Italy’s Chiara Pellacani, who competes for the University of Miami, capped a season of success at the international, continental and collegiate levels by being voted Women’s Diver of the Year at the 2025 European Aquatics Athlete of the Year Awards.
Pellacani Voted 2025 European Aquatics Women’s Diver of the Year
Release courtesy World Aquatics Communications Department
The Rome native claimed 41.56% of the vote after a season of historic achievement in individual and mixed competition.
Her defining moment of the season came at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where she partnered with Miami teammate Matteo Santoro to claim gold in the mixed 3m springboard synchro. The victory marked Italy’s first world diving title since 2015 and represented the culmination of a long-term project for the pair, who had previously collected mixed synchro silver medals at the World Championships in 2022 and 2024, as well as bronze in 2023.
“It feels incredible,” Pellacani told World Aquatics after the victory in Singapore. “We worked hard for this and tried to stay calm throughout the competition. To see our names at the top of the scoreboard was an emotional moment that is hard to describe.”
In addition to her synchro success, Pellacani made a major step forward individually at the World Championships, earning bronze medals in both the women’s 1m and 3m springboard events. Those results added to her growing collection of world medals and underlined her emergence as a consistent podium contender in individual competition.
Earlier in the season, Pellacani also impressed at the European Aquatics Diving Championships in Antalya, Türkiye, where she won gold in the women’s 1m springboard and added a silver medal alongside Santoro in the 3m synchro. Her performances across multiple championships helped establish her as one of the most versatile and reliable divers on the international circuit.
Second place in the public vote, with 34.49%, went to Switzerland’s Michelle Heimberg, the 2023 recipient of the Women’s Diver of the Year award. Heimberg returned to international competition in 2025 after taking time away from the sport following her unsuccessful bid to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
At the European Championships in Antalya, Heimberg delivered a strong comeback performance, winning gold in the women’s 3m springboard and bronze in the 1m event. The results mirrored her medal haul from the European Games two years earlier and further extended her impressive European championship record.
“I’m really proud of myself for staying calm and enjoying the competition,” Heimberg told European Aquatics after her 3m victory. “After a difficult period, I found my joy in diving again, and that made a big difference.”
Germany’s Pauline Pfeif finished third in the voting with 12.37% after a breakthrough season of her own. Pfeif earned her first world medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, taking silver in the women’s 10m platform. She also collected four medals at the European Championships, including silvers in the team event and individual platform.
Pfeif’s team-mate Lena Hentschel placed fifth in the overall voting following a season that included European mixed 3m synchro gold and strong finishes at the World Championships and the FISU World University Games.
Fourth place went to Italy’s Sarah Jodoin Di Maria, who claimed the first individual European gold of her career by winning the women’s 10m platform title in Antalya, adding to her growing list of continental medals.
Pellacani’s victory reflects a season of sustained excellence and progression, confirming her status as one of the leading figures in women’s diving as the sport continues to evolve on the global stage.
