2025 in review: mixed diving

Chiara Pellacani and Matteo Santoro, mixed 3m synchro silver medallists at the World Aquatics Championships in 2022 and 2024 and bronze medallists in 2023, hit the top in Singapore as they earned Italy’s first world mixed 3m synchronised title and first world diving gold since 2015.

Pellacani, 22, who also earned her first and second world individual medals at these Championships, combined with her long-time 18-year-old partner to earn a dramatic victory with a total of 308.13.

The Italian pair trailed China’s Yajie Li – who had added women’s 1m springboard silver in Singapore to her previous gold and silver medals in the event – and 19-year-old Zilong Cheng, who had partnered Zhu Zifeng to a dramatic, last-dive win in the previous night’s men’s 10m synchro – by 11.70 after three of the five scheduled dives.

But Santoro and Pellacani moved into the lead after a fourth-round effort earned them 75.33 points, with the Chinese pair only managing a score of 58.50 after mistiming their take-off in their penultimate dive.

The Chinese pair rallied for a last score of 72.00, however, reaching a total of 305.70.

That left the Italian pair needing at least 66.87 points to move back into the lead.  There were exuberant celebrations after their final effort earned 69.30.

China were second – and soon they were down to third place as the new Australian combo of Cassiel Rousseau and Maddison Keeney – 1m springboard champion in Singapore and winner of this event at last year’s World Championships along with Domonic Bedggood – made a spectacular late bid for gold.

Needing at least 78 points to top China, and at least 80.43 to take gold, they scored 79.56 to finish on 307.26, just 0.87 off the top.

“It feels incredible,” Pellacani told World Aquatics. “We worked hard for this. We were trying to keep calm during all the dives and we’re very happy that we made it.

“I couldn’t believe it, we just started screaming because it was crazy to see on the board that we were first. It’s just emotions that are hard to describe.”

Santoro added: “We’re so happy. I didn’t expect it. I was hoping for this, but I didn’t expect to take the gold and to beat the Chinese pair.

“We cried because there’s so many emotions and we didn’t understand anything.”

Describing their final dive, Pellacani added: “The heart was beating really fast and it was a lot of emotions, but we were able to keep calm and do a great dive, so we’re very happy for this.

On the subject of what makes their partnership work, she responded: “I think it’s because we’ve known each other for so long. He was four years old and I was eight years old, and we started diving together.

“We grew up together, and it’s like a brother-sister relationship. I think this really helped us on the board because we trust each other and it just makes everything easier.”

Two months earlier the Italian pair had suffered the frustration of seeing what would have been their third European mixed 3m syncho gold turn silver as Germany’s Lena Hentschel and 19-year-old Luis Avila – the latter making his international debut in this event – earned the title by just 0.03 as they overtook the leaders with their final effort.

Hentschel and Avila, who went on to earn mixed 3m synchro gold at the Summer World University Games in Berlin, finished fifth in Singapore, one place above Poland’s Kaja Skrzek and Andrzej Rzeszutek.

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics

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