Gregorio Paltrinieri, 'God of the waters' but also 'collector of medals. 'SuperGreg' from Carpi has won everything in his career, from Olympic gold (in the 1500 freestyle at Rio 2016) to 32 Italian titles. The only title he didn't win was the junior world championship. Nothing compared to what the international swimming champion has won over medium and long distances. For some years Gregorio has felt at ease both in the long pool but also in the short one and above all in the open sea. In fact, the twelfth European gold on his board comes from open waters. After three years – in between there was the unfortunate seventh place in Ostia 2022 -, the Italian champion returned to dominate Europe in the Olympic distance of 10 kilometers. In the waters of the Sava river on the Ada Ciganlija island in Belgrade, Paltrinieri crowned with gold a day that shortly before had seen Barbara Pozzobon and Giulia Gabbrielleschi take silver and bronze over the same distance. Halfway through the race, 'SuperGreg' passes first ahead of Domenico Acerenza and Rasovszky. In the second part of the race the rain became more intense but always with the two Italians in the role of 'steamers' and dictating the pace ahead of Olivier, Raszovsky and Pardoe. Two hundred meters away, powder fire. Final at 'sportellatè but cunning and experience allow Paltrinieri to touch first in 1 hour 49'19». The sprint is led by the Frenchman Marc-Antoine Olivier (1 hour 49'41″), one tenth ahead of the Hungarian David Betlehem. Acerenza remains at the foot of the podium by a tenth, immediately behind Dario Verani, fifth.
“When I do races like this I feel good, water 27 degrees, flat water, characteristics that I like – said Paltrinieri, 29 years old from the Fiamme Oro coached by Fabrizio Antonelli -. I struggled until halfway because I still didn't have very good sensations but after I got in front and started swimming better. In the last stretch I made an impossible trajectory, I really went very inside trying to distance them and it worked.” Leonie Beck, a native of Ostia, who trains at the Federal Center in Ostia, finished in 2 hours 00'54″8 just one tenth ahead of Barbara Pozzobon, vice European champion of the 25 kilometers in Rome. 2022. Bronze by four seconds Giulia Gabbrielleschi. The two 5km races are scheduled for tomorrow in the Serbian capital, the 25km on Friday 14th and the 6km team event on Saturday.
