From the northern Italian diving hub of Bolzano emerges yet one more story of familial success within the sport of diving. First there was Carlo and Klaus Dibiasi, now there’s Giorgio and Tania Cagnotto. We just lately spoke with Tania to study her journey to the highest, what’s concerned within the higher echelons of diving, and the way it makes its method as a water sport subsequent to the large names that make swimming in style.
Following in her father’s footsteps … and making historical past
Within the annals of Italian diving, there are two names that soar out – Dibiasi and Cagnotto. Between the 2 of them, Klaus Dibiasi and Giorgio Cagnotto are accountable of all 9 of Italy’s Olympic diving medals, and till 2005, all 5 of the nation’s World Championship diving medals.
Then alongside got here Tania. In 2005 on the Montreal World Champs, she grew to become the primary Italian girl to win a World Championship diving medal (a 3m springboard bronze). On the subsequent three World Championships, she went on to choose up one other 3 bronze medals and a silver, and in 2013 she had her best-ever World Championship, coming away with two silvers in Barcelona (1m springboard, 3m synchro).
Her surname? Cagnotto. Daughter of Giorgio.
To have adopted in her father’s footsteps and make historical past makes Tania immensely proud. “Many individuals establish my identify with diving, and it makes me really feel ‘essential’, however because of the way in which I’ve been introduced up and the teachings I’ve realized, I’ve by no means let it go to my head.”
So how comparable are diving & swimming?
In a rustic the place names like Pellegrini and Magnini have cachet in relation to aquatic accomplishments, it’s exhausting for a diver to get observed amongst the pool lanes. And maybe the one factor frequent between diving and swimming is the truth that they each happen in a pool. However that’s the place the similarity ends.
In swimming, you race towards all seven of your rivals within the pool on the identical time, many of the competitors is within the water, pace is the one issue that determines who wins, and the result is decided by one easy (comparatively) indeniable, digital measure – time. The diver, alternatively, has the pool to him/herself, many of the competitors takes place within the air, type is the one issue that determines who wins, and also you win or lose based mostly on the analysis of a bunch of (non-electronic) human judges.
It’s a sport of the bodily and the creative, of type and fortitude, precision and creativity.
“You need to be bodily mild and have highly effective, responsive muscle mass,” says Tania. “And mentally you’ve got to have the ability to take care of the strain – a contest isn’t determined till the final dive.”
The heartbreak & overcoming of close to misses
It’s a truth she’s realized the exhausting method, greater than as soon as lacking out on main medals by the narrowest of margins. On the 2012 Olympics, she was within the bronze medal place after the third dive, dropped factors on the fourth to slide down a place, and regardless of delivering a greater fifth dive than her competitor, she ended fourth by 0.2 level. Likewise on the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona, she led going into the ultimate dive, solely to finish up second by 0.1 level.
After we’re speaking about 300-plus factors in whole, these are awfully small margins … determined by a group of judges. However such is the game.
“To inform the reality,” she displays, “I imagine that in London I wanted a little bit of luck, however what’s achieved is completed, it doesn’t assist to look again now, I at all times stay up for the following problem. I stay satisfied that I had an incredible competitors in London, however the judges felt that my fourth dive was inferior to the Mexican’s. I labored actually exhausting for that competitors, I’ve no regrets, and I’m happy with the consequence.”
Diving on the highest stage
2012 was Tania’s fourth Olympic look, after debuting in Sydney 2000 on the age of 15 because the youngest athlete on the Italian group. It’s “undoubtedly” the most effective second of her profession, and there’s nonetheless a dream-like trace in her recollection when she appears again: “It’s troublesome to explain the sensations and feelings that you just really feel.”
Tania competes on all three boards, the 1m and 3m springboards, and 10m platform, with the latter two being Olympic occasions. “For the 10m board you want loads of braveness, the impression if you enter the water isn’t negligible,” says Tania with some extent of understatement. “For the springboard you want loads of method.”
So how is it in a serious competitors just like the Olympics as you climb the steps and stroll out on to the board? “I attempt to keep calm and targeted, however I don’t at all times succeed,” she confesses, “so I observe a type of ritual – I attempt to undergo all of the exact actions of the dive in my head.”
However even when you’re calm and well-prepared, issues should not go in accordance with plan. “You’ll be able to after all arrive at a contest in type and feeling good, however different components can come into play that change issues. It’s not like a sport the place a stopwatch tells you kind of the place you’ll place. That’s why focus is so essential.”
To grow to be a champion
What else, in accordance with Tania, does it take to get to the highest in diving? “Ardour and dedication day-after-day. Work at all times produces outcomes, the way you go about it and the time you dedicate to it make the distinction. Finally, I imagine that there are two elementary necessities – to be self-critical (as a way to proceed enhancing) and perseverance.”
A little bit of expertise like Tania’s may also affect issues, after all, together with just a few of her different traits – she says she’s “calm and targeted”, “well-proportioned bodily”, “decided and cussed”, and “filled with ardour for the game and for the individuals I really like”.
Not unhealthy as a recipe for all times, it appears, by no means thoughts diving…
