Her fiery personality and unapologetic confidence have made her a favourite of the internet.
Claudia Mancinelli, a former actress turned Italian rhythmic gymnastics coach, has become an unlikely social media sensation after a video of her fearlessly standing up to judges at the Paris Olympics went viral. A video of her intense, straight-faced reaction during the Gymnastics event at the Paris Olympics has taken social media by storm, earning her the royal title of "Queen" of the online world. The viral video has been seen over a whopping 34 million views.
It all happened when the judges' initial score threw Italian gymnast Sofia Raffaeli's chances of victory into peril during the all-around final. However, her coach, Claudia Mancinelli, refused to let Ms Raffaeli's hard work and dedication slip away. She stepped in, confronted the judges and demanded them to revisit their score. The 39-year-old coach's angry march back to the bench was captured in a video that rapidly spread like wildfire. Thanks to her, Ms Raffaeli went on to win bronze in the women's rhythmic individual all-around competition.
Watch the video here:
Her fiery personality and unapologetic confidence have made her a favourite of the internet. Several people shared her pictures and videos online and praised her beauty and confidence.
Who is she?
Born and raised in Fabriano, Claudia Mancinelli began her love affair with gymnastics at a tender age, training under the guidance of Kristina Ghiurova and Mirna Baldoni. Her dedication propelled her local club from Serie B to the prestigious Serie A1. However, in a surprising twist, she left sports to pursue a career in acting.
Her silver screen debut led to roles in notable films like 'Unique Brothers', 'The Tourist' and 'Nine.' However, fate had other plans. When renowned coach Julieta Cantaluppi stepped down just ten months before the Paris Olympics, Ms Mancinelli was called back by the federation to lead the national rhythmic gymnastics team to the Olympics.
With just a few months left for the Olympics, Ms Mancinelli faced a daunting challenge: transforming Sofia Raffaeli and Milena Baldassarri into world-class contenders. She accepted the challenge and forged an unbreakable bond with her gymnasts. Through trust, respect, and dedication, Ms Mancinelli brought out the best in them. Under her guidance, Ms Raffaeli ultimately secured a historic bronze medal in the individual all-around competition.