European swimming, Fiamingo and the first time live by Paltrinieri: ‘I was much more tense than him …’

The first time is never forgotten. Rossella Fiamingo had never seen her boyfriend Greg Paltrinieri, the undisputed star of the European Championships in Rome, compete live. This morning, at the Swimming Stadium, this gap was filled. The blue swordswoman took a seat in the grandstand reserved for VIPs and relatives, alongside Greg’s parents, Luca and Lorena, who have been used to seeing their son’s exploits for many years.

Regulation

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Gregorio is in the second battery of the 800 style, which wins in front of the German Schwarz and our Gabriele Detti. His time is 7’48 “91 (third time), in the final he will find the other blue Lorenzo Galossi, author of 7’49” 08 (fourth time). Detti himself who swam alongside Paltrinieri in 7’49 ”93 and Luca De Tullio who finished in 7’51” 60 would have qualified for the final scheduled for tomorrow. But the regulation states that there cannot be more than two athletes per nation in the final.

Grandstand

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Rossella remains composed in the stands, follows her Greg carefully, let’s say it was a sort of warm-up waiting to cheer in the final. “Yes, this is the first time live and already yesterday for me was like the night before my race, I felt with that same tension – she says at the end of the race -. It was nice to see him today, he also seemed quite calm to me, obviously the final is different, because there is the Greg of the drums and the Greg of the final. Today I saw a quiet, relaxed Greg ”. She is composed in the stands but … “Very very tense. I felt sorry for the other Italians, I didn’t know the rule of being able to have a maximum of two per nation. Too bad because they finished in the top eight, so with final times “, continues Fiamingo who returns to the emotions she experienced this morning:” From the outside it’s almost as tiring as when I compete, maybe I feel it even more because I don’t know what he thinks, his emotions while swimming. But in the end he turned around and smiled at me, so that’s great ”.

Starter

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The European Championships in Rome, at home, represent a special moment for Greg. “Competing in Italy is beautiful, he then lives in Ostia so it really means competing in his home. This is just an appetizer – continues Rossella – because next year I will have the Fencing World Championships in Milan. I can’t wait for July to come (they will be held from 22nd to 30th), shooting indoors will be great. However these European swimming championships have been very publicized, I would say that they are the most important Italian sporting event of 2022, I see that a good job has been done. Obviously in the final it will be super to see the stands all full with people cheering for Greg ”. Will he see all the races of him? Greg is not limited only to the 800 style … “Yes, I will see them all except the 1500 drums because I will be in Sardinia for two days. I told him not to play jokes and study strange strategies, I would not like to have this weight of the lack of qualification in the final … ”, he concludes laughing.

Support

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And he? “Doing an 800 in the morning, after such a long season, was not easy. I would like to do well to these Europeans. The 800th World Championship was the race that came to me worse but not bad because 7’41 ”is a great time. Tomorrow I’ll try ”. Knowing that they have Rossella’s support in the stands. Not a little.