London 2016 LEN European Championships – Day 12

Italy: High five

Italy enjoyed a 5-medal haul on Day 5, with a couple of outstanding freestyle swims in the mix, courtesy of Gregorio Paltrinieri (1500m) and Luca Dotto (100m). Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom returned to the throne in the 100m fly, while Denmark’s Rikke Moller Pedersen retained her title in the 200m breast.

Sarah SJOESTROEM SWE Gold Medal Jeanette OTTESEN DEN Silver Medal 100m Butterfly Women Final London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

Gabriele DETTI ITA Silver medal Gregorio PALTRINIERI ITA Gold Medal Mykhaylo ROMANCHUK UKR Bronze Medal 800m Freestyle Men London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

ITALY ITA Silver Medal Erika FERRAIOLI, Federica PELLEGRINI, Filippo MAGNINI, Luca DOTTO NETHERLANDS NED Gold Medal VERSCHUREN Sebastiaan SCHWIETERT Ben V.D. MEER Maud KROMOWIDJOJO Ranomi FRANCE Bronze Medal MIGNON Clement STRAVIUS Jeremy BONNET Charlotte SANTAMANS Anna 4x100m Mixed Freestyle Final London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

DOTTO Luca ITA, gold medal 100 Freestyle men London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming day 04 heats Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

Podium DOTTO Luca ITA ITALY gold medal, VERSCHUREN Sebastiaan NED silver medal, MIGNON Clement FRA bronze medal London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming Men’s 100m freestyle final Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Giorgio Perottino/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

Podium SJOESTROEM Sarah SWE gold medal, OTTESEN Jeanette DEN silver medal, BIANCHI Ilaria ITA bronze medal, London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming Women’s 100m butterfly final Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Giorgio Perottino/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

Gregorio PALTRINIERI ITA Gold Medal Gabriele DETTI ITA Silver Medal 1500m Freestyle Men FINA London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

Jessica VALL MONTERO ESP Silver Medal, Rikke Moeller PEDERSEN DEN Gold Medal 200m Breaststroke Final London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

Jessica VALL MONTERO ESP Silver Rikke Moeller PEDERSEN DEN Gold Medal Hrafnhildu LUTHERSDOTTIR ISL Bronze medal 200m Breaststroke Women Final London, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park Pool LEN 2016 European Aquatics Elite Championships Swimming Day 12 20-05-2016 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

One might wonder what’s going to happen to Gregorio Paltrinieri when he will be in a really top shape. The Italian cracked the European record and went really close to the global mark over the 1500m free, then, two days later, he smashed the Championship record in the 800m and was just 1.5sec shy of his ER from Kazan. For sure, in Rio he is going to be the man to watch, even with Olympic title-holder Sun Yang (CHN) in the field.

Italy enjoyed a glorious evening. After Gabriele Detti came second behind Paltrinieri (the 800m featured the same three medallist as the 1500m as Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Romanchuk was third again) Luca Dotto won the blue-riband event of the meet, thanks to a tremendous first lap. Dutchman Sebastiaan Verschuren chased like a fiend in the second 50m but he missed the train by 0.07 sec and had to settle for the silver. The French sprint gloire was saved by Clement Mignon who was also close but came third, a further 0.04sec adrift.

In the women’s individual events, Denmark’s Rikke Moller Pedersen retained her title in the 200m breast with the only sub-2:22 effort in the field. Iceland’s Hrafnhildur Luthersdottir won her second medal here in London – after a silver in the 100m she earned the bronze – while Spain’s Jessica Vall Montero surprised even herself by finishing second.

The other women’s title also travelled north as Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom won her trademark event, the 100m fly, with a huge 0.94sec gap while bettering the Championship record and nearing her WR by 0.25sec, an amazing swim at the current stage of the season. In fact she hit back now for the loss in Berlin where Jeanette Ottesen out-touched her by 0.01sec for the title – this time the Dane didn’t have a chance to stay with her arch-rival.

Ilaria Bianchi got the bronze, and the Italians clinched their 5th medal of the day in the session-closing mixed free relay, a silver – here the Netherlands got the title with a really convincing performance. Ranomi Kromowidjojo’s 52.27sec anchor leg was a brilliant individual effort, adding a second relay gold to the Dutch tally.

For detailed results please visit LEN’s renewed website: www.len.eu

Direct link: http://len.eu/?p=4378

Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of Deepbluemedia