PARIS – Nicolò Martinenghi returned to the forefront of the pool at the European Championships in Paris, just as he was at the Olympics, winning gold in the 100m breaststroke in 58.58. Joining him on the podium was Simone Cerasuolo, who surprised everyone from lane 8 and, after a courageous final, took home a crucial bronze medal. The Italian record holder (58.26) – registered with CC Aniene, trained at the federal center in Verona by Matteo Giunta – swam a magnificent 58.58, with a fiery comeback of 31.10. The 50m world champion – registered with Fiamme Oro and Imolanuoto, a student of Cesare Casella – competed in a similar race, finishing in 58.90, with a lightning-fast passage of 27.03 and a slightly slower return of 31.87, but it was enough to secure a spot on the podium. The only thing separating the two Italians was Russian Ivan Kozhakin, 58.68 seconds behind. "I deserved it, I really deserved it. Today was a race full of heart, desire, and redemption," Martinenghi said. "I tried to give it everything I had: I didn't care how I got here; I wanted to give it my all without regrets. Today I felt like I was the strongest and that I had something more than the others. I had to win for myself, and that was it." Cerasuolo: "Today I felt good and had that feeling that I didn't have to be afraid of anyone. Nicolò is an example for all of us: he instills in us the will to fight. And the last ten meters were, in fact, pure heart.".
Nicolò Martinenghi, who won gold in Rome 2022, achieved an extraordinary feat, becoming the second Italian, after Domenico Fioravanti (Istanbul 1999 and Helsinki 2000), to win the 100m breaststroke on two occasions. It's noteworthy that, starting in 2021, the 27-year-old from Varese has never failed to finish on the podium in the 100m breaststroke at the eight major long-course events he's competed in. His record includes two Olympic medals, four World Championships, and two European Championships, with at least one victory in each event.
