Elena Bertocchi and Chiara Pellacani, silver comeback

Elena Bertocchi and Chiara Pellacani silver

What a comeback! From seventh to second place with three jumps. Elena Bertocchi and Chiara Pellacani go for the silver medal in the three-meter springboard synchro after a shuddering start. They completely miss the second compulsory dive (inverted) and plummet to second-to-last place. They do not give up and cling to those 7 points behind the Ukrainians (third) that are not so many that they cannot try. With the double-and-a-half forward with a pirouette, the dive they usually do best, they climb back to fourth place, less than a point behind the Ukrainians; with the triple-and-a-half forward they even overtake them and are second; the last one, the double-and-a-half back, is the one they suffer the most but with 52 points and errors in synchronization by their opponents they defend their second position and are on the podium with 260.76.

Ahead of them from the start are Germany’s Lena Hentschel and Tina Punzel, who confirm their position as European champions, albeit with a lower score than usual: 281.16. Third and bronze medalists are Sweden’s Emilia Nilsson Garip and Elna Wilerstrom with 257.10. Ukraine’s Viktoria Kesar and Anna Pysmenska finish fifth with 245.79. European debut, after the world one in Budapest, for Estilla Mosena, 25-year-old Hungarian – sister of multi-time Italian champion Noemi Baki who has won nine medals in her career at the European Championships (2 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze) – who finished last in a pair with Eszter Kovacs.