2020 Italian Open Water Championships
- 18 August – 10 km
- 19 August – 2.5 km
- 21 August – 5 km
- Entry list
- RESULTS
You can view the Italian recaps on SwimSwam Italia here.
Just days after clocking the second-fastest 1500m freestyle ever in the pool, Olympic gold medalist Gregorio Paltrinieri put his open water swimming to the test in the men’s 10k.
Competing on day 1 of the 2020 Italian Open Water Championships, 25-year-old Paltrinieri hit the 10k time pad first, registering an overall time of 1:52.09.7 to beat out Frenchman Marc-Antoine Olivier and Italian teammate Domenico Acerenza.
That’s no small feat, as Olivier took bronze in the 10k at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, while Acerenza is a silver medalist from the open water team event, which also included Paltrinieri, from last year’s World Championships.
Men’s 10k Podium – Open
- Gregorio PALTRINIERI 1.52’09.7
- Marc-Antoine OLIVIER 1.52’23.9 (FRA)
- Domenico ACERENZA 1.52′.29.4
Last week at the 2020 Sette Colli, Paltrinieri crushed a winning 1500m time of 14:33.10 to log the fastest time of his career. That checked in as not only a new Italian national record, but also as a shiny new European Record as well.
Acerenza was also impressive in that 1500m pool race, registering a time of 14:49.98 for silver. For 25-year-old Acerenza, that time also represented a lifetime best by nearly 2 seconds.
As for Paltrinieri, his recent performances provide evidence he has adapted nicely since changing coaches just months ago. As we reported in May, Paltrinieri left his coach Stefano Morini to train under Fabrizio Antonelli. Antonelli is the Italian National Team coach for open water.
Big things coming in Tokyo
This guy is a total stud. I am very impressed he could stay in top shape with how COVID hit Italy. Incredible focus!