Italian-born Olympic Champion Gregorio Paltrinieri is back in the water.
After the passing of the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, Italy started “phase 2” this week and the government allowed professional swimmers to return to training.
Today Gregorio Paltrinieri and his teammates have done the same at the Federal Center of Ostia (Rome). The account of the Italian Swimming Federation has published some photos on Instagram.
They are training in the center’s 50-meter outdoor swimming pool. Unlike Pellegrini, who trains indoors, it is now warm enough in the southern part of the country to swim outside. The coach is wearing a mask and during the warm-up the athletes respect social distancing guidelines. With Paltrinieri, you can see the other Italian men’s distance star Gabriele Detti, who was a double-bronze medalist in Rio (400 and 1500 free). Also present are the other 4 members of the Italian National Team: Marco De Tullio (who placed 5th in the 400 free in Gwanju) and 4×200 relay specialists Mattia Zuin, Alessio Proietti Colonna, Stefano Di Cola.
Italian Swimming Federation on Instagram
The Italian has government published its guidelines for restarting sport in the country. Professional athletes, specifically those of a ‘national interest,’ can return to training if they have tested negative for coronavirus.
The guidelines include reductions in the total number of people present in the facility. There must be at least 1 meter between all operators (including coaches), and athletes must remain at least 1 meter apart, preferably 2, when not engaged directly in training. In changing rooms, individuals must not be face-to-face.
Italy has been one of the world’s hardest-hit countries by the global coronavirus pandemic with over 215,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection which has led to 29,958 deaths.