Gregorio Paltrinieri has been in the history of swimming for some time nowbut seeing him in Paris, the idea that he might abdicate seems distant. Maybe in the pool, who knows, but he will only think about it at the end of the Games. In the meantime, he is enjoying the splendid silver in the 1500 freestyle that gives the Italian his second medal of these Olympics, after the bronze in the 800, but above all the fifth Olympic of his career, making him the most medaled Italian swimmer in the history of the five-ring event. The Emilian champion completed the longest race in the pool in 14:34.55behind only the American Bobby Finke, who closed the 30 lengths with the world record: 14.30:67 which cancels out the 14:31.02 set by the Chinese Sun Yang at the 2012 London Olympics.
But for Paltrinieri, the oldest of the expedition – 30 years old in September and the only one in the pool to take two medals – it doesn’t end here because Greg still has the 10km in open water in the Seine to write another memorable page and try to take a “triplete” that is no longer just a dream. “I’m very happy to be on the podium again, it’s wonderful. The silver obtained with the same time I had in Rio is incredible – Paltrinieri’s first words – It’s my fifth Olympic medal, I would never have bet on it, also because I thought it would be the last in Rio and also in Tokyo, I’m speechless”. And not even the fever of the last few days has knocked him down: «They have been difficult because I realized for the first time how great I was. I knew I could do well, but I was sick for three days, even today. I think the fever was from stress, trying to always be performing was difficult but it didn’t take away my energy».
For this reason, only an extraordinary Finke, with a new world record in the 1500, could take the gold away from Gregorio. “I thought Wiffen would start strong, but instead I had to chase Finke – explains Greg -. I was at his level until the last laps, then we know that in the final laps he is very strong”. Even the swimming technical director, Cesare Butini, was surprised and defined Paltrinieri as “extraordinary”. “He impressed me – continues the technical director of the Italnuoto – especially in the recovery between 800 and 1500”. For this reason Greg will now need a few days of rest before diving heart and soul into the open water. “These have been demanding days for the mind and body – says Paltrinieri -. But the race is not in question, I have prepared too much. I just hope they let us try the race course first to understand how much current there is”. Only afterwards will he decide whether these days will be his last races in the pool. Not before. And the hope for the next few days will be to be able to hug Gianmarco Tamberi, struggling with presumed kidney stones. “They had told me he was sick but I didn’t think so – he concludes – What I can tell him that I went to Tokyo with mononucleosis and I competed. I don’t know how serious the situation is, but if you have fire inside, and he does, nothing will stop you.” Meanwhile, Italy in the pool stands up to applaud its champion, the infinite Paltrinieri.