Swimming World Championships, Paltrinieri-Wellbrock or Italy-Germany, is repeated in the 5 km

If memories were enough. In Fukuoka 2001, Italy won the world title in the men’s and women’s 5 km, with Luca Baldini and Viola valli. Remained without medals in the 10km, the Azzurri are looking for the great redemption in the shortest, fastest race. Will it still be Germany against Italy? For now, the Germans are winning 2-0 (in terms of gold medals, with Florian Wellbrock and Leonie Beck, who is training in Ostia). Italy lines up at 1 for the women’s event two cross-country skiers who didn’t have to dispose of the toxins of the Olympic specialty, namely Rachele Bruni and Barbara Pozzobon, the real novelty of this expedition of the Rubaudo national team. Bruni, Olympic silver in 2916, is the expert of the group, trains in Brazil and wants to redeem Tokyo. Pozzobon has her first real world break. Among the men, Gregorio Paltrinieri (European champion and vice world champion) and Domenico Acerenza confirmed in the water at 3. Live on Rai 2 and Sky Sport.

Difference

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Will Wellbrock dominate the 10 km and will he do the same in the 5 km? The Olympian dictated the pace of Sunday’s race and took the lead right from the start: he didn’t make the break but won by controlling the operations from start to finish, something Greg Paltrinieri couldn’t do. “I love swimming in the ocean, feeling the waves to enjoy the moment, but I don’t like fighting in the group. I really like deciding where to go, how fast to swim. It’s really fun for me to be the race leader and decide what to do.” In Momochi Seaside in Fukuoka, like in Tokyo? Wellbrock, who is 25 years old and has brought Olympic gold to Germany since the days of Gross, intends to leave his mark on these World Championships, where he is already five gold medals. “The joy is enormous, for Germany (Klemet bronze, Leoni Beck gold, ed) it’s a great result, an excellent start to this world championship, I want to continue to stay ahead, impose the pace and I don’t want to show up in the final sprint with eight opponents. It’s important for me, for the team and for the fans that they see me back on top” commented the swimmer from Magdeburg who also does it to honor his sister, a former swimmer, who died years ago.