Valerio Cleri

Valerio Cleri ( born June 19, 1981 in Palestrina ) is an Italian swimmer who increasingly specialized throughout his career in open water competitions.

He was twice world champion: With the World Swimming Championships 2009 in Rome, he managed the 25 km in 5:26:31,6 h before Trent Grimsey ( 5:26:50,7 ) and Vladimir Djattschin ( 5:29:29,3 ). At the same event he won over 10 km to fourth place in 1:52:11,4 behind the winner Thomas Lurz ( 1:52:06,9 ) and the Americans Andrew Gemmell and Francis Crippen ( 1:52:10, 7).

In the open water world championships in 2010 in the Canadian Roberval he was the winner of over 10 km in 2:00:59,3 before the two Russians Yevgeny Dratzew ( 2:01:00,6 ) and Vladimir Djattschin ( 2:01:03,0 ). About 25 km of Americans Alexander Meyer ( 5:32:39,38 ) referred him to second place ( 5:32:40,40 ) before the Bulgarian Petar Stoichev ( 5:33:50,29 ).

In addition Cleri succeeded in winning two European titles: In the European Swimming Championships 2010 in Budapest, he was the winner of the 25 km 5:16:38,3 in front of the two French Bertrand Venturi ( 5:16:54,7 ) and Joanes Hedel (5: 18:57,6 ). In addition, he won over 10 km the silver medal in 1:54:25,8 behind Thomas Lurz ( 1:54:22,5 ) and before Dratzew ( 1:54:26.6 ).

In the open water 2008 European Championships in Dubrovnik, he had the world title in the 25 km 4:29:00,0 (!) Before Joanes Hedel ( 4:32:40,9 ) and the Russian Dmitri Soloviev ( 4:34:02,4 ) achieved.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing Cleri missed fourth in 1:52:07,5 the bronze medal over 10 km behind the winner Maarten van der Weijden ( 1:51:51,6 ), David Davies ( UK, 1:51: 53.1 ) and Thomas Lurz ( 1:51:53,6 ).