2020 Italian Open Water Championships
- 18 August – 10 km
- 19 August – 2.5 km
- 21 August – 5 km
- Entry list
- Recap #1
- RESULTS
Italy’s own Gregorio Paltrinieri already won the 10k here at these 2020 Italian Open Water Championships, but the 25-year-old doubled up with another OW win in the 5k.
Competing on the final day of this 3-day affair, Paltrinieri hit the time pad with a result of 57:46.0 to clear the field by nearly 30 seconds.
The day before, Paltrinieri fell just short of a possible trifecta of open water wins, as Frenchman Marc-Antoine Olivier out-touched the Italian by a hair in the men’s 5k. Logged final times included 24:55.7 for Olivier and 24:55.8 for Paltrinieri, reversing the gold and silver medal positions from the 10k on day 1.
The trio of medals comes just days after Paltrinieri clocked a new European Record in the men’s 1500m freestyle in the pool at the 2020 Sette Colli.
As for the women’s races here at these OW Championships, the podiums across the 10k, 2.5k and 5k looked remarkably different, with no doubling up of victories.
The 10k went to Italy’s Arianna Bridi, while Giulia Gabbrielleschi and Rachele Bruni rounded out the top 3 with respective silver and bronze.
A Russian in the form of Anastasia Kirpichnikova topped the 2.5k race, with Bruni settling for silver, while Spanish swimmer Marla De Valdes Alvarez got the bronze for her nation. Of note, multi-European Junior Championships pool medalist Giulia Salin of Italy finished 5th.
As for the women’s 5k, Aurura Ponsele and Bruni gave the host nation another pair of medals, with the former taking gold to the latter’s runner-up. France got on the board, courtesy of Oceane Cassignol, who wrapped up bronze.
Gregorio is the one Italian with no style. And it works.
Gregorio if you’re reading this, I think you need to get that mole checked out. Hard to tell from the picture but it may be melanoma.
Paltrinieri is such a workhorse. Thumbs up!