Italy capped their record medal haul
at the European Aquatics Championships in Rome Sunday with golds
for Domenico Acerenza in the 10k open water swimming and for the
4x1250m team led home by multiple medallist Gregorio
Paltrinieri.
The Azzurri ended the championships with 24 golds, 14 ahead of
Great Britain and Ukraine with 10 each.
Italy ended up with 67 medals in all, ahead of GB with 27.
It was the first Euros without swim queen Federica Pellegrini,
who had said "it's the strongest team ever" before the event in
the Italian capital.
Italy's total medal tally of 67 was 23 more than in the last
European championships in Budapest last year, when they got 44.
Over half this year's medals came in the swimming, 13, where
Thomas Ceccon was king with four golds and two silvers.
He was followed by diver Chiara Pellacani with five medals: two
golds, one silver and two bronzes.
Paltrinieri and synchro star Giorgio Minisini had four podium
finishes, the latter all golds while SuperGreg got three golds
and a silver.
Minisini won in the first ever men's synchronized swimming event
at an official international level.
"Our athltese are an international model," said the president of
the Italian Swimming Federation (FIN), Paolo Barelli.
The tally of 67 included 35 swimming medals, 12 synchro, 12
diving, six in open water and two in high diving.
"It all bodes very well for (the next Summer Olympics in) Paris
2024," said Barelli.
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