Gregorio Paltrinieri, first triumph at Len Awards 2022

Gregorio Paltrinieri in triumph

The European League’s awards for the best athletes in the various categories were unveiled. The award, established since 2008, for the first time beyond the votes of insiders from national federations was opened to the popular jury, which contributed 30 percent of the total preferences (70,000 votes). Three Italians were among the top vote-getters: in the men’s cross-country, Gregorio Patrinieri won with 63.7 percent of the vote 13 years after Valerio Cleri and surprisingly for the first time in his long golden career! The ten-kilometer world champion makes a vacuum and, with Florian Welbrock second (15.64%), takes the podium with Domenico Acerenza, deservedly third with 9% after winning the European title in Rome just on the Olympic distance. In the women’s category, Olympian Sharon Van Roowendal wins for the second consecutive time, while Italy’s Giulia Gabbrielleschi is third with 10.46%.

On the other hand, Giorgio Minisini, in his third accolade, takes the top spot, winning the men’s category in artistic swimming with 75 percent of the vote. Chiara Pellacani also rises to the top for the first time: the European three-meter champion with 28 percent edged her out by three points over Ukraine’s Sofiya Lyskun and climbed to the throne that sees her succeed after six years the queen of diving Tania Cagnotto, undisputed ruler seven times in the past.