DIOGO RIBEIRO

NATIONALITY Portuguese
HOMETOWN Coimbra
DATE OF BIRTH 27/10/2004
DISCIPLINE Butterfly and Freestyle
CLUB/COLLEGE Lisboa e Benfica (SLB)
COACH Alberto Silva
FOLLOW DIOGO ON
“The body achieves what the mind believes”

BIOGRAPHY

Diogo Ribeiro wrote another line in the history books when he became the first Portuguese swimmer to be crowned world champion at Doha 2024.

He had already claimed a landmark achievement as the first athlete from Portugal to make the world podium in any aquatic discipline when he won silver in the 50m butterfly at the 2023 World Championships. Fast-forward to the World Championships in February 2024 and Diogo upgraded to an historic gold in the one-length event.

He dedicated his medal to Portugal and everyone who had supported him on his journey while expressing his hope that it could inspire others.

“When I touched the wall and looked at the time and I saw I was first, I got a feeling that I had never ever felt before,” he said. “This medal goes for my country, my team, my family, my girlfriend. It means that we all can do it, we just have to think big and always think that everything is possible.”

Diogo went on to also claim gold in the 100m butterfly as he completed the double with a national record of 51.17. He said: “I wasn’t expecting to win one gold here and now I have two! It’s perfect for me. I will return to my country with the feeling that hard work pays off. After going out with the other guys and turning on the 50m, I just wanted to give my entire life in the last 50m, give my heart for my country, and for everybody. I think we did it.”

GENERAL QUICK FACTS

Favorite sportsperson or team (other than swimming)
Benfica soccer team
Favorite vacation spot and why
San Blas, Panama. The clearest water I’ve seen and the most peaceful destination
Public person you admire
Caeleb Dressel, such a big inspiration
Favorite book(s)/author(s)
Portuguese poet and writer Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen
Favorite artist or work of art
Pablo Picasso
Items you’d want on a desert island
PlayStation, soccer ball and a tent
If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
Dominic Toretto from “Fast and Furious”
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
Spider Man
If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
“The Resilient Guy”
What you’d like to do in your life after swimming
Something related to sport, a spokesperson for example

SWIMMING QUICK FACTS

Proudest moment in swimming
Being a two-time world champion at Doha 2024. Qualifying for my first Olympic Games and setting the 50m butterfly world junior record of 22.96 at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru
Least favorite part of swimming
The amount of work we have to do to perform well
Funniest moment in swimming
Always like before the session to try to fit the snorkel in the 5m flags
Favorite/least favorite training set and why
Favourite would be 8x50 butterfly, every 1’10”. Least favourite, resistance efficiency tasks
Favorite Race/Training suits and why
Training briefs – arena Men’s Team Stripe Brief – they’re just comfortable and I like the design. For race suits the Powerskin Carbon Air2 Jammer. It’s just out-of-this-world comfort and fits like a glove so it’s always my number one choice
Best piece of equipment and why
Fins, because I feel like an eagle
Favorite Food after training
YoPro yoghurt and protein bar
Most annoying type of swimmer
When someone goes fast in the warm-up and they swim the same pace in the main task
Favorite Pool in the world and why
The Aspire Dome at the World Swimming Championships at Doha 2024, because that’s the place where I became a world champion

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, DOHA
GOLD 50m Butterfly
GOLD 100m Butterfly
2023 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, FUKUOKA
SILVER 50m Butterfly
2022 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, LIMA
GOLD 50m Freestyle
GOLD 50m Butterfly
GOLD 100m Butterfly
2022 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, ROME
BRONZE 50m Butterfly
2022 MEDITERRANEAN GAMES, ORAN
GOLD 50m Butterfly
SILVER 100m Freestyle
2021 EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, ROME
SILVER 100m Butterfly

INSIDE DIOGO’S BAG

Icons Swim Briefs Solid
Powerskin Carbon-Air²
Powerfin Pro II
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