Italy takes three silver medals at European Aquatics Championships in Paris

Women's 20m high diving

Elisa Cosetti won silver in the women's 20m high diving at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, scoring 297.20 points across four rounds held over two days. The 24-year-old from Giulia finished behind Ukraine's Nelli Chukanivska, who took gold with 324.70 points. Germany's Maike Elena Halbisch completed the podium with 292.15 points for bronze. The competition took place from a 20-metre platform positioned along the Seine, in front of the Eiffel Tower.

After the first two jumps on Thursday, Cosetti held second place with 141.80 points. Her opening dive, a reverse somersault in three positions, scored 58.50. Her second dive, a double back somersault with one twist, scored 83.30. At that stage she trailed Chukanivska (152.30) and led Switzerland's Morgane Herculano (138.60) and Germany's Iris Schmidbauer (136.35). The intermediate standings shifted after the final two rounds, with Halbisch ultimately climbing to bronze while Herculano and Schmidbauer dropped out of the podium positions.

Cosetti held her second place through the final two rounds on Saturday. Her third dive, a triple barani forward piked, scored 68.90 and was noted for its particularly clean entry. Her fourth and final dive, a quadruple barani return tucked, scored 87.40 and was described as impeccable for elegance, fluidity and power. The four-dive total of 297.20 secured her the silver medal, behind Chukanivska's 324.70 and ahead of Halbisch's 292.15.

Men's 20m high diving

Andrea Barnaba replicated Cosetti's result in the men's 20m high diving final, winning silver with a score of 386. Romania's Catalin Petru Preda took gold, while France's Gary Hunt secured bronze. Barnaba's podium finish matched Cosetti's silver in the women's event, giving Italy a pair of second-place finishes in the high diving competitions at these championships. The consecutive silvers in the men's and women's 20m events gave the Italian diving team a double podium placement on the same day at the Paris championships, with both divers reaching the same step of the podium in their respective competitions.

Mixed 4x1.5km relay

Italy claimed a third silver of the day in the mixed 4x1.5km relay. The quartet comprised Barbara Pozzobon, Ginevra Taddeucci, Marcello Guidi, and captain Gregorio Paltrinieri, who swam the final and decisive leg. Germany won gold, with Hungary taking bronze. Paltrinieri, serving as team captain, anchored the relay in the last position, bringing Italy home for its third silver medal of the session. The relay was the last of three Italian silvers secured on August 8 at the championships in Paris.

Cosetti's progression and Italy's medal tally

Four years ago at Rome 2022, Cosetti took bronze in what was essentially her debut in an international competition, finishing third in the same 20-metre high diving event. Her silver in Paris represents an improvement on that result, upgrading from the third step of the podium to the second. Cosetti's medal was reported as Italy's 22nd placement at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris. Barnaba's silver and the relay silver, both secured on the same day, added further to the Italian tally at the championships.