Courtesy: European Aquatics
Day two brought high drama and historic achievement to the European Aquatics Diving Championships as Germany’s extraordinary final effort snatched mixed 3m synchro gold from the grasp of Italy’s Chiara Pellacani and Matteo Santoro by 0.03 points.
Pellacani then showed world class resolve to win the women’s 1m springboard title and complete her medal set having contributed to the previous evening’s bronze medal performance in the mixed team event.
Germany’s Lena Hentschel and 19-year-old Luis Avila – the latter making his international debut in this event – had battled to keep in touch with the Italian pair, who were seeking a third gold in the mixed 3m synchro following their wins in 2020 and 2023 and who had also won two world silvers and a bronze.
A superb score of 70.20 for their third dive – a Forward 2½ Somersaults 1 Twist (5152B) – saw Pellacani and her 18-year-old partner extend their lead to 13.80. And a next effort of 62.31 left them with a comfortable margin of 9.51 going into the fifth and final round.
The Italians’ last dive of 63.00, boosting their final total to 289.71, looked like the coup de grace, leaving the German pair needing to score more than 72.51.
Their response, with a Forward 3½ Somersaults (107B) dive carrying a 3.1 degree difficulty, had the vocal German supporters in the Gloria Sports Arena whistling and cheering, at first in hope and then in amazement as the score of 72.54 came up.
A final total of 289.74 earned Germany this title for the third time – by the narrowest winning margin in the event since it was introduced to the Championships in 2016.
Describing her feelings ahead of the last round, Hentschel told European Aquatics: “This is not the first time for me to dive in this event, so I knew from viewing the scores that we still had a chance, especially because our last dive had more degree of difficulty than theirs.
“So we thought maybe it was still possible, we just had to do our thing and have a good dive. But I didn’t expect it to be enough at the end because they also did a good dive at the start of the final round.
“That it was so close – I had no idea! Our team told us afterwards. We just saw the 1 on the scoreboard and realised we won!”
Avila added: “Words can’t really describe how happy I am! This is our first competition together in international competition, and also my first ever international springboard competition.
“To be honest I was really nervous before the event, and before our last dive I didn’t even know what were the standings at the time. So when I came out and saw first place I was super-happy.”
On the subject of the winning margin Hentschel commented: “It feels amazing. When we saw that we had no idea. I think I was the one who was closest in the last competition, because it was 0.09, and how it is 0.03! So yeah, we made history and we are really proud of our performance.”
Bronze went to Britain’s defending champions Desharne Bent-Ashmeil and Ben Cutmore after a consistent and composed performance under pressure that saw them total 271.80, with fourth place going to Poland’s Kacper Lesiak and Aleksandra Blazowska on 260.40.
“It was a brilliant way to get started,” Cutmore said. “Following the success we’ve had today let’s hope there’s more in store for us.”
At 22, Pellacani had already accrued seven European titles, but today she earned her first 1m gold after bronze medals in 2020 and 2022 as she took over the lead from Hentschel in the second round and maintained her position with admirable efficiency.
Her margin became significantly more comfortable after her Reverse 2½ Somersaults (305C) dive in round three secured 64.50, extending her lead to 15.25 over Switzerland’s Michelle Heimberg, who was making her re-appearance in the European Championships after winning this title in 2023.
Moving into the fifth round Pellacani had moved 20.95 clear, and she made no mistakes with a final effort of 52.80 giving her a final total of 283.75.
Silver went to Sweden’s 21-year-old defending champion Elna Widerstrom, who moved past her Swiss rival in the last round to finish on 267.10, with Heimberg – voted female diver of 2023 in the European Aquatics Awards – claiming bronze on 265.90.
Addressing the mixed 3m synchro result, Pellacani said: “Of course we know we were so close to the gold medal, but we are happy with the result. It’s still a medal. I think we did pretty good – we just did some small mistakes, and that’s why we got the silver.”
Santoro added: “I had so much fun, I love competing with Chiara. We made some mistakes with some dives but we didn’t practice very much this year and we haven’t competed since the Doha 2024 World Championships so we are happy with the result.”
Asked how she had managed to perform so efficiently in her individual event after the tumultuous nature of the first final, Pellacani said: “I think it actually helped me a lot to focus a bit more. Also for me the more I compete the more I get comfortable, so I think things worked out pretty well. And I’m just very happy because I was missing this gold medal – it’s my first one in the 1m.”
Commenting on her third-round effort, she added: “I have been working on that dive! This is my first time competing with it internationally so I was a little nervous, but I knew this is the kind of dive that can give you those points that help you to win the medal, so it definitely felt really good to get that dive.
And I was just trying to keep it calm for the last two and keep it every-day normal!”
Widerstrom said: “I just feel like I was on a roll today. I was enjoying myself and having a good time, and that’s how I am usually at my best.
Commenting on the two final dives scoring 57.20 which moved her up from third to second place, she said: “My coach in America wanted me to put my two dives with the highest DD at the end so I can move up and chase the others – and today it worked!”
Heimberg said: “I took a break last year so it’s good to be back and on the podium again. It’s an amazing feeling. I didn’t train for six months last year and now I am just trying to have fun and enjoy my diving and today it worked out quite well and I am glad to come away with a bronze medal.”
Aleksandra Bibikina just missed earning Armenia its second ever medal at the European Diving Championships as she placed fourth on 257.65, with Hentschel taking fifth place on 252.75 ahead of Norway’s Caroline Kupka on 235.95.
Ukraine’s 16-year-old Kseniia Bochek, third at one point before her form faltered in round three, finished a highly creditable seventh with 232.25, one place ahead of Italy’s 30-year-old Elena Bertocchi, who won this title in 2017, 2020 and 2022.
