Gregorio PALTRINIERI

At the World Championships in Kazan, after winning silver in the 800 metres, he became the first Italian swimmer to be crowned world champion in the 1500m freestyle.

A year to remember: at the European Championships in London, he won gold in both the 800m and 1500m events. A few months later, he fulfilled his lifelong dream by winning the gold medal in the 1500m freestyle event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Despite not being in peak physical condition, “Greg” surprised everyone at the Tokyo Games by winning silver in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 10km open water event, demonstrating his resilience and extraordinary versatility.

He confirmed his enduring success on the international stage with his starring role at the Paris Games, where he won a silver medal in the 1500 metres and a bronze in the 800 metres. To date, he has a haul of five Olympic, twenty-five World Championship and twenty-six European Championship medals, ranking him among the most successful swimmers of all time.