Paltrinieri, Galossi, Pilato and Angiolini- Corriere.it

ROMA — “We are still here.” Gregorio Paltrinieri wins gold in the 800m freestyle at European swimming championships in progress at Foro Italico of Rome. Paltrinieri, 27, finished with a time of 7’40 “86, ahead of the German Lukas Maertens. Blue double on the podium with Lorenzo Galossi, 16 years oldRoman and Roman player (“It’s a disease more than a passion, I told my coach that if I know the captain I can even stop swimming”), who conquers the bronze with the world youth record, 7’43 “37. Greg yes looks at the growing dolphin and thinks that one day he will want to take his place: “It’s absurd what these guys are getting, at their age I swam twenty seconds slower, it’s the evolution of swimming. They’ve seen us win and they’ve grown with many motivations, the victories always make the whole movement grow. I do not worry about their arrival, I am still here defending myself, swimming in a different way, with other weapons. “The first gold is won, in the race and at the World Cup had been the disappointment, now all that remains is to continue on the path of the five European medals that Greg has made up his mind to bring home.

Gold Pilate

Benny instead wants an encore. While waiting for her 50, in the meantime in her 100 breaststroke she wins gold in 1’05 ” 97, behind her Lisa Angiolini a surprise silver in 1’06 ” 34. “After the World Cup I wanted to win here – says Benny -, it didn’t matter the time, I also have a pain in my arm, I haven’t told my coach yet …”. The Roman audience sings the hymn on the podium with her at the top of their lungs. «Beautiful, exciting, never heard all this cheering. Very nice to celebrate with Lisa, it gives a sense of how strong we are, we managed to imitate what Martinenghi and Poggio did », that is another world champion (in the 100 breaststroke) and the outsider who makes the perfect race. Lisa beat the internal competition by overcoming Martina Carraro and Arianna Castiglioni in the drums (who had set the third and fourth absolute times) and since then she has never ceased to amaze, first of all herself. “I hadn’t even looked at the semifinals times, imagine, it wasn’t really in the plans. But in recent years I have never stopped believing in it ».

Popovici’s record

Shortly before, a world record had fallen, one of those that makes the most noise, that of 100 meters, 46”86 the new reference: a phenomenon thinks about it, David Popovich

, at 17 double world gold in the 100 and 200 and now forever in history. Merit of an iron discipline (“My secret? It’s the same as the footballer Haaland said, perhaps because he didn’t speak English well, he simplified it into” hard work “. Well it is also true for me, sacrifices and hard work “), Of an absolute trust in his own coach, so much so as to reject the sirens of American colleges who would like him from them (” I don’t think I will leave Bucharest as long as I am a swimmer, I have my staff and everything I need to do well ») And of Stoic philosophy. “My coach always advised me to read the Stoic philosophers, I think I have learned principles that also help in sport”. It takes stoicism to get up at 4.30 to have breakfast with my eyes still closed (“I’ve been doing it since I was a child I sleep while I eat”) and perhaps also to shatter the primacy of the Brazilian Cielo who had resisted since 2009, the era of swimsuits in polyurethane then banned, stopping the clock in 46”86. Behind him the Hungarian Milak in 47”47 and our Alessandro Miressi in 47”63. «The level is very high, we are all very close – explains Mirex -, I am satisfied with my time also because my season in the long course has been fluctuating and I am happy to have swam alongside the world record. Congratulations to David ».