defended her individual 1-meter title, scoring 298.90 points and finishing 40 points clear of Switzerland’s Michelle Heimberg.
Her fourth victory came in the individual 3-meter springboard. Pellacani delivered another commanding performance, totaling 353.33 points to surpass the previous Italian record of 3 golds at one European Championships, set by Tania Cagnotto in London in 2016.
The final chapter arrived in the women’s synchronized 3-meter event. Partnering Elisa Pizzini, Pellacani led Italy to gold with an outstanding score of 308.07 points. The result completed an unprecedented 5-for-5 sweep and gave Pizzini her own place atop the European podium.
Pellacani had already become the first diver to collect 5 medals at one European Championships in Rome in 2022, but her Paris achievement went further – every medal was gold. Her success also lifted Italy to first place in the diving medal table with 5 golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze, ahead of Germany. A flawless week rewrote the history of European diving for Italy.
