Gregorio Paltrinieri – Photo by Andrea Masini / DBM Deepbluemedia
An immense Gregorio Paltrinieri gives himself another triumph of a legendary career. The Italian champion wins the gold medal in the men’s 10km cross-country swimming at the European Championships in Belgrade and does so thanks to a final action that surprises the whole group and which allows him to reach the finish line more than twenty seconds ahead of the four colleagues at the photo finish. The Frenchman Marc-Antoine Olivier (silver) and the Hungarian David Betlehem (bronze) won the remaining two steps of the podium, beating the other two Italians, Domenico Acerenza (4th) and Dario Verani (5th).
Three Italians in the top 5, complete with gold: this is the best news of a morning in open water which opened with the double (silver and bronze) in the women’s race signed by Barbara Pozzobon and Giulia Gabbrielleschi. A perfect performance, probably carefully planned, by Paltrinieri who started from the back, without however losing too much contact with the leaders. At km 3.5 comes the break which from seventh place leads him to lead the group. And with him also Acerenza, while Verani creates a powerful comeback starting from km 8.3. The last to give up is the French Olivier (bronze in the 10km of Rio 2016), but he too can’t do anything after the solitary action of Paltrinieri who guesses the right trajectory 500 meters from the finish line and gains an unbridgeable gap in the final straight . Nothing to do for one of the favourites, Kristof Rasovszky, Olympic silver medalist from Tokyo 2020, who gave up after the 7th km. Sixth position for the British Hector Pardoe, bronze in Doha, while the other big name Athanasios Kynigakis placed behind him. Even further behind, in thirteenth position, the Israeli Matan Roditi, who placed fourth in Tokyo, behind Super Greg. Which sends a clear message ahead of Paris 2024.
