Paris Olympics: Nicolo Martinenghi, Adam Peaty And Passing On The Baton
Cast your mind back to 19 June 2022 as Nicolo Martinenghi hoists himself onto the lane rope and points to the sky before slapping the water in celebration.
The Italian had timed his finish perfectly to win the 100m breaststroke ahead of Arno Kamminga and Nic Fink at the World Championships in Budapest.
It followed his bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics less than a year earlier and was Martinenghi’s first global title in a long-course pool.
As he walked from poolside through the mixed zone where the press gathers, Martinenghi spoke for the first time as a world champion and he was quick to point to the absence of one man, Adam Peaty.
Nicolo Martinenghi: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Peaty had withdrawn after sustaining a foot injury to bring to an end his bull run that had secured him the 50/100 double in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
“It is not the same without Adam – I know – but I am happy to stay on the throne that he has got,” said Martinenghi that day.
“Probably I’m happy to be the first guy that used this moment without him.
“I spoke with him before I came here and I said let’s come back faster because the throne needs its king!
“It’s beautiful to stay on the throne in this position.”
Peaty sent a message of congratulations, saying: “Bravo mate! Enjoy the amazing moment!”
To which Martinenghi responded, saying: “grazie KING”
Fast-forward two years and one month and Martinenghi once more hoists himself onto the lane lines and celebrates but this time he has reached the ultimate destination, the Olympic pinnacle.
He spotted his finish to take the crown in 59.03, 0.02 ahead of Peaty and Fink who shared silver in 59.05.
Peaty had missed the three-peat by just 0.02 but there was a sense of the baton being passed on as he evoked Budapest memories, saying:
“I told Nicolo to enjoy it because you can’t beat waking up as Olympic champion next day.
“We knew it wasn’t about the times, it’s about who executes and I’m so happy for him.”
Martinenghi embraced Peaty in the mixed zone and later said in a press conference:
“That (Olympic gold) was my goal, I grew up with that goal on my mind since I was eight years old.
“And I grew up with Adam. I saw him first of all on TV and then I started to race against him.
“He probably doesn’t remember that, I was 16, and now after eight years to become Olympic champion just next to Adam is a dream come true.”
A Childhood Pact That Led To The Olympic Pinnacle
Martinenghi almost didn’t become a swimmer.
It only came about because the Italian made a pact with a childhood friend to each learn the sport loved by the other so they could spend more time together.
Nicolo Martinenghi: Photo courtesy: Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia
Martinenghi loved basketball but after taking to the water, he unwittingly took those first steps on the path which has led to the pinnacle.
Following his Tokyo bronze, Martinenghi returned to Azzate, in the Varese region of northern Italy, where he received the keys to his hometown.
While he was there, he paid tribute to his first coach Franco De Franco who died days after the then 22-year-old reached the Olympic podium in 2021.
“It wasn’t me who chose the breaststroke,” Martinenghi told malpensa.it. “It was the breaststroke that chose me.
“And it was Franco De Franco who set my talent for this stroke into motion.”
World and European titles have followed since Tokyo as has a sprinkling of history.
Last year Martinenghi was part of a three-way tie for silver in the 100m breaststroke at the Fukuoka worlds with Fink and Kamminga as Qin Haiyang claimed an unprecedented clean sweep.
Next up is the medley relay with the trio set to meet once more.
The USA are the reigning champions, although Fink didn’t play a part in Tokyo, where Peaty split 56.53 as Team GB won silver in a European record of 3:27.51 ahead of Italy – with Martinenghi on breaststroke – who claimed bronze.
Italy then matched the continental standard en-route to the world title in Budapest 11 months later.
After that for Martinenghi will be a hero’s welcome in Italy and rest and recuperation before he starts to plan the short and long-term.
The Long Road Back For Peaty Who Passes On The Baton
For an emotional Peaty, Sunday’s silver came after a well-documented struggle in early 2023.
He spiralled, and lonely and burnt-out, he turned to alcohol to fill the void, and was on the brink of quitting “a thousand times”.
Now the 29-year-old finds himself on the Olympic podium for the sixth time and looking no further than the relays.
He tearfully told reporters:
Adam Peaty: Photo courtesy: Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia
“I’m looking forward to firstly debriefing. I’ve had a curveball with my throat and stuff, so trying to get back to full health in that sense, but again, please, that is no excuse in that.
“I don’t ever want that to be an excuse. But it’s a curveball I’ve had to respond to.
“And again, you can train eight years for something and not feel 100 per cent on a day. And 100 per cent costs you 0.02 and that’s just the way.
“I feel like I’ve been stung by a bee because I feel so swollen in my face because I’ve been crying.
“I’m just so happy. I’m not ever regretting a single thing.”
He paid tribute to his family and Team Peaty who have been there every step of the way since he first took to the water as a child.
In the crowd was son George who Peaty embraced.
“He normally goes ‘daddy, are you the fastest boy?’ and I would’ve said ‘not today’
“But he says, ‘I love you Daddy’ And that’s all I care about.”
He added: “That’s all I do it for now. When I hugged George, as soon as I saw his curly hair, I was ‘I’m gone’, crying.
“Any parent, anyone who has that love, it’s just a different type of love, something that swimming can’t give me anymore. And I don’t want it to give me anymore.”
There was a sense of handing over to Martinenghi.
“I’m not looking for these performances to give me a gratification of ‘I’m, okay, I’m the winner’ that defines my whole journey.
Nicolo Martinenghi & Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
“And I’m so happy to pass the baton to Nicolo because I’ve been racing him for so long, just like I was racing Cameron (Van der Burgh) and he was 28, 29 when he moved on from the sport.
“And that’s when he passed the baton.
“It would have been great, 0.02 to win that. And in my head, before the race, I was ‘it could go either way.’
“But I’m not going to be someone who beats myself up at the 0.02 because that’s not a healthy way to really reflect on the career I’ve had so far.
“And I’m grateful for the career that I’ve had.”
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