Acerenza is back as king of cross-country skiing: he triumphs in the 10 km Cup in Piombino

World test for the Azzurri: Paltrinieri forced to retire due to illness on the fourth lap. The big names at Bocconi will be in the pool tomorrow

Domenico Acerenza wins the 10 km of the Italian stage of the Coppa Len in Piombino. A way to celebrate the European gold of a year ago in Ostia. In the final, the Lucan defeated Andrea Filadelli, born in 2001, by 1″5 after 1h51’43″7, and by 1″9 the European champion of the 25 km, Mario Sanzullo and Ivan Giovannoni, in the ex aequo photo finish. Fifth is Andrea Manzi at 2”, sixth his brother in art Pasquale Sanzullo at 3”6 and seventh Marcello Guidi at 4”5. The Dutchman Marcel Schouten at 7”2 is the first of the foreigners. The sea conditions of Piombino were ideal for Acerenza, and very bad (at 18 degrees) for Gregorio Paltrinieri, forced to retire in the fourth lap like the other big blue Giulia Gabbrielleschi. The 10 km went to the French Oceane Cassignol, stationed in Ostia still in Fabrizio Antonelli’s group: in 2h02’05″6 the transalpine beat Geneva Taddeucci at 2″ and Barbara Pozzobon at 2″3, fourth Rachele Bruni at 2″ 5, fifth Sophie Callo at 4″5, seventh the returning Arianna Bridi at 4″8 and eighth Giulia Berton at 4″9, ninth and tenth at 5″2 Alisia Tettamanzi and Silvia Ciccarella.

the reactions

Acerenza’s words: “The conditions were difficult, but this is open water swimming, we have to be good at adapting to all temperatures. I implemented a different tactic than usual. I stayed covered until halfway through the race and then took the lead from lap five. I’m happy because it wasn’t easy to win today and because my condition isn’t yet the best, because I still lack a bit of speed”. The award ceremony of the 25 km of the Ostia European Championships was then carried out with 5 out of 6 medals awarded to Italy. Sanzullo, the 2022 European champion of the 25 km, who had turned to the Tas to be recognized for the victory, says: “After nine months, I am now the European champion, so this is my happy day! It was a very tough race last August, but at least in the end our efforts have been recognised”. Next Saturday and Sunday the first time of the World Cup in Golfo Aranci in Sardinia: Greg ready to redeem himself in perhaps less cold waters (today 18.8 degrees).

Big Azzurri at Bocconi

In the meantime, the Alpha Cup is scheduled for Sunday in the Bocconi swimming pool in Milan: a parade of blue stars with Simona Quadarella, Benedetta Pilato, Alessandro Miressi, Lorenzo Zazzeri, Matteo Restivo, Filippo Megli and Marco De Tullio.

Americans and Australians

In Atlanta Caeleb Dressel is back after 11 months: the Olympian loses in 52″41 in the 100m-butterfly to the Canadian Josh Liendo, author of 51″79. Katie Ledecky cuts the 1500m and part of her from the 200m freestyle from her Atlanta program, which she won at the Rio Games and no longer wins even at a world level (the first time she lost them to Fede Pellegrini in Budapest 2017). During the season, the biggest freestyle had already dropped to 1’54″95 in March and 1’55″47 in January. Kate Douglass’ double: first in the 100m breaststroke, then in dolphin, in which she collects a prestigious victory over the Canadian Summer McIntosh by 7 tenths: 57 ”19 against 57” 86. In Sydney The seasonal list of hurdlers under 48″ is extended to 12: today in Sydney the Olympic champion from Rio, Kyle Chalmers, author of 47″69, was added, while Kaylee McKeown drops in the 400 medley to 4’31″68 after having improved his personal best yesterday in the 200 medley in 2’07”19. And she also wins the 100m backstroke in 58”33 after the first grind. On the levels of Ledecky in Atlanta, the New Zealander Erika Fairweather in the 200m freestyle: 1’55”80.

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