RIO DE JANEIRO: Gregorio Paltrinieri stormed to Italy’s first swimming gold medal of the Rio Olympics with a brilliant victory in the men’s 1,500m freestyle on Saturday.
Paltrinieri threatened the world record set by China’s Sun Yang in winning Olympic gold in 2012. His time of 14min 34.57sec was almost five seconds in front of America’s Connor Jaeger with another Italian, Gabriele Detti, taking bronze.
“Really this is incredible,” said Paltrinieri, 21, after adding Olympic gold to the world title he won last year in Kazan, Russia.
“I dreamed of this ever since I could remember. I still can’t believe I won.”
With Paltrinieri in control, Jaeger, Detti, American Jordan Wilimovsky and Australia’s Mack Horton jockeyed for silver and bronze, Jaeger finishing second in an American record of 14:39.48.
Detti nabbed the bronze in 14:40.86.
Wilimovsky was fourth, a solid finish to launch into the 10K open water competition next week.
Sun was a notable absentee after failing to advance from the finals as he battled the after-effects of a fever.
Paltrinieri felt the weight of expectations coming into the Games after winning world gold last year. He tried to set that aside for the final.
“I had so many expectations on me and pressure, and I knew that I could make it,” he said.
“It was hard, the Olympic final, so it was really hard to go out and give your best, but I really wanted to win. I put all my heart into it and it was a really beautiful thing.”
