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Gregorio Paltrinieri: Olympic History Within Reach
By David Rieder
Despite the global pandemic, the Olympic postponement and a coaching change, Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri put together some of the best swimming of his career last summer in the 800 and 1500 meter freestyle as well as the 10K marathon. Come Tokyo 2021, he’ll be trying to become the first swimmer ever to capture Olympic gold in both the pool and open water events.
Gregorio Paltrinieri had conquered the challenge of becoming the world’s best in the longest event in the pool, the 1500 free. After winning his first World Championships title under bizarre circumstances, Paltrinieri established a long winning streak and took over for Sun Yang as the world’s premier miler, just as Sun Yang had surpassed Ous Mellouli four years earlier and Mellouli had surpassed the great Grant Hackett three years before that. Then, Paltrinieri decided he needed a new challenge—and he’s already one of the world’s best in that, too.
In 2015, at the World Championships in Kazan, Paltrinieri already had won a silver medal in the 800 free, and he had a bronze at the previous World Championships in the 1500. He entered the mile final as the top seed, but Sun was heavily favored to win a third straight gold in the event.
Except Sun never showed up.
The Chinese world record holder complained of chest pain, and rumors circulated of an altercation between Sun and a Brazilian swimmer in the warm-up pool. But whatever the reasons, the lane next to Paltrinieri was empty, and he took advantage of the opportunity.
Paltrinieri fended off American Connor Jaeger and swam a time of 14:39.67, a European record, and he became the fifth-fastest performer in history. Nine months later at the European Championships, Paltrinieri lowered his lifetime best to 14:34.04, passing Hackett to become the second-fastest man in history, and firmly establish himself as the favorite for Olympic gold.
At Rio in 2016, the then-21-year-old Paltrinieri claimed the gold medal, winning by five seconds, and his Italian teammate and training partner Gabriele Detti joined him on the podium as the bronze medalist. Thinking back on those Olympics, Paltrinieri remembers his emotions: excitement, sure, but perhaps even more relief. As the pre-race favorite, the fear and pressure had proved exhausting, far more so than in his previous World or European Championships experiences.
“When I was a kid, I always thought, ‘OK, if you win the Olympics, you start to cry. You have to cry because it’s the Olympics,’” Paltrinieri recalled. “But I touched the wall, and I couldn’t cry. I don’t know…it’s a weird emotion. I was really happy about what I did. At the same time, I was happy that everything was done.
“When you’re at school and you have a big exam or something like that, you can’t wait to be finished. Maybe you are well prepared and you studied a lot and everything, but you can’t wait for it to be over because it’s so much pressure on you. At the Olympics, so many people are watching your race, so it’s that kind of situation.”
Then, in 2017, Paltrinieri decided to try his first open water race. He was seeking a new motivating force in his swimming, something fresh and exciting. He had swum in open water when he was younger, but the focus shifted exclusively to pool swimming when he began training with Coach Stefano Morini in 2012, and Morini would guide Paltrinieri to years of international dominance in the pool.
Speaking about his first open water experience, Paltrinieri said, “It was really bad.” During that race, he felt like he had forgotten how to swim. But gradually, Paltrinieri found his comfort and enjoyment in open water, and in his first international 10K race, Paltrinieri took gold at that year’s World University Games in Taipei.
“It’s really fun. I love the ocean. I love the feeling of swimming outside, not in a swimming pool,” Paltrinieri said. “You can feel the energy of the sea. You look at some fish around you, and you look at the beach, and you are in a good environment. It’s all good for me.”
To read more about Gregorio Paltrinieri’s path to Olympic history,
check out the November 2020 issue of Swimming World Magazine.
Click here to download now!
[PHOTO CREDIT: CONNOR TRIMBLE]
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Swimming World Magazine November 2020 Issue
FEATURES
010 OPEN WATER SWIMMERS OF THE DECADE (2010-19)
by Andy Ross
Since the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Swimming World from naming Open Water Swimmers of the Year for 2020, the magazine, instead, takes a look at the top marathon athletes over the last 10 years.
015 HIGHLIGHTING ISHOF’S 1980 OLYMPIC EXHIBIT
by Bruce Wigo
As we mark the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Olympic Games, much has been written and discussed about the impact on the athletes who were denied the opportunity to compete in Moscow. Lost in most of these discussions is the significance of the boycott to the Olympic movement, which is why, in 2014, the International Swimming Hall of Fame made it the subject of one of the largest permanent exhibits in its museum.
018 OLYMPIC HISTORY WITHIN REACH
by David Rieder
Despite the global pandemic, the Olympic postponement and a coaching change, Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri put together some of the best swimming of his career last summer in the 800 and 1500 meter freestyle as well as the 10K marathon. Come Tokyo 2021, he’ll be trying to become the first swimmer ever to capture Olympic gold in both the pool and open water events.
021 STILL SWIMMING STRONG
by Dan D’Addona
Throughout Allison Schmitt’s illustrious swimming career, the three-time Olympian and eight-time Olympic medalist has experienced success and has dealt with her share of struggles. Now 30, she remains goal-oriented and continues to be one of the world’s elite athletes.
026 THE TRUE OLYMPIC SPIRIT
by John Lohn
Pierre de Coubertin developed the Olympic motto that stressed athletic prowess, but he also said, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part.” That description fit Eric the Eel Moussambani perfectly when he swam all by himself in Heat 1 of the men’s 100 meter freestyle at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and finished in slightly less than two minutes!
COACHING
012 TOUGHEST WORKOUTS (Part 1)
by Michael J. Stott
Here’s a painful—but productive—sampling from yesteryear of some coaches’ toughest workouts ever.
036 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTIMAL MODEL FOR TECHNIQUE: PART IX—BODY BASE OF SUPPORT FOR BACKSTROKE
by Rod Havriluk
An optimal backstroke body base of support (BOS) depends on first mastering a level torso and then mastering torso rotation. An optimal BOS facilitates the arm motion to maximize propulsion.
038 SPECIAL SETS: A REALLY SPECIAL SET
by Michael J. Stott
Nov. 21, 1975: Mike Bruner’s 100 x 100 on 1:00!
042 Q&A WITH COACH LORI RIEGLER
by Michael J. Stott
043 HOW THEY TRAIN JACK ALEXY AND MEREDITH RIEGLER
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
035 DRYSIDE TRAINING: LET’S RACE
by J.R. Rosania
With COVID-19 being managed somewhat and new protocols being put in place, racing is slowly coming back. Here are some exercises that will help get your body ready to race.
JUNIOR SWIMMER
046 UP & COMERS: ALANA BERLIN
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS
008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
014 DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT HYDROMANIA?
029 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
045 THE OFFICIAL WORD
047 GUTTERTALK
049 PARTING SHOT
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