Selina Anna Flavia Biacchi, who will compete in this summer’s European Aquatics Masters Championships in Slovakia, did not come to diving through the elite pathway. She started in 2001, never competed at the top level as a young athlete, and found her way into masters competition almost by accident.
What the Italian diver found there, though, kept her coming back. Not because of the results, but because of everything around them.
“Masters diving feels much more personal than competitive against others,” she told European Aquatics. “It’s about challenging yourself, sharing experiences, travelling together, and being part of a very welcoming community.”
Biacchi, who dives for Canottieri Milano, entered the Italian “amatori” categories before stepping into masters competition proper at 25. Her best international results include a bronze medal at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore in 2025 and a sixth-place finish at the FINA World Masters Championships in Budapest in 2017.
The European Aquatics Masters Championships in Slovakia this summer will be her third major international edition.
The sense of community she mentions is something people outside the sport consistently underestimate. There is a widespread assumption that masters competitions are the preserve of former elite athletes. Biacchi’s experience is almost the opposite.
“One of my goals every year is to encourage new people to try competitions,” she said. “Many think they’re not good enough, but the average level is much more accessible than people imagine, and the social side is huge.” In Italy, she adds, there’s a standing joke that the best part of any competition is the festivities afterwards.
She has retired from competition more than once. Disappointing performances, particularly when the effort she put into training didn’t seem to translate into results, pushed her away from the sport at various points. Over time she came to understand the reasons. “The biggest challenge for me wasn’t physical, it was learning how to deal with competition pressure and with my own expectations.”
Even now, she describes the feeling on competition day as overwhelming and almost paralysing. “I constantly have to remind myself that I’m there to enjoy the experience, not to chase a result at all costs. Ironically, when I manage to compete with that mindset, that’s when the best results arrive.”
Ahead of the World Championships in Singapore last year, Biacchi increased her training significantly not to reach perfect form, she says, but to arrive knowing she had done everything possible. “For the first time I arrived at a competition feeling that I had truly done everything possible beforehand. That gave me peace of mind regardless of the result, and in the end the result came too.”
The bronze medal that followed gave both her and her coach fresh motivation, and they began planning future competitions with something approaching a professional athlete’s mindset, while still balancing work and ordinary life.
For Slovakia this summer, she has a clear sense of what success looks like. “I would consider the 2026 Europeans a success if I can enjoy the entire experience, perform dives I’m proud of, and share the event with teammates and friends.”
As for the longer term, she doesn’t see a finish line. “I’ve met so many friends through this sport, and I know masters athletes from all over the world who are still travelling and competing at an older age. As long as I still find it fun, and as long as diving keeps giving me opportunities to travel and connect with people, I don’t really see a finish line.”
To anyone her age who thinks competitive diving is no longer for them, her message is simple. “Just try it. Masters diving is much more inclusive and welcoming than people expect. You don’t need to be an ex-elite athlete. The important thing is the experience, the people, and the fun around the competition, not only the score.”
The European Aquatics Masters Championships Samorin-Bratislava-Graz 2026 takes place from 18–30 August.
Click here for full details, including how to register.
Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics
