1. Early Life and Junior Career
Gregorio Paltrinieri's journey in competitive swimming began at a very young age, leading to a successful junior career before his rise in senior international competitions.
1.1. Early Life and Introduction to Swimming
Born on 5 September 1994, in Carpi, Italy, Paltrinieri started swimming as a young child. In his early years, until the age of 12, he specialized in breaststroke. However, as he matured, he transitioned to freestyle, where he began to focus on longer distances in the pool, a decision that would define his professional career.
1.2. Junior Career
Paltrinieri's first taste of international success came when he was 16 years old. At the 2011 European Junior Swimming Championships in Belgrade, he earned a gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle and a bronze medal in the 800-meter freestyle. This strong performance allowed him to qualify for the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, although he did not advance beyond the heats at that event. Just weeks later, at the 2011 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Lima, Peru, he returned to the podium, securing a silver medal in the 1500-meter freestyle and another bronze in the 800-meter freestyle.
2. Senior Career Milestones
Gregorio Paltrinieri's senior career is marked by a series of significant achievements, including Olympic triumphs, world records, and a gradual expansion into open water swimming.
2.1. 2012: Olympic Debut and European Title
In March 2012, Paltrinieri clinched the Italian 800-meter freestyle title. Two months later, at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships in Debrecen, he dominated the 1500-meter freestyle event, surpassing strong Hungarian competitors Gergő Kis and Gergely Gyurta. His winning time of 14:48.92 set a new championship record and was the second-fastest 1500-meter swim globally that year, securing his qualification for the Olympics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the 17-year-old Italian made his Olympic final debut in the 1500-meter freestyle, qualifying with the fourth-fastest time of 14:50.11. He ultimately finished fifth in the final with a time of 14:51.92. At the end of 2012, Paltrinieri initially won silver in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Istanbul. Following a positive doping test for Danish swimmer Mads Glæsner, Paltrinieri was upgraded to gold, but after Glæsner's successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Paltrinieri's silver medal position was reinstated.
2.2. 2013-2015: World Championship Breakthrough and World Record
Paltrinieri continued his ascent at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, where he reached his first 800-meter freestyle final at a long course World Championship, finishing sixth with 7:50.29. In the 1500-meter freestyle, he secured a bronze medal, setting a new national record of 14:45.38. In 2014, at the Italian Swimming Championships in Riccione, he placed second in the 800-meter freestyle with 7:43.01. Days later, he established a new national record in the 1500-meter freestyle with a time of 14:44.50. He also swam an unofficial world best time of 50:56.50 in the 5 km (long course pool) at the Italian indoor distance championships.
In August 2014, at the 2014 European Aquatics Championships in Berlin, Paltrinieri won both the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events, setting a new European record of 14:39.93 in the latter. This made him only the fifth swimmer in history to swim under 14:40.00 in the long course 1500-meter freestyle. Later that year, at the 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Doha, Paltrinieri became a World Champion for the first time, achieving a new European record of 14:16.10, which was the second-fastest time ever behind Grant Hackett's world record.
At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Paltrinieri claimed the silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle, losing to Sun Yang. He then went on to win the 1500-meter freestyle, setting another European record. By the end of 2015, at the 2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel, Paltrinieri established a new 1500-meter freestyle world record of 14:08.06, winning gold ahead of fellow Italian and friend Gabriele Detti. This achievement surpassed Grant Hackett's 2001 record by 2.04 seconds. With this gold medal, Paltrinieri simultaneously held the world and European titles in both long course and short course for the 1500-meter freestyle.
2.3. 2016: Olympic Champion
The pinnacle of his career arrived at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Paltrinieri secured the gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle with a time of 14:34.57. He had qualified for the final as the top-ranked swimmer, having posted a time of 14:44.51 in the preliminaries. He shared the podium with Gabriele Detti, who earned the bronze medal with 14:40.86, finishing less than seven seconds behind Paltrinieri.
2.4. 2017-2019: Sustained Success and Open Water Debut
In 2017, Paltrinieri successfully defended his World Championship title in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest. He also added a bronze medal in the 800-meter race, which was won by his teammate Gabriele Detti. At the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei, he showcased his versatility by winning three gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle, 1500-meter freestyle, and the 10 km marathon open water event. In 2018, at the 2018 Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, he won gold medals in both the 400-meter and 1500-meter freestyle. Later that year, at the 2018 European Aquatics Championships in Glasgow, he secured a silver medal in the 800-meter and a bronze in the 1500-meter freestyle.
At the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, Paltrinieri captured the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle, establishing a new European record of 7:39.27. While he could not achieve a third consecutive world title in the 1500-meter, he still earned a bronze medal in the event. In a significant career development, he made his debut in a World Championships open water race, finishing sixth in the men's 10 km event. Building on this new experience, he later won a silver medal in the mixed 5 km team relay.
2.5. 2020-2021: Pandemic Impact and Tokyo Olympic Medals
In August 2020, at the 57th Settecolli Trophy, Paltrinieri swam the 1500-meter freestyle in 14:33.10. This performance marked the second-fastest swim ever recorded in the event (behind only Sun Yang's world record) and set a new European Record.
The 2020 European Aquatics Championships, originally scheduled for 2020, were held in May 2021 in Budapest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the delay, Paltrinieri delivered an outstanding performance in open water, winning three gold medals across the 5 km, 10 km, and team relay races. In the pool events at the same championships, he earned double silver medals in both the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events.
In mid-June, just a month before the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Paltrinieri contracted mononucleosis, which significantly disrupted his pool training. Despite this challenging preparation, he still managed to secure two Olympic medals: a silver in the 800-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 10 km open water marathon. As the reigning Olympic champion, he finished fourth in the 1500-meter freestyle, unable to defend his gold medal.
To conclude 2021, Paltrinieri competed at the Abu Dhabi Aquatics Festival, held in conjunction with the 2021 World Short Course Championships. He won a gold medal with his Italian relay teammates in the open water 4x1500 meter mixed relay event. In the 1500-meter freestyle at the World Championships, he qualified fourth for the final with 14:28.11 and finished fourth in the final with 14:21.00. Beyond competition, Paltrinieri also participated in a beach clean-up at Al Bahia Beach, supporting the conservation of the hawksbill sea turtle.
2.6. 2022: Multi-Discipline World Dominance
2022 was a year of remarkable multi-disciplinary success for Paltrinieri, showcasing his dominance in both pool and open water events. In May, at the first leg of the 2022 FINA Marathon Swim World Series in Setúbal, Portugal, he won gold in the 10 km swim, finishing in 1 hour, 53 minutes, and 45 seconds amidst waves and currents. The next day, he helped secure a silver medal in the 4x1500-meter mixed gender open water relay.
At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Paltrinieri had a stellar performance. He placed fourth in the 800-meter freestyle final (7:41.19). Three days later, he won gold in the 1500-meter freestyle with a time of 14:32.80, setting new European, Italian, and Championships records. The following day, he earned a bronze medal in the mixed 6 km team relay (1:04:43.0). He continued his success in open water, winning silver in the 5 km swim (52:52.7) and gold in the 10 km open water swim (1:50:56.8), finishing less than two seconds ahead of fellow Italian Domenico Acerenza.
Ten days after the World Championships, Paltrinieri competed in the second leg of the 2022 Marathon Swim World Series in Paris, France, where he won the 10 km swim (1:51:37.85) and helped secure gold in the 4x1500-meter team relay (1:07:51.74).
In August, at the 2022 European Aquatics Championships in Rome, Paltrinieri continued his winning streak. He won gold in the 800-meter freestyle with a Championships record time of 7:40.86, sharing the podium with Lukas Märtens and Lorenzo Galossi. He also secured a silver medal in the 1500-meter freestyle (14:39.79). In open water, he won gold in the 5 km swim (52:13.5) and gold in the mixed team relay (59:43.1).
In November, at the final leg of the Marathon Swim World Series in Eilat, Israel, Paltrinieri earned a bronze medal in the 4x1500-meter mixed open water relay (1:06:37.00). The next day, he won the 10 km open water swim (1:46:41.80), tying Kristóf Rasovszky for the overall World Series title for the year.
He concluded 2022 by competing at the 2022 World Short Course Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Paltrinieri won gold in the 1500-meter freestyle (14:16.88). In the inaugural men's 800-meter freestyle event at a World Short Course Championships, he won the world title and gold medal with a Championships record and personal best time of 7:29.99.
2.7. 2024: Paris Olympic Medals
At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Gregorio Paltrinieri once again showcased his enduring prowess, securing two additional Olympic medals. He returned to the podium in the 1500-meter freestyle, earning a silver medal. In the 800-meter freestyle, he claimed a bronze medal, further cementing his status as one of the most consistent long-distance swimmers in Olympic history.
3. International Championships Medal Summary
Gregorio Paltrinieri has an extensive medal collection from major international swimming championships across various disciplines and course lengths.
3.1. Long Course and Open Water Championships
The following table summarizes Paltrinieri's medals and performances at long course (50m pool) and open water championships:
| Meet | 400 freestyle | 800 freestyle | 1500 freestyle | 400 medley | 5 kilometre (open water) | 10 kilometre (open water) | Open water team relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior level | |||||||
| EJC 2011 | 14th |  |  | DNS | - | - | - |
| WJC 2011 | |  | - | - | - | ||
| Senior level | |||||||
| EC 2012 | | | - | - | - | ||
| OG 2012 | - | 5th | - | - | |||
| WC 2013 | 6th | | |||||
| EC 2014 | | | |||||
| WC 2015 | | | |||||
| EC 2016 | | | |||||
| OG 2016 | - | | - | - | |||
| WC 2017 | | | |||||
| WUG 2017 | | | - | | - | ||
| MG 2018 | | - | | - | - | ||
| EC 2018 | | | |||||
| WC 2019 | | | 6th | | |||
| EC 2020 | | | | | | ||
| OG 2020 | | 4th | - | | - | ||
| WC 2022 | 4th | | | | | ||
| EC 2022 | | | | 7th | | ||
| OG 2024 | | | 9th | ||||
3.2. Short Course Championships
The table below details Paltrinieri's medal achievements and results at short course (25m pool) swimming championships:
| Meet | 400 freestyle | 800 freestyle | 1500 freestyle |
|---|---|---|---|
| EC 2012 | 8th (h) | - | |
| WC 2012 | - | | |
| EC 2013 | 31st | - | 8th |
| WC 2014 | - | | |
| EC 2015 | - | | |
| WC 2016 | - | | |
| EC 2017 | 15th | - | |
| WC 2018 | - | | |
| EC 2019 | | ||
| EC 2021 | | | |
| WC 2021 | - | 4th | |
| WC 2022 | | |
4. Circuit Competitions Medal Summary
Gregorio Paltrinieri has also achieved significant success in various international swimming circuit competitions, demonstrating consistent performance outside of major championships.
4.1. FINA Swimming World Cup
The following table summarizes Paltrinieri's medal statistics from his participations in the FINA Swimming World Cup circuits:
| Edition | Gold medals | Silver medals | Bronze medals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 5 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
4.2. FINA Marathon Swim World Series
Paltrinieri's performances and medal counts in the FINA Marathon Swim World Series circuits are summarized below:
| Edition | Individual | Relay | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Gold | Silver | Bronze | ||
| 2018 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
5. Records and Personal Bests
Gregorio Paltrinieri has established several notable records and achieved impressive personal best times throughout his career, particularly in long-distance freestyle events.
5.1. Long Course Personal Bests
His fastest times achieved in long course (50m pool) events are as follows:
| Long course | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Time | Meet | Date | Note(s) |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:50.96 | Italian Championships | 3 April 2012 | |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:46.29 | XVIII Mediterranean Games | 25 June 2018 | |
| 800 m freestyle | 7:39.27 | 2019 World Aquatics Championships | 24 July 2019 | ER |
| 1500 m freestyle | 14:32.80 | 2022 World Aquatics Championships | 25 June 2022 | ER |
| 5000 m freestyle | 50:56.50 | Italian indoor distance championships | 7 April 2014 | |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:23.26 | Energy for Swim | 9 August 2017 |
5.2. Short Course Personal Bests
His fastest times achieved in short course (25m pool) events are presented below:
| Short course | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Time | Meet | Date | Note(s) |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:50.00 | Italian Championships | 26 March 2013 | |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:45.17 | 2012 European Short Course Swimming Championships | 22 November 2012 | |
| 800 m freestyle | 7:29.99 | 2022 World Short Course Championships | 17 December 2022 | |
| 1500 m freestyle | 14:08.06 | 2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships | 4 December 2015 | former WR |
6. Awards and Honors
Gregorio Paltrinieri's outstanding achievements in swimming have earned him significant recognition and honors throughout his career. Notably, he was awarded the title of Italian Sportsman of the Year for two consecutive years, in both 2015 and 2016. This award acknowledges his exceptional contributions and success in the world of sports.
7. Personal Life
Outside of his competitive swimming career, Gregorio Paltrinieri's personal life includes his engagement to Rossella Fiamingo, an Italian Olympic gold medal fencer. Their engagement highlights a connection between two prominent Italian athletes.
8. Legacy and Public Image
Gregorio Paltrinieri has cemented his legacy as one of Italy's most prominent and successful long-distance swimmers. His sustained dominance in the 1500-meter freestyle, culminating in an Olympic gold medal, established him as a leading figure in the sport. Beyond the pool, his successful transition and achievements in open water swimming have showcased his remarkable versatility and endurance, setting him apart as a truly multi-disciplinary athlete. He is perceived as a resilient and dedicated competitor, capable of overcoming challenges, such as his bout with mononucleosis before the Tokyo Olympics, to still deliver medal-winning performances. Paltrinieri's consistent presence on the international podium, combined with his record-breaking swims and ability to excel in both pool and open water environments, positions him as an influential figure who has significantly contributed to Italian and international swimming. He inspires aspiring swimmers and maintains a strong public image as a national sporting hero.