ROME — The Italian swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri won’t be surprised again by China’s Sun Yang.
Paltrinieri recovered from his initial shock over his Chinese rival’s last-minute no-show to win the longest race in the pool at this year’s world championships.
For next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Paltrinieri is already considering the possibility that Sun won’t enter the 1,500-meter freestyle at all.
“It would be great if for once I could really race him stroke for stroke,” Paltrinieri said recently. “I’m not afraid of a showdown with him. In fact, I would relish that.
“But I’ve also got to realize that he might not enter.