Matteo Santoro (born 9 October 2006) is an Italian diver. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, he won a silver medal in the 3 metre mixed synchronised springboard. At the LEN European Aquatics Championships, he won a gold medal in the 3 metre mixed synchronised springboard in 2021 at 14 years of age and a bronze medal in the same event in 2022 at 15 years of age. He is a five-time World Junior Championships gold medalist and a four-time European Junior Championships gold medalist.

Matteo Santoro
Personal information
NationalityItalian
Born (2006-10-09) 9 October 2006 (age 18)[1]
Rome, Italy
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb)
Sport
Countryitaly
SportDiving
Event(s)1 m springboard,
3 m springboard,
3 m synchronised,
3 m mixed synchronised,
mixed team event
ClubM.R. Sport Fratelli Marconi
Coached byDomenico Rinaldi
Medal record
Men's diving
Representing  Italy
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Championships 0 2 1
European Championships 1 0 1
World Junior Championships 5 0 0
European Junior Championships 4 0 0
Total 10 2 2
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2022 Budapest 3 m mixed synchro
Silver medal – second place 2024 Doha 3 m mixed synchro
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Fukuoka 3 m mixed synchro
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Kraków-Małopolska 3 m mixed synchro
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2020 Budapest 3 m mixed synchro
Silver medal – second place 2024 Belgrade 1 m springboard
Silver medal – second place 2024 Belgrade 3 m springboard
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Rome 3 m mixed synchro
European Diving Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Rzeszów 3 m mixed synchro
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Kyiv 3 m springboard B
Gold medal – first place 2021 Kyiv mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2022 Montreal 1 m springboard
Gold medal – first place 2022 Montreal 3 m springboard
Gold medal – first place 2022 Montreal 3 m synchronised
European Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Otopeni 1 m springboard
Gold medal – first place 2022 Otopeni 3 m springboard
Gold medal – first place 2022 Otopeni 3 m synchronised
Gold medal – first place 2022 Otopeni mixed team

Background

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Santoro was born 9 October 2006 in Rome and trains with Rome-based club M.R. Sport Fratelli Marconi, where he is coached by Domenico Rinaldi.[1]

Career

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2021

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2020 European Aquatics Championships

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2020 European Championships
  3 m mixed synchronised 300.69

At 14 years, 215 days of age, Santoro won his first medal at a senior international championships, winning the gold medal in the 3 metre mixed synchronised springboard with his partner Chiara Pellacani at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships, held in May 2021 at Danube Arena in Budapest, Hungary, with a final mark of 300.69 points.[2][3][4]

2021 World Junior Championships

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Seven months later, in December in Kyiv, Ukraine for the 2021 FINA World Junior Diving Championships, Santoro started off with a gold medal in the mixed team event on day one, helping achieve the highest mark of 309.95 points.[5] Two days later, on 4 December, he placed eighth in the 3 metre synchronised springboard final with his partner Matteo Cafiero and a score of 222.81 points.[6] The same day, he earned a score of 367.15 points in the final of the 1 metre springboard for age group B to place eighth in the age group.[7] For his final event, the 3 metre springboard on the sixth of seven days of competition, he won the gold medal for age group B with a score of 493.30 points and shared the podium with his 3-metre synchronised springboard partner, Matteo Cafiero, who won the bronze medal.[8][9]

2022

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2022 World Aquatics Championships

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2022 World Championships
  3 m mixed synchronised 293.55

For his first senior World Aquatics Championships, the 2022 World Aquatics Championships with diving contested in June in Budapest, Hungary when he was 15 years old, Santoro and his partner Chiara Pellacani won the silver medal in the 3 metre mixed synchronized springboard with a score of 293.55 points, which was 30.6 points behind the gold medal-winning duo representing China and 5.94 points ahead of the bronze medal-winning duo representing Great Britain.[10][11][12] With his win at 15 years and 263 days of age, he became the youngest Italian diver to medal at a World Aquatics Championships.[11]

2022 European Junior Championships

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In July, at the 2022 European Junior Diving Championships in Otopeni, Romania, Santoro won the gold medal in the 1 metre springboard with a score of 478.15, finishing 0.05 points ahead of silver medalist and fellow Italian Stefano Belotti.[13][14][15] In the 3 metre springboard, he earned a score of 858.60 points in the final, winning the gold medal.[14] For his two partner and team events, he won a gold medal in the 3 metre synchronised springboard with his partner Stefano Belotti and a score of 284.49 points as well as a gold medal in the mixed team event (termed jump event for the competition) where he and his three teammates (2 female and 1 male) achieved a final mark of 300.85 points.[15]

2022 European Aquatics Championships

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2022 European Championships
  3 m mixed synchronised 283.56

Returning to the European Aquatics Championships at the 2022 European Aquatics Championships, contested in his home county in Rome in August, Santoro competed in the 3 metre synchronised springboard with partner Chiara Pellacani, scoring 17.13 points less than their score from 2021 with a final mark of 283.56 points, which earned them the bronze medal 11.13 points behind gold medalists Lou Massenberg and Tina Punzel of Germany.[16][17]

2022 World Junior Championships

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At the 2022 FINA World Junior Diving Championships, held starting 27 November in Montreal, Canada, Santoro placed thirteenth in his first event, the mixed team event, on day one, contributing to a final score of 269.80 points.[18] Three days later, he scored 469.70 points in the final of the 1 metre springboard, finishing 16.1 points ahead of the second highest-scoring competitor, Jake Passmore of Ireland, and winning the gold medal.[19][20] The following day, he won a gold medal in his second of two individual events, scoring highest in the final of the 3 metre springboard with 552.40 points.[21] On the sixth day, he won a third gold medal in his fourth of four events, scoring 299.25 points with his partner Stefano Belotti in the final of the 3 metre synchronised springboard.[22][23]

International championships

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Meet 1 m springboard 3 m springboard 3 m synchronised 3 m mixed synchronised mixed team
Junior level
WJC 2021 8th (B)
(367.15)
  (B)
(493.30)
8th (B)
(222.81)
 
(309.95)
EJC 2022  
(478.15)
 
(585.60)
 
(284.49)
 
(300.85)
WJC 2022  
(469.70)
 
(552.40)
 
(299.25)
13th
(269.80)
Senior level
EC 2020  
(300.69)
WC 2022  
(293.55)
EC 2022  
(283.56)

References

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  1. ^ a b "Matteo Santoro" (in Italian). Italian Swimming Federation. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  2. ^ Acrobelli, Stefano (12 May 2021). "Europei: Pellacani-Santoro, la baby coppia è d’oro! E Tocci torna di bronzo" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  3. ^ OA Sport (12 May 2021). "Tuffi, Europei: Pellacani e Santono oro nel sincro misto da 3 metri all'esordio internazionale". Eurosport. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Tuffi, Europei: storico Matteo Santoro, oro a 14 anni nel sincero da 3 metri con Chiara Pellacani" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  5. ^ "23rd FINA World Junior Diving Championships 2021: Mixed Team Event Detailed Result". FINA. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  6. ^ "23rd FINA World Junior Diving Championships 2021: A/B Boys 3 m Synchro". FINA. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  7. ^ "23rd FINA World Junior Diving Championships 2021: B Boys 1 m, Final". FINA. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  8. ^ "23rd FINA World Junior Diving Championships 2021: B Boys 3 m, Final". FINA. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Mondiali jrs a Kiev. Santoro oro e Cafiero bronzo dai 3 mt" (in Italian). Italian Swimming Federation. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  10. ^ Acrobelli, Stefano (29 June 2022). "L'argento di Chiara e baby Santoro" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Tuffi: Santoro baby record, Argento a 15 anni" (in Italian). ANSA. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  12. ^ "FINA World Championships results". China Internet Information Center. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  13. ^ Tiseo, Giandomenico (20 July 2022). "Tuffi, Europei giovanili 2022: Matteo Santoro è oro dal metro, argento per Stefano Belotti" (in Italian). OA Sport. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Eurojrs a Otopeni. Italia 10 e lode. Santoro quarto oro personale" (in Italian). Italian Swimming Federation. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  15. ^ a b LEN (24 July 2022). "Romania 2022 LEN European Junior Diving Championships: Results Book". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Tuffi, europei: Chiara Pellacani e Matteo Santoro bronzo nel sincro del trampolino 3m" (in Italian). Eurosport. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  17. ^ "Europei di Roma. Pellacani-Santoro bronzo da 3, Jodoin Di Maria quinta da 10" (in Italian). Italian Swimming Federation. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  18. ^ "FINA World Junior Diving Championships 2022: Results Mixed Team Event". FINA. 27 November 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Matteo Santoro secures third career World Junior Diving gold". LEN. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Mondiali Juniores, Matteo Santoro è oro dal trampolino da un metro" (in Italian). ilfaroonline.it. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Mondiali juniores. Santoro re del trampolino. Vince anche da 3 metri" (in Italian). Italian Swimming Federation. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Santoro claims fifth career World Junior Diving gold". LEN. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  23. ^ OA Sport (3 December 2022). "Tuffi, Mondiali juniores: Matteo Santoro e Stefano Belotti d’oro nel syncro a Montreal, bronzo per Giorgia De Sanctis" (in Italian). Eurosport. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
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