Gregorio Paltrinieri & Ginevra Taddeucci Claim Italian Double At European Open Water Championships
Gregorio Paltrinieri and Ginevra Taddeucci claimed double gold for Italy with victory in their respective 5k races at the the European Aquatics Open Water Swimming Championships in Croatia.
Paltrinieri finished fourth, a sliver off the podium in the 10k in the opening men’s race in Stari Grad but he returned to take his place among a 28-strong field. He was in the top three throughout and was second, 1.31secs behind 10k winner Kristof Rasovszky at the end of the third of four 1.25km laps. Paltrinieri came past and pulled away to touch the panel in 52:05.79 with David Betlehem moving into second place in 52:08.07. Rasovszky – who added his first European 10k title to his world and Olympic crowns on Wednesday – finished 5.50secs behind his fellow Hungarian in 52:13.57, more than eight seconds ahead of next finisher Sacha Velly in fourth.
Paltrinieri – the Tokyo bronze medallist over 10k – made it three European titles in the 5k following his success at Budapest in 2021 and Roma 2022 as he became a 13-time continental champion over pool and water.
“It was a great race,” Paltrinieri told European Aquatics. “Today felt great, I wanted to put my pace in the water and I did it. I trained a lot for this copmpetition, so I’m glad I can stand on the podium. This place [Stari Grad] is amazing. It’s one of the best places I’ve ever been to. I would even come here on vacation! The water is pretty cold but I still enjoy this place and it’s very good to be here.”
Taddeucci had already paid a visit to the Stari Grad podium by finishing second in the 10k. Spain’s Maria De Valdes Alvarez had a narrow 0.26 lead going into the final lap which saw her overhauled by the Italian and Viktória Mihályvári-Farkas, winner of the women’s 10k. Taddeucci got her hand to the board in 59:51.95 with the Hungarian second in 59:53.94 and De Valdes Alvarez third in 59:55.03, a day after being DQd in the 10k. It has been a fine meet for Taddeucci – the Olympic bronze medallist – and Mihályvári-Farkas who both have a gold and silver medal from two events with Thursday’s race just the third the latter has competed in.
It was Taddeucci’s first individual title. “I’m very happy, because I always struggle in the final part of the race since I’m not very fast, so I didn’t really expect it. I didn’t think this gold would come, especially since yesterday.”