Paltrinieri leads Italian sweep at the LEN Open Water Cup 2022 in Alghero

Third leg of the LEN Open Water Cup in Alghero. In the men's 10km, it was an Italian podium sweep for Gregorio Paltrinieri who won gold (1:49:45.7), Domenico Acerenza who took silver (1:49:46.5), and Marcello Guidi who got bronze (1:50:03.9). In the women’s event, the first place went to the 18-year-old Mira Szimcsak from Hungary (1:58:36.1), ahead of Brazilian Vivian Jungblut (1:58:36.2) and Rio 2016 silver Olympic medallist Rachele Bruni of Italy (1:58:36.3). 
It was the first success of the season for the Olympic 1500m champion in Rio and Tokyo 2020 10km bronze medallist Gregorio Paltrinieri. At the previous LEN Open Water Cup legs in Eliat and Piombino, the Italian multimedallist swimmer won two bronze.

"I am happy it was a race that was similar to the one in Piombino," Paltrinieri said after the victory. "We are in full training and therefore very charged up. Today I was slightly brighter and in the last few metres I tried to push. Without a wetsuit you obviously swim better: today’s conditions were perfect".

In the previous Italian leg of the LEN Open Water Cup in Piombino, Sacha Velly and Leonie Beck won the men's and women's races respectively. The 17-year-old French athlete, coached by Philippe Lucas, finished first in 1:50:30.2. The Italian teammates Marcello Guidi (1:50:33.8) and Gregorio Paltrinieri (1:50:41.7) finished with him on the podium. Germany’s Beck, who trains in Italy, touched the plate eight seconds ahead (2:00:35.7) of Italian swimmers Rachele Bruni (2:00:43.7), second, and Giulia Gabbrielleschi (2:00:45.0), third.

Belgrade (Serbia) and Kiel (Germany) will be the host cities for the next legs of the Open Water Cup on 10 July and 27 August respectively, with the final taking place in Barcelona on 24 September.

The FINA Marathon Swim World Series will be the next open water swimming event scheduled in Setubal on 28-29 May, a crucial competition for the discipline ahead of the world championships in June and Roma 2022 in August.