European Championships: Nicolo Martinenghi Leads 1-2 Italian Sweep in 50 Breaststroke
Without Great Britain’s Adam Peaty in the lineup, the 50 breaststroke at the European Championships was dominated by the Italians, who finished 1-2. Nicolo Martinenghi, the world junior record holder in the event, won the gold medal with a swim of 26.33. He finished ahead of compatriot Simone Cerasuolo, who touched the wall in 26.95.
Martinenghi has been extremely strong this year. He won the world championship in the 100 breaststroke and keyed the Italians claiming gold in the 400 medley relay at the World Championships. His world title in the 100 breaststroke snapped the streak of three by Peaty, who couldn’t compete because of injury. He also did not compete at the European Championships.
But it is not as if Martinenghi came out of nowhere. He was the world junior record holder in the 50 breaststroke and earned the bronze medal in the 100 breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics, breaking the Italian record in the event.
At the European Championships, the Italians were the only swimmers in the field to break 27 seconds in the race.
Germany’s Lucas Matzerath took the bronze medal with a swim of 27.11.
Fourth place went to Austria’s Valentin Bayer, who touched the wall in 27.19.
Finland’s Olli Kokko had a strong reaction time of 0.60 and finished fifth with a time of 27.26.
Austria’s Bernhard Reitshammer took sixth (27.29) at the European Championships, followed by Ukraine’s Volodymur Lisovets (27.59) and Slovenia’s Peter John Stevens (27.74), who had the top reaction time at 0.57.
But that reaction time wasn’t enough to catch the Italians, who pulled away from the field to claim the top two medals.
