SOFIA RAFFAELI
Date of Birth: 19/01/2004
Place of Birth: Ancona
Weight x Height: 37 x 1,57
Speciality: Rhythmic Individual All-Around
First Club: Ginnastica Fabriano
Club: Fiamme Oro
First Coach: Julieta Cantaluppi, Kristina Ghiurova
Coach: Claudia Mancinelli
Other Sports: Artistic gymnastics, swimming
Hobby: Reading, music
Relationship Status: Single
Olympic Club: Yes
Olympic Appearances:
1 (Parigi 2024)
Biography
Nicknamed the Formica Atomica (Atom Ant) for her slender yet explosive physique, Sofia hails from Chiaravalle in the province of Ancona. At the age of four, she took up artistic gymnastics, but two gifts she received three years later, a ribbon and a ball, inspired her passion for rhythmic gymnastics. She subsequently began training at the Società Ginnastica Fabriano under the guidance of Julieta Cantaluppi and Cristina Ghiurova. In 2019, at the Junior World Championships in Moscow, she won three silver medals in rope, clubs and in the team competition. In 2021, she made her international debut at senior level and immediately won a bronze medal in hoop at the World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, as well as silver in the team competition. On that occasion, she was also recognised by the international jury for the invention of a new movement, the “Raffaeli”, which became part of the scoring code. Her initiation as an adult competitor in 2022 brought four podiums at the European Championships in Tel Aviv, Israel, and six historic medals at the World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, with the Olympic quota place sealed with a gold in the overall competition. The first Italian to win an individual world championship competition in rhythmic gymnastics, Sofia is also hoping to enter into history at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Palmares
Olympic Games
3ª Parigi (FRA) 2024 - Concorso Generale
World Championships
6ª Kitakyushu (JPN) 2021 - Concorso Generale
3ª Kitakyushu (JPN) 2021 - Cerchio
1ª Sofia (BLR) 2022 - Concorso Generale
1ª Sofia (BLR) 2022 - Cerchio
1ª Sofia (BLR) 2022 - Palla
1ª Sofia (BLR) 2022 - Nastro
3ª Sofia (BLR) 2022 - Clavette
2ª Valencia (ESP) 2023 - Concorso Generale
2ª Valencia (ESP) 2023 - Cerchio
2ª Valencia (ESP) 2023 - Palla
4ª Valencia (ESP) 2023 - Nastro
European Championships
8ª Varna (BUL) 2021 - Concorso Generale
8ª Varna (BUL) 2021 - Clavette
4ª Tel Aviv (ISR) 2022 - Concorso Generale
1ª Tel Aviv (ISR) 2022 - Cerchio
2ª Tel Aviv (ISR) 2022 - Palla
1ª Tel Aviv (ISR) 2022 - Clavette
2ª Baku (AZR) 2023 - Concorso Generale
1ª Baku (AZR) 2023 - Palla
1ª Baku (AZR) 2023 - Clavette
4ª Baku (AZR) 2023 - Cerchio
2ª Budapest (HUN) 2024 - Concorso Generale
8ª Budapest (HUN) 2024 - Cerchio
1ª Budapest (HUN) 2024 - Palla
6ª Budapest (HUN) 2024 - Clavette
2ª Budapest (HUN) 2024 - Nastro