Martina Centofanti (born 19 May 1998) is an Italian group rhythmic gymnast. She represented Italy at three consecutive Olympic Games and is a two-time bronze medalist (2020, 2024). She is a five-time World champion and a four-time European champion.
Early life
Centofanti was born on 19 May 1998 in Rome. She is the daughter of Italian former footballer Felice Centofanti. She began rhythmic gymnastics when she was nine years old.
Gymnastics career
Centofanti competed at the 2013 Junior European Championships in Vienna, Austria, with the Italian group that placed sixth in both the all-around and 5 hoops.
2015–2017
Centofanti competed with the Italian group at the 2015 World Championships that finished fourth in the all-around. They went on to win the 5 ribbons title, thanks to their high difficulty score. They also won a silver medal in the 6 clubs and 2 hoops final by only 0.025 behind Russia.
Centofanti competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics alongside Sofia Lodi, Camilla Patriarca, Marta Pagnini, and Alessia Maurelli. In the group all-around final, they finished in fourth place, nearly two-tenths of a point away from a medal.
At the 2017 World Championships, Centofanti and the Italian group finished fourth in the all-around. They then won the gold medal in the 5 hoops final.
2018
Centofanti and the Italian group won the all-around and 5 hoops titles at the Minsk World Cup. They also won the all-around gold at the Kazan World Challenge Cup. They won a gold medal in 5 hoops and silver medals in the all-around and 3 balls and 2 ropes at the European Championships. Then at the 2018 World Championships, they won the silver medal in the all-around behind Russia and qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
2019
At the Pesaro World Cup, Centofanti helped the Italian group win the 5 hoops gold and all-around bronze. Then at the Guadalajara World Challenge Cup, they won the all-around gold medal, the 5 hoops silver medal, and the 3 hoops and 4 clubs bronze medal. They won two gold medals, including the all-around title, and one silver medal at the Portimao World Challenge Cup.
2021
Centofanti helped the Italian group sweep the silver medals, all behind Bulgaria, at the Baku World Cup. Then at the Pesaro World Cup, they won gold medals in both event finals ahead of Russia. She then represented Italy at the 2020 Summer Olympics alongside Agnese Duranti, Alessia Maurelli, Daniela Mogurean, and Martina Santandrea. They qualified for the group all-around final in third place, and they won the bronze medal in the final.
Centofanti and the Italian group then competed at the 2021 World Championships. They won the silver medal in the group all-around behind Russia. In the event finals, they won the gold medal in 3 hoops and 4 clubs and the silver medal in 5 balls. Additionally, the Italian group and individuals Alexandra Agiurgiuculese, Milena Baldassarri, and Sofia Raffaeli won the silver medal in the team competition.
2022
Centofanti helped the Italian group win two gold medals and one silver medal at the 2022 Baku World Cup. They then swept the gold medals at the Pamplona World Challenge Cup and at the Pesaro World Cup. At the 2022 European Championships, they won a silver medal in the group all-around behind Israel. They then won the gold medals in both event finals. They missed out on a group all-around medal and an Olympic berth at the 2022 World Championships due to mistakes, but the Italian team of the group, Milena Baldassarri, and Sofia Raffaeli won the team competition. In the event finals, they won the gold medal in 5 hoops and the silver medal behind Bulgaria in 3 ribbons and 2 balls.
2023
Centofanti and the Italian group won a gold medal in 3 ribbons and 2 balls at the Athens World Cup. At the Milan World Cup, they then won the all-around title after winning a tie-breaker over Israel. They then lost to Israel in the 5 hoops final but won 3 ribbons and 2 balls. They won the bronze medal in 5 hoops at the 2023 European Championships. At the 2023 World Championships, the Italian group finished fourth in the all-around after multiple mistakes in the 3 ribbons and 2 balls routine. However, they did qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics as they were among the top five eligible groups. They did qualify for the 5 hoops final and won the bronze medal behind China and Spain in addition to winning a team bronze medal.
2024
Centofanti helped the Italian group sweep the gold medals at the Athens World Cup. They then swept the silver medals at the European Cup. Then at the 2024 European Championships, the Italian group won the title in 5 hoops. Additionally, they won silver medals in the group all-around and team events.
Centofanti competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics alongside Alessia Maurelli, Agnese Duranti, Daniela Mogurean, and Laura Paris. The group won the bronze medal in the group all-around final, behind China and Israel. In December 2024, Centofanti had surgery to repair the medial patellofemoral ligament in her right knee.
Detailed Olympic results
References
External links
- Martina Centofanti at the International Gymnastics Federation
- Martina Centofanti at Olympedia
- Martina Centofanti at Olympics.com
- Martina Centofanti at the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (in Italian)
- Martina Centofanti at the CONI Rio 2016 Olympics website
