Italy’s Chiara Pellacani became the first European diver to earn a medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore as she finished third in the women’s 1m springboard final.

A classy winner of the European 1m springboard title in Antalya last month, the 22-year-old secured her first individual world medal having previously won  two silvers and a bronze in 3m mixed synchro and a bronze in the women’s 3m synchro.

Pellacani beat Hailey Hernandez of the United States to bronze by just 0.35 points with her total of 270.80.

Australia’s 29-year-old Maddison Keeney, who won 3m springboard silver at the Paris 2024 Games, reclaimed the title she first won in 2017 as she totalled 308.00, with silver going to China’s Yajie Li on 290.25.

Switzerland’s Michelle Heimberg, who won European bronze in this event before claiming the 3m springboard title, finished fifth on 265.65, with Great Britain’s Yasmin Harper – Olympic 3m synchro bronze medallist with Scarlett Mew Jensen – finishing eighth on 258.45.

“It means a lot because it’s my first solo medal at World Championships,” Pellacani told World Aquatics. “I was trying to get it for years and it finally happened, so I’m very happy.

“There was a little bit of pressure because I knew there were a lot of good divers in the competition, but at the same time, I knew I could compete and  keep it calm.”

Pellacani had already had a busy day having qualified and then competed for Italy in the opening final of the diving programme, the mixed 3m and 10m team event, where they were the top European finisher in sixth place.

Ukraine, Germany and Spain filled the next three position on a day when China earned gold ahead of Mexico and Japan.

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics