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Another triumphal day for Italian swimming at the European Swimming Championships in Paris with the Martinenghi-Cerasuolo gold-silver double in the 50m breaststroke, Anita Gastaldi’s silver in the 200m medley and Sara Curtis’ bronze, her fifth medal and an Italian record, in the 50m freestyle.
From 100 to 50 metres, the breaststroke in Europe has only one master and his name is Nicolò Martinenghi. Among the lanes of swimming pools all over the world they call him ‘Tete’ and since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 he has been collecting heavy and important medals, many colored with gold. In the swimming pool which on 28 July two years ago had made him enter history thanks to the Olympic triumph in the 100m sporting golden hair, the Italian from Varese achieved an encore at the European Championships number 38 in history. After the 100m title he also won the 50m title as already happened four years ago in Rome. For Nicolò, 27 years old, the waters of the Olympic Aquatic Center in the French capital are confirmed as successful. As successful as the Italian swimmers are, with only tomorrow left, they are second in the medal table with 15 podiums, 5 golds, 4 silvers and 6 bronzes behind Great Britain which, thanks to the gold won in the 4x200m freestyle mixed race (Italy eighth), led to the number of gold medals is 6). On the podium together with Martinenghi, who also sang the Mameli anthem, was the world champion Simone Cerasuolo, second.
With “Cera”, ‘Tete’ had also climbed the 100 in Paris and in 2022 in Rome. Nicolò won in 26″57, Simone touched in 26″62. Martinenghi, a member of the Circolo Canottieri Aniene and coached by Matteo Giunta, husband of the ‘Divinà Federica Pellegrini, at the federal center in Verona, was once again ready. Cerasuolo, 23 years old, from the Fiamme Oro and coached by Cesare Casella, he finished with the same time as the Dutch Koen De Groot. “It was a very strange match, I knew that the final would be different compared to the other rounds – commented Martinenghi -. I like to enjoy these challenges because they excite me. To repeat like in Rome would have been unthinkable until recently.
“Cera” then stated, “I was more tense than yesterday but the finals are also this, we will have to take example from what didn’t work, several things also because four tenths of delay compared to the qualifying rounds is a lot, we learn and move forward”.
The silver you wouldn’t expect was Anita Gastaldi’s in the 200m medley. The blue girl blew up the bench and the scream of joy when she came out of the pool is confirmation of this. The 23-year-old from Bra, a Carabinieri representative trained as a pupil of Fabrizio Clary, finished in 2’10″07, a personal best improved by nine tenths to 67 hundredths from the Italian record of 2’09″30 set by Sara Franceschi. Success for the Irishman Elle Walshe in 2’09″81 with the Belgian Roos Vanotterdijk (2’10″10) completing the podium. «I still struggle to understand what happened», were the first words of Gastaldi, European short course bronze in Lublin 2025 in the 200 butterfly, «I knew that the race would be open because already in the semi-final we were all very close. I improved my personal best by almost a second. I worked a lot to get to this result.”
To complete the balance of the penultimate day, the super champion Sara Curtis could not be missing. Fresh from the double world record in the 50m backstroke lowered to 26″56, the 19-year-old from Savigliano won bronze in the 50m freestyle on August 15th, bringing her Italian record to 23″99, a tenth less. The Army swimmer, who trains with world record holder Gretchen Walsh in Virginia, was preceded by Poland’s Maria Wasick, gold in 23″84, and Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestrom (23″86). For Sara, another pearl at the European Championships in Paris which adds to the gold in the 50m backstroke, the silver with the 4x100m freestyle, and the bronzes with the 4x100m freestyle mixed and the 100m freestyle. «It was an incredible, very fast final, the Italian record was my real goal as well as going under 24 seconds: swimming next to Sara is always an incredible feeling», said Sara who is followed by Thomas Maggiora when she is in Italy. Podium missed by ten cents but the joy of an Italian record broken. Alberto Razzetti’s fourth place in the 200 butterfly is a mix of sensations, with 1’54″23 lowering the 1’54″28 set by Federico Burdisso (2020) by five hundredths. ‘Razzo was overtaken five meters from the end by the Greek Apostolos Siskos, bronze in 1’54″13. Gold to the Frenchman and Olympic champion Leon Marchand in 1’51″72, silver to the Hungarian Richard Marton (1’54″06). Benedetta Pilato’s best time in the semi-final round makes us dream. The 21-year-old from Taranto, coached by Mirko Nozzolillo, touched in 29″84 two hundredths better than what he swam in the heat. Tomorrow in the final, the Estonian Eneli Jefimova (29″93) and the eternal Lithuanian and world record holder (29″16) Ruta Meilutyte are dangerous clients, five hundredths over 30 seconds. Great time in the semi-final of the 100m backstroke also for Thomas Ceccon. The champion from Vicenza qualified with the second time, 52″93, four hundredths of a second from the leader, the Russian Georgii Iakovlev.