Gregorio Paltrinieri, after yesterday’s bronze in the relay, won silver in the 5 km World Championship on Lupa Lake, leaving space only for the German Olympian Florian Welabrock, who won for the first time in the world championship distance with an action solo, finishing in 52 “48. The twenty-eight year old from Carpi closed in 52” 52 to +3 “9
For Italy it is the second world silver in the specialty, after that of Mario Sanzullo in Budapest 2017 (he competed on the Balaton), and the second for the reigning European champion who repeats that of the mixed relay of Gwangju where he was sixth in the ten kilometers that qualified for the Olympics. The race seems to follow the two middle distance courses in the swimming pool: the German Olympian, reigning world champion, Florian Welbrock, immediately gives life to a head-to-head with Romanchuck from the infernal pace that shells the group and cuts the head of the world champion of the outgoing specialty and Olympic vice-champion and home hero Kristof Rasovsky who already passes detached at +16 “5 in the middle of the race. he plays accordion, always settling down to 5 “behind the group. The other blue Domenico Acerenza, on the other hand, remains attached to the trio of dreams at about 3 “2. Welbrock’s action becomes pressing after the second lap. Three buoys from the end the German, golden yesterday in the relay, tries to accelerate and shell the leading group with only Paltrinieri remaining in the wake at +4 “4 to 3.8 km. The 25-year-old from Bremen sets a devastating pace starting in a flywheel that lasts a kilometer and arrives with arms raised. Second and silver at +3 “9 for the athlete of the Fiamme Oro who wins the silver of consecration in a specialty never faced in the world. The Ukrainian Mykhailo Romanchuck completed the podium, for the first time in a cross-country race, third and 25 “1 behind the winner.
«With him I find it hard to swim head to head – admits Paltrinieri -. I realized at two kilometers that I would not have made it. Our struggle is not to let one pass in front of the other. We have been pushing from the beginning we have shelled the group. It is the race that I like. With him, however, there is no story in the final, but this silver has an enormous value because there were all the greatest in the world including the hero of the house Kristof Rasovsky ». The Italian is busy over different distances: «It is not easy to do many races in the same championship, there is great tiredness but I train a lot to get to this point; I thought I could be competitive but with this Wellbrock it’s hard to stay ahead. But already swimming next to him is a good result, now luckily there is a day of rest to recharge in view of the double distance », added the athlete of the Fiamme Oro. The 10km race is scheduled for Wednesday at 12.