Martinenghi Wins Gold in 100m Breaststroke at European Championships in Paris

On the evening of Monday, August 11, 2026, Nicolò Martinenghi defended Italy’s pride in the pool by winning gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, touching the wall in 58.58 seconds as teammate Simone Cerasuolo claimed bronze in 58.90.

The result capped a dominant night for Italian swimming at the Olympic Aquatic Centre — the same venue that hosted the Paris 2024 Games — and gave Martinenghi a second European title in the event after his triumph in Rome in 2022.

Editor’s note: This article draws on race reports and quotes from European Aquatics, Quotidiano Nazionale, and Rai Sport coverage, August 11, 2026.

Final result at a glance

Position	Swimmer	Country	Time
Gold	Nicolò Martinenghi	Italy	58.58
Silver	Ivan Kozhakin	Neutral Athletes B	58.68
Bronze	Simone Cerasuolo	Italy	58.90
5th	Adam Peaty	Great Britain	59.10
6th	Filip Nowacki	Great Britain	59.11

The top three were separated by just 0.32 seconds in a race that stayed tight from the turn through the closing strokes. Kozhakin edged Cerasuolo for silver by 0.22 seconds, while Martinenghi held a 0.10-second cushion over the Russian neutral-flag swimmer at the finish.

How the race unfolded

Martinenghi entered as the reigning Olympic champion from Paris 2024 and one of the specialty’s most consistent closers on the international circuit. Cerasuolo, the reigning world champion, drew lane eight — traditionally a disadvantage in a sprint final — but still fought through to the podium.

Great Britain’s Adam Peaty had qualified second-fastest in 58.94 but faded to fifth in the final, while Filip Nowacki finished one hundredth of a second behind him. Peaty, a multiple world and Olympic champion in breaststroke events, was sixth at the turn and could not produce his trademark late surge, though he congratulated Martinenghi in the adjacent lane after the race.

For Martinenghi, the victory carried extra weight at a venue that already holds personal meaning.

Martinenghi’s reaction

Speaking poolside after the medal ceremony, Martinenghi described an emotional return to Paris.

“This is incredible,” he said. “Probably Paris now has a piece of my heart better than Budapest, but as I said before I tried to give to Paris something because it gave a lot to me. I saw my parents here and my girlfriend. The crowd was incredible and before the start I knew I could win even though it was a tough race.”

In comments to Italian broadcaster Rai, he framed the swim as redemption after a difficult season.

“Today was full of heart and redemption. I tried to put everything I had into the water. Today on that block, I felt like I had something extra to fight for.”

Martinenghi added that when things fall into place, it is worth dreaming — and that despite a hard year, he never stopped believing in his specialty.

Italy’s broader night in Paris

The men’s 100m breaststroke was not Italy’s only highlight on August 11. Earlier in the session, Simona Quadarella won her fourth European title in the women’s 800m freestyle in 8:15.55, her ninth European gold overall. In the women’s 100m freestyle, teenager Sara Curtis took bronze in 52.72, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind Dutch silver medalist Milou van Wijk.

Those results pushed Italy’s medal count at the Paris championships to four in the pool on the night, part of a broader haul that Italian federation officials have tracked across the continental meet.

What it means for Martinenghi’s season

At 31, Martinenghi remains the benchmark in men’s sprint breaststroke less than two years after his Olympic title on the same pool deck. Reclaiming the European crown — with a teammate on the podium — signals that Italy’s breaststroke pipeline remains among the deepest in the world heading into the next Olympic cycle.

Cerasuolo’s bronze from an outside lane underlined that depth: two Italians on the podium in a stacked final, with the gap between gold and bronze under a third of a second.

For Kozhakin, silver marked a strong showing under neutral status, keeping pressure on the leaders through the final meters.

Looking ahead

The European Aquatics Championships continue in Paris with further finals across swimming, diving, and other disciplines. Martinenghi’s focus will likely shift to relay duties and maintaining form through the remainder of the meet, while British swimmers including Peaty will seek to rebound in shorter breaststroke events still on the schedule.

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Discussion

Martinenghi’s Paris gold reunited an Olympic champion with the pool that made him a household name in Italy — and put two Italians on the same podium in one of swimming’s most competitive events.

1. Does a European title at the Olympic venue carry extra weight for Martinenghi two years after Paris 2024?

He called the city a piece of his heart. For fans, does winning here feel like closing a chapter or opening a new one?

2. With Cerasuolo on the podium from lane eight, how deep is Italy’s breaststroke talent compared with rivals like Britain and the neutral-flag contingent?

Share where you think Italian swimming ranks in the sprint breaststroke events heading toward the next global championships.