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Can’t Catch Him: Gregorio Paltrinieri Shines In 1500 Free As Italy Goes Gold-Bronze
- Updated: August 14, 2016
They stare at each other in the pool on a daily basis, grinding through difficult sets. Following the last individual event of the program, training partners Gregorio Paltrinieri and Gabriele Detti stared at each other with the knowledge that their work had been rewarded, both Italians on the podium in the 1500 freestyle.
Going wire to wire in what was a tour de force performance, Paltrinieri blew away the field and recorded a triumphant time of 14:34.57, good for a five-second decision over Connor Jaeger, who set an American record with a mark of 14:39.48. Detti was next to the wall, in comfortably for the bronze medal in 14:40.86. The United States’ Jordan Wilimovsky went a career best of 14:45.03 for fourth.
Paltrinieri was under world-record pace for the majority of the race, as much as two seconds clear of Sun Yang’s* pace from the London Games in 2012, when the Chinese star went 14:31.02. Maintaining the speed required for a global standard proved too difficult, though, Sun’s finishing strength the difference.
“It’s amazing. I have dreamed of this medal ever since I was a child,” Paltrinieri said. “I mean, a gold medal, it was more difficult than I expected because it’s an Olympic final. It was tough, but I’m very excited. The gold medal is amazing.”
Coached by Stefano Morini, Paltrinieri and Detti made Italy the current capital of distance swimming. It was Detti’s second bronze medal of the meet, complementing the one he earned in the 400 freestyle on the opening night of action. Not a bad way to bookend the competition, huh? As for Paltrinieri, he came through amid high expectations from his country.
Earlier this year at the European Championships, Paltrinieri declared himself the hot choice for gold in Rio, a continental record of 14:34.04 good for the No. 2 time in history and placing the spotlight on the Italian. The time from London put Paltrinieri in unique company, too, ahead of the career-best efforts of Grant Hackett and Ous Mellouli. His outing in Rio ranks at No. 5 all-time.
Paltrinieri is like a human metronome, moving up and down the pool with precision-like consistency. If his stroke is not aesthetically pleasing, it is …
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