Gregorio Paltrinieri continued his fine form as he won the 10km open water at the Campionato Italiano Assoluto days after rattling Sun Yang‘s world record in the 1500 free with the second-fastest swim in history.
Arianna Bridi won the women’s race in the first event of the championships at which the opening two days are being held at Piombino with Marina di Grosseto staging the 5km races on Friday.
Paltrinieri, who lowered his own 1500m European record to 14:33.10 at the Sette Colli in Rome last Thursday, enjoyed an emphatic win in the open water in 1:52.09.7.
Photo Courtesy: Italian Swimming Federation
Olympic bronze medallist Marc-Antoine Olivier was 14.2secs behind in second in 1:52.23.9 with Domenico Acerenza third in 1:52.29.4.
Paltrinieri will be competing in both pool and open water at the rescheduled Olympics next year in Tokyo where the 1500 free final will take place on the morning of Sunday 1 August before the marathon swimming is held on Thursday 5 August giving three full days for recovery and preparation.
This past week has seen the Olympic 1500 free champion enjoy four days between the two competitions.
Bridi has not qualified for Tokyo with team-mate Rachele Bruni instead punching her ticket courtesy of finishing third at last year’s World Championships in Gwangju.
The 2017 world bronze medallist trains alongside Paltrinieri under Fabrizio Antonelli with the Italian national open water squad.
Photo Courtesy: Italian Swimming Federation
The women’s finish was a far tighter affair with Bridi winning in 2:02.12.0, 1.5secs ahead of Giulia Gabbrielleschi who clocked 2:02.13.5 with Bruni third in 2:02.17.2.It represented the start of a new chapter for Bridi who was reported as saying on federnuoto.it:
“I got ahead until the fourth lap, then I gave way to the French woman (Lara) Grangeon and I had some more energy in the final and so it was.
“I’m happy with the result, for me it represents a new beginning: we really needed it.”
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Amazing! ?
This guy. Wow.
Around 1:06 per hundred meters times 100. ???
Congratulations
Can’t wait to see this gentleman take down Yang’s record. I already don’t acknowledge that drug cheat’s record. In my mind, Grant Hackett still holds the 1500m world record!
Would love to see a months worth of training logs.