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Last weekend, the Sardinian coastal village of Golfo Aranci took the global stage as host of the second leg of the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup 2024 season. This Italian coastal gem, with its vibrant emerald-coloured sea, welcomed the world’s best long-distance swimmers for their final international test before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
With an incredible setting and a fierce two days of racing, top media outlets took notice. Let’s dive into what traditional media had to say about the event – and hear from more of the athletes who competed late last week.
Friday’s open water headline from Italy’s cherished sports outlet read a bit more sombre than Saturday’s when Italy was shut out of the medals in their home waters. However, reporter Roberta Parretta noted that fingerprints of Italy’s open water team were ever-present in the men’s and women’s 10kms. The men’s winner, Marc-Antoine Olivier, and women’s victor, Ana Marcela Cunha, fly the colours of France and Brazil, respectively. However, they train in Ostia, Italy, under the tutelage of Fabrizio Antonelli, Italy’s open water national team coach.  
“The 1500s, as we know, is his home. Woe betides anyone who takes him for granted,” wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Roberto Parretta on Gregorio Paltrinieri anchoring Italy to the Mixed 4x1500m Relay win. The 29-year-old former World Record holder in the short course 1500m freestyle helped outpunch Germany and Hungary to the finish line board following the Italian team’s opening legs from Ginevra Taddeucci, Veronica Santoni and Andrea Filadelli.
Parretta caught Paltrinieri’s coach, Fabrizio Antonelli, applauding Paltrinieri’s effort: “Always humble and helpful, and these experiences will come in handy at the right time.”   
The Napoli newspaper noted the turnaround from one day to the next for Italian relay anchor Paltrinieri. Suffering in the cold, sub-18°Celsius waters over the marathon swimming distance of 10 kilometres, World and Olympic gold medallist Paltrinieri rebounded from his 33nd place showing in Friday’s 10km to anchor Italy home first in a very heated three-way sprint final in the relay on Saturday morning.   
“After suffering from the cold on Friday, super Greg placed a spectacular last stage, as if he were in the pool, completing the comeback started by Filadelli and touching the finish line first,” wrote Corriere della Sardegna. “The enthusiasm of the audience and the Italian national anthem that resounded in front of the many who came to see the race did not leave anyone present indifferent, including the Germans, silver medallists, who began to clap their hands in time on the second verse of the Canto degli Italiani.
“Images that are good not only for the Open Water movement but for anyone passionate about sports. A spirit that has once again marked a great success for the event, which will return again next year,” added the Corriere della Sardegna editorial staff.  
Mexican magazine Zeta chronicled Baja California native Martha Sandoval as she prepares for the open water swimming event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.  Much like Italy’s Antonelli, Sandoval’s coach Paulo Salas spoke of how the currently cold waters in the Mediterranean Sea gave a good test to swimming in the Seine during the Games, where it’s foreseen wetsuit use will also be mandatory due to the temperature of the waters.
“It’s been a difficult process; we’re already polishing all the things we needed to get to the Olympics with everything, Italy it’s a good preparation competition; it’s different conditions than in Egypt; the water is a little colder,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval added: “Training is getting heavier and heavier, but it’s preparation for the Games; I’m ready. I think the work has already been done in years. Right now, it’s about improving several things, more than anything, the mentality to go with everything to Paris.”
In addition to reliving the event itself, the editorial staff at the Italian news wire agency praised the “extraordinary” work of the organising committee and Italian Swimming Federation. The news wire also noted the “indispensable synergy” within the Sardinia region and Golfo Aranci municipality to host a top-flight event that saw 24 national teams comprising 250 athletes and support staff come to the Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea.  
With sustainability on the minds of many within the Olympic sports movement, it makes sense that the first French-speaking media dedicated to the international sports movement would pick up on World Aquatics’ debut of sustainable drinking bottles for feeding the athletes from the Golfo Aranci World Cup.
“World Aquatics puts its projects on sustainability and respect for the environment into practice,” wrote Francs Jeux.
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