Martinenghi, Panziera, Ceccon, Quadarella Raise The Roman Roof With Euro Gold Rush On Day 3 Before Storms Interrupts Battle
Nicolo Martinenghi is having a summer he will never forget, the World 100m breaststroke title in June followed by European gold in August at home in Rome, raising a roar at the Foro Italico even Caesar and his mates would surely have been proud of.
By the time Martinenghi stopped the clock at 58.26 to relieve the absent winner of the past three titles, Adam Peaty, of his European crown, hosts Italy were celebrating their third gold in the first four finals.
After victory for Margherita Panziera in the 200m backstroke and Thomas Ceccon in the 50m butterfly, Italy has one more triumph to go, courtesy of Simona Quadarella in the 800m freestyle.
Victory for Panziera and Quadarella completed a European triple: they had both won the same event at the 2018 and 2021 (2020 pandemic-pushed forward a year) championships. Ceccon, the backstroke ace, made history too: Italy had never won a medal in the ‘fly dash. Now it has Roman gold to boast of.
That left two titles went to the Dutch, both of them involving Marrit Steenbergen, champion in the 100m freestyle and with mates in the mixed 4x100m medley.
If a storm interrupted the session, the controversy was to be found in the 200m backstroke, when Yohann Ndoye Brouard slipped at the start of the second semi of the 200m backstroke. He was out. A protest followed and won: Ndoye Brouard made the final in 1:56.39, the time he clocked alone at the end of the session, the great Roman crowd largely staying in their seats and applauding him all the way home.
Season Of Gold For Martinenghi But He Nods To The Missing Might
Martinenghi later noted that the crowd deserved a gold of its own. He was in a class of his own in the 100m breaststroke, while Federico Poggio made it a 1-2 punch for the Italians and Lithuanian Andrius Sidlauskas took the bronze:
Martineghi, along with Rome and Italy, was delighted. World and European champion, the crowns won in precisely;y the same time: 58.26. The pattern through the rounds was similar too, and in the mix here in Rome, double Olympic silver medallist Arno Kamminga, his closest rival for the minor spoils is the shadow of an Olympic Height called Peaty, was in no shape to challenge, finishing back in seventh and still battling with the aftermath of a Covid infection.
In Peaty’s absence, hay was made but the harvest took the harvesters no closer to the barn-stomping pace of the British pioneer. One the two-year stretch to Paris, the 100m breaststroke battle may be one of the most intriguing and fascinating chapters in breaststroke history.
Two Storms: Popovici & The Gods
Semis followed, highlighted by a 46.98 European 100m free record from David Popovici. His speed appeared to trigger a reaction from the gods and a torrential downpour held hands with flashes of lightning. The session was suspended until the danger rolled past and medals ceremonies could proceed.
Other Finals…
Women’s 200m backstroke – Gold To Panziera
Margherita Panziera celebrated her 27th birthday with home-in-Rome European gold in 2:07.13, marking her third straight victory in the 200m backstroke, after wins in 2018 and 2021.
It was silver for Britain’s Katie Shanahan in a great summer of international debut, following bronze in the 200m at the Commonwealth Games for Scotland. The bronze went to Dora Molnar, of Hungary:
Men’s 50m butterfly – Ceccon Flips Over & Flies Into History Books
The form guide had just two men under 23 in the rounds, Nyls Korstanje, of The Netherlands, and Maxime Grousset, of France. Thomas Ceccon was unphased: the Italian produced his swiftest moment when not most counted: 22.90, with Grousset and Diogo Ribeiro following him on to to Podium, a Portuguese first in the mix.
Ceccon, the World 100m backstroke champion and record holder, was the history maker of the event, of course: Italy had never won a medal of any colour, never mind gold, in the ‘fly dash since it was introduced in 1999. had not only never won gold in the ‘fly dash,
Women’s 100m freestyle – Steenbergen Breaks Through
Marrit Steenbergen had a glorious junior career several years ago and then she got stuck in a Dutch queue of world-class sprinters, led by Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Femke Heemskerk. Now, Steenbergen has broken through: European gold in 53.24, ahead of France’s Charlotte Bonnett and Britain’s Freya Anderson.
Women’s 800m Freestyle: Quadarella Completes Italian Gold Rush With Her Third Straight 16-Length Euro Titl
Simona Quadarella would not be denied – and the folk in the stands made sure. Every time Germany’s Isabel Gose got too close, as she did throughout the 800m battle, the Italian surged and the crowd showed its appreciation with another roar. And so it went, all the way to Quadarella celebrating her third crown over the distance at the last three times of asking, 2018, 2020 (which was pandemic-pushed to 2021) and now 2022. Gosh took silver in 8:22.01, the battle for bronze bound to go to Turkey: Merve Tuncel pipped her teammate Deniz Ertan, both on 8:24s.
