1. Early Life and Personal Background
Diana Bacosi's journey into the world of professional shooting began at a young age, rooted in her family's tradition and her developing passion for the sport.
1.1. Childhood and Introduction to Shooting
Diana Bacosi was born on 13 July 1983, in Città della Pieve, a town located in the Umbria region of Italy. She stands at 5.7 ft (1.75 m) and weighs 176 lb (80 kg). Her introduction to shooting came at the age of 14, following a family tradition that sparked her initial interest. This early exposure laid the groundwork for her future career, as she quickly developed a strong affinity for the sport. By the age of 18, Bacosi decided to commit to shooting professionally, narrowing her focus specifically to skeet shooting. Her professional debut on the ISSF world stage occurred in 2004 at the European Championships in Nicosia, where she secured a 16th-place finish.
1.2. Family and Personal Life
Beyond her professional shooting career, Diana Bacosi also maintains a personal life. She is married to Vincent, whom she wed on 11 November 2011. The couple has a son named Mattia, who was born on 13 February 2009. Bacosi has openly shared that while winning an Olympic medal is a profoundly unique and emotional experience, the joy of becoming a mother surpasses even that significant achievement, stating that her son's birth is "above all and everyone," with the Olympic gold medal following closely.
2. Professional Career
Diana Bacosi's professional career is marked by consistent performance and numerous medal-winning achievements across the highest levels of international sport shooting, establishing her as one of Italy's most decorated athletes in the discipline. She represents the Italian Army in her competitive endeavors.
2.1. Early Career and Professional Development
After her debut in 2004, Bacosi quickly ascended in the competitive skeet circuit. In 2005, she earned a silver medal at the ISSF World Cup in Brazil. Her early career saw her receiving national recognition, including a Bronze Medal for Sporting Merit in 2007. The following year, she achieved a gold medal at the World Cup in Suhl, followed by a silver medal at the World Cup in Beijing. In 2008, she was also honored with another silver medal for Supporting Merit and the "Discobolo d'Oro" (Golden Discus) from the Italian Sports Centre National Council.
Her success continued into the early 2010s; in 2011, she secured another silver medal at the World Cup in Tucson and was awarded the "Stella d'Oro" (Golden Star) for Athletic Valour. The year 2013 proved particularly fruitful, with a silver medal at the World Cup in Acapulco and two bronze medals earned at the World Cup in Nicosia and the World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi. That same year, she made a significant impact by winning a team gold medal at the World Championships held in Lima, Peru.
Bacosi continued to achieve success in World Cup Finals, securing bronze medals in Abu Dhabi (2013), Gabala (2014), Nicosia (2015), and Rome (2016). In 2017, she added a silver medal at the World Cup in New Delhi. She also clinched individual gold medals at the World Cups in Larnaca and Al Ain in 2015. From 2018, Bacosi expanded her competitive focus to include Skeet Women (SK125W) competitions, winning gold in Changwon in 2018 and Lonato in 2019. She also earned multiple silver medals in 2018 and 2019 at events in Changwon, Siggiewi, Acapulco, and Al Ain. In 2019, Bacosi began competing in the Skeet Mixed Team (SKMIX) category, winning gold in Lonato and silver in Minsk that year. She was notably selected to participate in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo before the games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2.2. Major International Competitions
Diana Bacosi has consistently demonstrated her prowess in major international shooting competitions, earning a substantial collection of medals.
2.2.1. Olympic Games
Bacosi is a prominent figure in Olympic skeet shooting.
- 2016 Rio de Janeiro: Gold medal in women's skeet.
- 2020 Tokyo: Silver medal in women's skeet.
- 2024 Paris: Gold medal in mixed skeet team.
2.2.2. ISSF World Championships
She has achieved multiple medals at the World Championships.
- 2013 Lima: Gold medal (Skeet team).
- 2015 Lonato del Garda: Silver medal (Skeet team).
- 2017 Moscow: Silver medal (Skeet team).
- 2018 Changwon: Silver medal (Skeet team).
- 2019 Lonato del Garda: Gold medal (Skeet), Gold medal (Mixed skeet pairs), Silver medal (Skeet team).
- 2022 Osijek: Gold medal (Skeet), Silver medal (Skeet team), Silver medal (Mixed skeet team).
- 2023 Baku: Silver medal (Skeet team).
2.2.3. European Games
Bacosi has also excelled at the European Games.
- 2015 Baku: Gold medal (Mixed skeet pairs), Silver medal (Skeet).
- 2019 Minsk: Gold medal (Skeet), Silver medal (Mixed skeet pairs).
2.2.4. European Championships
Her record at the European Shooting Championships includes numerous triumphs.
- 2013 Suhl: Gold medal (Skeet team).
- 2014 Sarlóspuszta: Silver medal (Skeet team).
- 2016 Lonato del Garda: Gold medal (Mixed skeet pairs), Silver medal (Skeet team).
- 2017 Baku: Silver medal (Skeet team), Bronze medal (Mixed skeet pairs).
- 2018 Leobersdorf: Silver medal (Mixed skeet pairs), Bronze medal (Skeet team).
- 2019 Lonato del Garda: Gold medal (Skeet team).
- 2021 Osijek: Silver medal (Skeet team).
- 2022 Larnaca: Silver medal (Mixed skeet pairs).
- 2023 Osijek: Gold medal (Skeet team), Silver medal (Skeet), Bronze medal (Mixed team skeet).
- 2024 Lonato: Gold medal (Skeet), Silver medal (Skeet team).
2.2.5. Mediterranean Games
Bacosi has competed successfully at the Mediterranean Games.
- 2022 Oran: Silver medal (Skeet mixed team), Bronze medal (Skeet).
2.2.6. ISSF World Cups and Finals
Diana Bacosi has a strong record in the ISSF World Cups and World Cup Finals.
- 2005 Brazil: Silver medal.
- 2008 Suhl: Gold medal.
- 2008 Beijing: Silver medal.
- 2011 Tucson: Silver medal.
- 2013 Acapulco: Silver medal.
- 2013 Nicosia: Bronze medal.
- 2013 Abu Dhabi (Finals): Bronze medal.
- 2014 Gabala (Finals): Bronze medal.
- 2015 Larnaka: Gold medal.
- 2015 Al Ain: Gold medal.
- 2015 Nicosia (Finals): Bronze medal.
- 2016 Rome (Finals): Bronze medal.
- 2017 New Delhi: Silver medal.
- 2018 Changwon: Gold medal (Skeet Women SK125W).
- 2018 Siggiewi: Silver medal.
- 2018 Acapulco: Silver medal.
- 2018 Al Ain: Silver medal.
- 2019 Lonato: Gold medal (Skeet Women SK125W), Gold medal (Skeet Mixed Team).
- 2019 Minsk: Silver medal (Skeet Mixed Team).
3. Awards and Honors
Diana Bacosi has received several official awards and distinctions in recognition of her outstanding sporting career and contributions to Italian sport.
- Bronze Medal for Sporting Merit (2007)
- Discobolo d'Oro (Golden Discus Thrower) (2008)
- Stella d'Oro (Golden Star) for Athletic Valor (2011)