Turin, 11 August (LaPresse) – Two Italians have made it onto the podium in the men’s 100m breaststroke at the European Swimming Championships currently taking place in Paris. Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi triumphed with a time of 58.58 seconds, whilst Simone Cerasuolo took bronze (58.90 seconds). Ivan Kozhakin won silver in 58.68 seconds. “I’m lost for words; it’s been a difficult year. I really deserve this. Today’s race was all about heart, determination, redemption and even a bit of… Today I tried to give it my all in the water; as I said yesterday, I wasn’t interested in how I’d got here – I just wanted to know that today, standing on that starting block, I felt like the strongest in the race.” So said Nicolò Martinenghi to Rai Sport after winning gold in the 100m breaststroke at the European Swimming Championships in Paris. “The day before, I was saying to my team-mates, ‘There’s a one-in-twenty chance of bringing it home, but I’ll fight until the end and if I manage it, I’ll stop swimming’ – although that probably won’t be the case,” continued the Paris 2024 Olympic champion. “I’ve thought about it this year (retiring, ed.) – I won’t deny it – and I’ve had some low moments. I thought the pool had taken a bit of a back seat, but then you realise that as long as you’ve got the heart to fight, you’ve got nothing to fear.” Martinenghi admitted that “it’s been a really tough year; I was almost moved to tears today, and I wasn’t even captain at the Olympics,” he concluded. “Last year was much harder than the Olympic year. But every time I get into the water, I feel better and better; this is my world, and it’s still what I want to do for a while yet.”
European Swimming Championships: Martinenghi wins gold in the 100m breaststroke, bronze for Cerasuolo
Turin, 11 August (LaPresse) – Two Italians have made it onto the podium in the men’s 100m breaststroke at the European Swimming Championships currently taking place in Paris. Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi triumphed with a time of 58.58 seconds, whilst Simone Cerasuolo took bronze (58.90 seconds). Ivan Kozhakin won silver in 58.68 seconds. “I’m lost for words; it’s been a difficult year. I really deserve this. Today’s race was all about heart, determination, redemption and even a bit of… Today I tried to give it my all in the water; as I said yesterday, I wasn’t interested in how I’d got here – I just wanted to know that today, standing on that starting block, I felt like the strongest in the race.” So said Nicolò Martinenghi to Rai Sport after winning gold in the 100m breaststroke at the European Swimming Championships in Paris. “The day before, I was saying to my team-mates, ‘There’s a one-in-twenty chance of bringing it home, but I’ll fight until the end and if I manage it, I’ll stop swimming’ – although that probably won’t be the case,” continued the Paris 2024 Olympic champion. “I’ve thought about it this year (retiring, ed.) – I won’t deny it – and I’ve had some low moments. I thought the pool had taken a bit of a back seat, but then you realise that as long as you’ve got the heart to fight, you’ve got nothing to fear.” Martinenghi admitted that “it’s been a really tough year; I was almost moved to tears today, and I wasn’t even captain at the Olympics,” he concluded. “Last year was much harder than the Olympic year. But every time I get into the water, I feel better and better; this is my world, and it’s still what I want to do for a while yet.”