TOKYO. Gregorio Paltrinieri wins a bronze all from the heart in the 10 km in open water. After last week’s silver in the 800 freestyle, the swimmer from Carpi puts on his second medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the third in his career if you consider the gold he won five years ago in the 1500 freestyle in Rio. The collection of metals was thus completed with another show of strength in spite of the physical condition in which he presented himself, despite himself in Japan.
The gold was won by the German Florian Wellbrock (1h48’33 “7) in front of the Hungarian Kristof Rasovsky (25” 3 behind) who set the blue at (27 “4) in the last meters challenge for the medal silver. This is the thirty-first medal for Italy in this edition, in which 6 golds, 9 silvers and 16 bronzes have arrived so far.
«I’m happy because at least today I reached the podium. After 1500 I thought I had lost an opportunity and I tried with all my heart – commented the twenty-six year old of the Fiamme Oro hot -. I think it’s right after two months of hell, where I was getting nothing. It is one of the most suffered medals, because in such a difficult condition, I still went on the podium and I am happy to have fought to the last in all three races and that is the thing I am most proud of ».
The blue had to mend the gap he accused already in the early stages and in the last one he paid for this effort, when Wellbrock changed gears to get his second personal medal here in Tokyo after the bronze in the 1500s. With Paltrinieri’s podium, there are seven aquatic gems of Italy, given that today’s third place is added to the six conquered between the lanes. It is also the first male medal for a blue swimmer in open water, the third overall, however, also in a row after the two female ones by Martina Grimaldi (bronze in London 2012) and Rachele Bruni (silver in Rio 2016). Fourteenth place at 4’35 ”for the other Italian in the race, Mario Sanzullo.
The desires were quite different until a few months ago, but the mononucleosis of early June has recalibrated the plans: «I would have liked to come here and play it to try to win three golds. My mentality was that even in a difficult condition, the state of form has changed, but I have not changed. I fought and tried in all three, that’s the most positive thing. I’d try again next week, so I’d say I’ll do it again in Paris 2024. Three Olympic medals in three different disciplines is still really nice and that’s okay ».