Marcello Guidi – Photo Marco Iacobucci / IPA
Another medal for Italy at the European Championships in Belgrade. In the men’s 5km cross-country swimming Marcello Guidi took the bronze behind the new European champion, David Betlehem and the silver medalist Marc-Antoine Olivier, both of whom were also involved yesterday in the 10km won by Gregorio Paltrinieri. Intelligent performance from the Italian who outmaneuvered the group in the last km, swimming in Olivier’s wake and finally finding a central line in the final stretch between the top two in the class. The race in the waters of Ada Ciganlija, an island in the Sava River, initially seemed to be a matter between Hungary and France. Kristof Rasovszky (another disappointment from yesterday) is the first to break through and lead the group, followed by Betlehem, while Olivier initially leaves the initiative to his compatriot Sacha Velly. The Greek Athanasios Kynigakis starts in the rear, also returning from the efforts of the 10km. The group quickly grows and after 3km there are nine remaining in the breakaway group. In addition to Guidi, there are also Andrea Filadelli and Vincenzo Caso, but the other two Italians finish in seventh and ninth place respectively. Guidi’s final push earned him bronze ahead of prestigious names such as Velly (4th), Kynigakis (5th) and Rasovszky (6th). This is the fourth Italian medal in these open water European Championships after Paltrinieri’s gold, Pozzobon’s silver and Gabbrielleschi’s bronze in the 10km.
