Nickname
Atomic Ant (ilrestodelcarlino.it, 07 Jun 2022; olympics.com, 28 Jun 2023)
Hobbies
Listening to music, reading. (gymnastics.sport, 24 Jan 2022)
Occupation
Police Athlete, Student
Spoken languages
Italian
Club
Faber Ginnastica Fabriano [ITA] / GS Fiamme Oro [ITA]:
Coach
Kristina Ghiurova [Fabriano, national]; Julieta Cantaluppi [Fabriano, national], ITA
International senior debut
2021
Start sporting career
She got involved in artistic gymnastics at age three, and switched to rhythmic gymnastics four years later.
Reason for taking up the sport
She liked the sport from an early age, and switched from artistic gymnastics to rhythmic gymnastics after she was given a ribbon and a ball. "As I liked to play with these props I convinced my mother to take me to rhythmic gymnastics practise."
Milestones
She became the first rhythmic gymnast representing Italy to win an individual title at the world championships by claiming gold in hoop at the 2022 edition of the tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria. (SportsDeskOnline, 15 Sep 2022; olympics.com, 14 Sep 2022)
In March 2022 she became the first rhythmic gymnast representing Italy to win the individual all-around competition at a World Cup event when she claimed the title at an event in Athens, Greece. (SportsDeskOnline, 08 Jun 2022; olympics.com, 03 Jun 2022)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and to work as a gymnastics coach in future. (olympics.com, 03 Jun 2022, 28 Jun 2023; repubblica.it, 24 Jun 2022)
Trainings
She trains for up to eight hours per day.
Most memorable sporting achievement
Winning two medals at the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. (olympics.com, 03 Jun 2022)
Hero / Idol
Italian rhythmic gymnast Julieta Cantaluppi, Russian rhythmic gymnast Yana Kudryavtseva,
Israeli rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram. (olympics.com, 03 Jun 2022, 28 Jun 2023)
Philosophy / Motto
"[Being an individualist] is something that I think I have in my blood and it's not something that you choose. You are aware that you are better at one thing over another and I have always known that I prefer the individual event. I like to work in a team and enjoy competing with the team but the individual event is more my stuff." (olympics.com, 03 Jun 2022)
Additional information
ELEMENT
In 2021 the International Gymnastics Federation introduced a new element named after her. The element, the Raffaeli, consists of a side split, with or without help, the trunk in horizontal alignment and with a free bent leg. (gymnastics.sport, 25 Apr 2022; federginnastica.it, 26 Oct 2021)
Last update : 2024-07-22