Nicolò Martinenghi is the new world champion in the 100 breaststroke. The blue athlete swam in 58 ”26 (new Italian record) ahead of the Dutch Arno Kamminga (58” 62) and the American Nic Fink (58 ”65). Martinenghi’s, bronze in the 100 at the Tokyo Olympic Games, is a historic gold: no blue before him had managed to impose himself in the 100 breaststroke in a long course World Cup, as well as being Italy’s first medal in these World Championships. of Budapest.
Martinenghi takes the crown left vacant due to injury by the king of the specialty Adam Peaty, going as far as Domenico Fioravanti, the first Italian swimming Olympian (silver in Fukuoka 2001), preceded on the podium of the specialty by Gianni Minervini (silver at Madrid 1986 and bronze in Perth 1991) and followed by former captain of the national team Fabio Scozzoli (silver in Shanghai 2011).
For Italy of swimming this is the eleventh blue on the highest step of the world championship podium (7 men and 4 women), as well as the 19th world gold in history after those won by Novella Calligaris (in the 800 sl in Belgrade 1973), Giorgio Lamberti (in the 200 freestyle in Perth 1991), Massimiliano Rosolino (in the 200 mixed in Fukuoka 2001), Alessio Boggiatto (in the 400 mixed in Fukuoka 2001), Filippo Magnini (in the 100 sl in Montreal 2005 and Melbourne 2007), Federica Pellegrini ( in the 200 freestyle in Rome 2009, Shanghai 2011, Budapest 2017 and Gwangju 2019 and in the 400 freestyle in Rome 2009 and Shanghai 2011), Alessia Filippi (in the 1500 in Rome 2009), Gregorio Paltrinieri (in the 1500 in Kazan 2015 and in Budapest 2017 and in the 800 in Gwangju 2019), Gabriele Detti (in the 800 in Budapest 2017) and Simona Quadarella (in the 1500 in Gwangju 2019).
«I am very happy even if I expected something less in terms of timing. It is a hallucinating emotion. It is an exactly calculated race. I knew there were three of us at the same level and the head, concentration, determination were decisive for success. It was my first individual world final, I managed to put my hand in front and it’s exhilarating. I am very happy to have put into practice everything I have learned in recent years », said Niccolo ‘Martinenghi after the gold medal won in Budapest.