Gregorio Paltrinieri blames mid‑race fatigue after fourth place in 10km European swim

Italian open‑water swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri finished fourth in the 10 km race at the European Championships in Paris. He said he “suffered a lot between the 5‑9 km mark” and that his final sprint was not enough to catch the leaders.

Paltrinieri explained that the narrow course gave only about 30 m of space, limiting his ability to break away from the pack. He also noted that he mis‑judged his effort around the eighth and ninth kilometres, which cost him a better placing. At 32, he said the race was valuable experience ahead of the upcoming Olympics and that he will work on better pacing and strategy.

He praised the other competitors for taking advantage of the gap and highlighted that water conditions were better than at the Olympics, though the tight course made it difficult to execute his usual tactics.