Who is Arena’s latest recruit Gregorio Paltrinieri?

Gregorio Paltrinieri, affectionately known as Greg, is a 1500m Freestyle Swimmer from Carpi, Italy.

Born in 1994, Greg was only 3 months old when he entered the water for the first time, swimming competitively by the time he was 6. It is safe to say that this Italian found his ‘waterinstinct’ at a very early age….

Last year, at only 17 years old, Paltrinieri made his Olympic debut, by way of the 1500m free.

Day’s prior to London, Greg’s Province, Modena was hit by a devastating Earthquake, which lost people their lives and homes, including Greg and his family, who were compelled to live in a tent.

With the spirit of one who had nothing to lose, Greg won his 1500m heat in a time of 14:50.11, his second fastest time ever, qualifying him through to the final. With Tendinitis plaguing his left shoulder, Greg still managed to come fifth in the final, against some of the world’s greatest swimmers…

He finished the year at the European SC Championships in Chartres by winning the 1500m freestyle gold medal in 14:27.78, his personal best and the second fastest Italian time in history….

A daily routine for Greg consists of Breakfast at 7am, School between 8am-11am, followed by an 11:30am-1pm training session. He then rests up until the evening session (5pm till 7:30pm), followed by dinner at 8pm and bed around 10:30pm.

In his spare time, Greg likes to play on his play station, and listen to Rap and Commercial music. He also enjoys Tennis, but his biggest passion is with basketball. He is a New York Knicks fan and as a child he dreamed of becoming a star in the NBA. His role model in the world of swimming is Ian Thorpe, who he saw for the first time on TV at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

For all Gregorio’s past and present achievements, and for full press release click here…