Ferdinanda Martini-Pautasso

Italy’s Nanda Martini-Pautasso was the best Italian diver immediately after World War II. She started at a very young age in the early 1940s and, with the Dopolavoro Pirelli club, made a name for herself as early as 1942 by winning the Italian title on the 10 m platform and placing second off the springboard. After the war, Nanda won Italian titles on springboard in 1947-49 and on platform in 1946-47 and 1950-51. She represented Canottieri Olona (1946-47) and then Canottieri Milano (1948-51).

Martini-Pautasso attended the 1948 London Olympics as a spectator after also missing the 1947 European Championships, where she was an alternate. She finally competed at an international at the 1950 European Championships. Shortly before the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, however, Nanda married a Swiss man named Martini, and was also able to compete at Helsinki for Switzerland.