Gregorio Paltrinieri
Gregorio Paltrinieri is an Italian swimming icon and current captain of the national team.
Born on 5 September 1994 in Carpi (Modena), he started swimming at the age of three and soon showed natural talent, first specialising in long distance 800m and 1500m freestyle in the pool, then in open water events. He won his first gold medal at the 2011 European Junior Swimming Championships and has been unstoppable ever since.
In addition to his sporting success, he is also a popular figure in Italy on other fronts. He was appointed ambassador for environmental sustainability and is committed to raising public awareness on the importance of protecting the environment with the environmental-sports project Dominate the Water.