The gold went to reigning German champion Florian Wellbrock
Gregorio Paltrinieri won the silver medal and Domenico Acerenza the bronze in the 5 km long-distance race at the 2023 Swimming World Championships in Fukuoka (Japan).
“BLUE WAVE!!! Greg and Mimmo are World Silver and Bronze in the 5km!!”, writes Paltrinieri on Instagram.
The gold went to reigning German champion Florian Wellbrock who finished in 53’58”0 at the end of a race always led. Paltrinieri (54’02”5) and Acerenza (54’04”2) were the only ones to stay in the German’s slipstream after 2.5 km. “I’m very happy because I didn’t imagine I’d be competing in this race”, Paltrinieri said at the finish line. “the impression that to have stimuli it is as if I needed a disappointment. This is how the fuse is lit. I get angry, I take it personally. So I won this medal with determination, firmness and I am happy about it. The tactic was to stand on the feet of Wellbrock who at the moment appears to be the strongest of all. This second place is a certainty and comes from my desire to always win regardless of my health or form. It’s a nice medal because I didn’t have high expectations.” he added.
Acerenza also rejoices: “We are two warriors, we never give up and we proved it. In the end we even tried, but Wellbrock proved to be the strongest. After a race of helping each other it was nice to challenge Greg; he passed but the important thing is that we both won medals”.
Gold Germany also she women’s race. Leonie Beck wins, ahead of the Dutch Sharoon Van Rouwedaal and the Brazilian Ana Marcela Cunha. The blue Barbara Pozzebon closes in fifth place.
Source-www.adnkronos.com