by Arianna Ravelli, sent to Fukuoka
Gregorio Paltrinieri renounces his 1500: he suffered the beating of the 800 and is still debilitated by the intestinal virus. The recovery operation in view of the Games begins. Because Greg’s time isn’t over yet
Physically weakened, visibly emaciated after a gastrointestinal virus that persecutes him, his pride beaten by the outcome of the 800m style (never really started and closed last, at sidereal distances from the first), Gregorio Paltrinieri gives up on contesting his 1500m. And then , faced with yet another plate of rice and chicken, decides to leave immediately for Italy. It exaggerates, but to explain something that has never been seen before (Gregorio Paltrinieri giving up a race!) we need to dig into the details of the body and mind of an athlete who a year ago gave an image of invincibility, passing with ease from world gold in the 1500m (swimming, at 28, his personal best) to gold in the 10km, and this year, to put it in his words, I had none: I was already tired at the first 50m.
So it was decided to start the recovery operation 4 days in advance (He must rest, because from September we will start again at a thousand), return him to his bed and to a food more friendly to his battered stomach (but on this we will have to work on prevention, with more in-depth studies by the nutritionist, he is thinking of doing new tests, supplementing with vitamins to help the immune system), even if this meant, for the captain, leaving the team. He sent a motivational message to the boys. The decision to give up, explains his coach Fabrizio Antonelli, was painful, but also a liberation for me. Indeed, I believe that he has shown great lucidity, a maturity that he would not have had just a year ago.
The courage to stop. Perhaps he would have done a good heat in the 1500m, just as the one in the 800m had been good. But, without training, it would have been impossible to recover again for the final. We preferred not to subject him to another massacre, perhaps already the 800 were too many. So wouldn’t it have been better to skip them to focus on the (perhaps) more affordable 1500? Suffering 7 minutes is better than suffering 15, then try to stop someone who has just won the relay in the cross country.
But what happened to Greg? Could his limited energies have been handled differently? And again: the double sustainable sea-pool commitment in view of the Olympics? So many questions that are inside a bigger one, so unpleasant that it’s better to face it right away: not that the time of the fish named Greg – one of the greatest sportsmen who have ever passed through here – is about to end up overwhelmed by a competition that waits for no one (let’s take the first four of the 800m, the Tunisian Hafnoui, very fast champion in 7’37”, the Australian Short, the American Finke, the Irish Wiffen have all improved the record of their own continent)? Spoiler of the last answer: no, it would be a mistake to give Greg up for dead, and not only for the past (a feat for everyone: the Olympic silver after mononucleosis), but on the basis of parameters and technical explanations.
The premise: We have taken it calmly this year, Greg has carved out more space for himself, gone to live together and I am very happy – continues Antonelli -, now I see a man and no longer a boy. Then came the physical ailments, which stopped him for six weeks from January. Yet in the elite of the fund and went close to his staff in 800 in battery, managing a little after 600 meters: this is already reassuring. Only that the personnel would not have been enough for the podium. Yes, true. But he has margins, he can improve his swimming efficiency, the numbers are encouraging, he must be in good health, have a clean year and he can play it. Continuing the double pledge? Knowing him I would say yes, but we will evaluate. Greg retiring, by eye, will remain an exception.
July 28, 2023 (change July 28, 2023 | 05:24)
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