Pellacani and Santoro win mixed synchro gold, Pellacani adds 1m title at European Aquatics Championships

Mixed synchro dominance

Chiara Pellacani and Matteo Santoro won the mixed synchronized 3m springboard title at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, finishing with 305.85 points. The Italian pair, already world champions from Singapore the previous year, led from the first dive and were the only duo to break the 300-point barrier. Neutral athletes Ilia Molchanov and Elizaveta Kuzina took silver with 286.17 points, while Germany's Luis Carlo Avila Sanchez and Lena Corona Hentschel claimed bronze at 284.19, overtaking Ukraine in the final round.

The victory returned Italy to the European synchro crown for the first time since 12 May 2021 in Budapest. Pellacani and Santoro's hardest dive, a forward three-and-a-half somersault pike, earned 69.75 points, and their closing effort scored 70.20 to seal the gold.

Round by round

Italy opened with 49.20 points after the first rotation, ahead of France (48.00) and a second neutral pair (47.40). After the compulsory dives, the Italians held a 165.90 to 159.00 advantage over the Russian duo, with Switzerland third at 152.10 and Germany fourth at 149.70. The gap widened to 235.65 against 223.17 after the fourth round, and the final dive removed any doubt.

Quotes and bond

Both athletes spoke about their partnership after the medal ceremony. Pellacani told Sky Sport: "It was a dominant race, but we were very prepared and together we always give our best." Santoro, who had struggled the previous day, said: "I really wanted to redeem myself after yesterday's bad day. I was quite nervous, but with Chiara everything is easier. In the first two dives my legs were shaking, but with her by my side I always make it." Pellacani added: "He is like my little brother, I'm a bit like his older sister." The two Romans grew up training together and now study and train in Miami.

Pellacani's second gold of the day

Hours after the synchro triumph, Pellacani returned to the pool for the women's 1m springboard final and won with 298.90 points. Switzerland's Michelle Luisa Heimberg took silver (258.80) and Britain's Desharne Bent-Ashmeil bronze (254.35). Italy's Elisa Pizzini placed fifth. The gold was Pellacani's third medal of the championships, following the mixed team event victory on Friday alongside Sarah Jodoin di Maria, Raffaele Pelligra and Riccardo Giovannini.

Italy's medal tally

With two golds, two silvers and one bronze, Italy sat second in the medal standings behind Great Britain at the close of the day. The diving team's European palmares for Pellacani and Santoro also includes bronze at Rome 2022, silver at the dedicated diving event in Antalya 2025, and gold at the 2023 European Games in Poland.