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Long Island native Andrew Capobianco is set to represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Capobianco, 24, a diver who will compete in the three-meter springboard event, secured his spot by finishing first in the Olympic trials held last month in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Wantagh native will look to top his silver medal performance at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He earned silver in the men’s three-meter springboard synchro competition and finished 10th in the individual three-meter springboard event.
This time around, Capobianco is even more excited to be competing on the world stage. In Tokyo, the athletes had to adhere to lingering restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. That won’t be the case in Paris later this month.
“The last time it was COVID. My parents weren’t able to go. My family wasn’t able to go,” he told News 12 Long Island.
Capobianco additionally was fighting through a back injury in the Tokyo games — held in 2021 due to COVID. Plus, he said he believes that he’s “improved a lot” over the last three years.
The Indiana University graduate native discovered his passion for diving at 11, after years of excelling as a young gymnast. The son of two retired Nassau County Police Officers, Darlene and Michael, Capobianco attended Mandalay Elementary School in Wantagh.
By the time he was 13, he had dedicated himself fully to diving and became the first seventh-grader to win a Nassau County diving title. He earned the championship again in eighth grade and twice broke Nassau’s high school scoring record during his middle school years. After he completed eighth grade, his family moved to North Carolina.
Capobianco’s resume includes four senior national titles, a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, and several other accolades at international competitions.
Below, Capobianco discusses his goals for Paris.
Career highlights via teamusa.com:
- Silver medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the synchronized three-meter event.
- Four-time senior national champion (three individual 3-meter titles, one synchronized three-meter title).
- Bronze medalist at the 2019 Pan American Games (one-meter and synchronized three-meter).
- 2018 World Cup team member.
- 2014 and 2016 Junior World Championships team member.
- 2015 Junior Pan American Championships team member.
- Five-time junior national champion (one-meter: 2014; three-meter: 2015; platform: 2014, 2015 and 2016).
Top photo: Andrew Capobianco (Instagram)
