2016 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 5
- Monday, May 16th – Sunday, May 22nd
- Prelims: 10:00 AM (London Time) / 5:00 AM (Eastern Time)
- Finals: 6:00 PM (London Time) / 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
- London Aquatics Center, London, UK
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
- Live Stream
After recording the 2nd fastest 1500 in history on day three in London, Italian distance phenom Gregorio Paltrinieri swam a more ordinary, yet still world class 800 to win his second gold medal of the championships. Paltrinieri clocked 7:42.33, breaking his previous championship record of 7:44.98 set two years ago in Berlin.
Unlike the 1500 where he took off over five seconds from his best time, Paltrinieri just missed his best time of 7:40.81 set at the 2015 World Championships. He remains as the 6th fastest performer in history behind Chinese swimmers Zhang Lin and Sun Yang, Australians Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe, and Tunisian Oussama Mellouli.
Here’s a look at Paltrinieri’s previous 800 Championship record from 2014 and his new one today:
| 2014 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS | 2016 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS | |
| Splits | Splits | |
| 100 | 55.78 | 55.88 |
| 200 | 58.20 | 57.18 |
| 300 | 57.99 | 57.57 |
| 400 | 58.31 | 58.43 |
| 500 | 58.56 | 58.43 |
| 600 | 58.93 | 58.32 |
| 700 | 58.92 | 58.14 |
| 800 | 58.29 | 58.38 |
| FINAL | 7:44.98 | 7:42.33 |
Paltrinieri was significantly faster on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th 100s which ultimately earned him the record. Paltrinieri opened in a very quick 3:49.06, a time that would’ve come close to making the 400 free final. He was less than four seconds faster than he split at the 800 mark in his 1500 on Wednesday (7:46.24).
The podium was exactly the same as it was in the 1500, with Paltrinieri’s countryman Gabriele Detti taking silver in 7:43.52, and Mykhailo Romanchuk snagging his second bronze of the meet in 7:47.99 ( a new Ukrainian record).