Martinenghi sweeps 100, 200 breast over days 2 and 3 of European Youth Olympic Festival

Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi has taken the limelight at the European Youth Olympic Festival, winning the 100 and 200 breaststrokes on consecutive days.

The European Youth Olympic Festival features boys ages 15-16 and girls ages 13-14 in a five-day competition in Tbilsi, Georgia.

On Tuesday, day 2 of the meet, Martinenghi went 1:01.75 to take the win and smash the meet record held by Anton Chupkov. The Russian Chupkov is now the junior world record-holder, and was 1:02.57 back when he was eligible for this meet. Fellow Russian Daniil Kitov also got under Chupkov’s meet record, going 1:02.45.

The next day, Martinenghi would blast a 2:15.14 to win the 200 breast, once again taking Chupkov off the record book, but this time only by about two tenths.

It’s been a great summer for Italy’s breaststrokers. Martinenghi’s explosion comes after Andrea Toniato broke the national 50 breast record at the World University Games.

Also doubling over the two days was Hungarian 14-year-old Ajna Kesely, who took the 400 and 800 frees. Kesely was 8:44.72 to run away with the 800 win on day 2, getting almost a second under the meet record.

The next day, she’d take the 400 free in 4:15.65, missing Russian Mariya Bablakova‘s meet record by half a second.

Kesely very nearly extended her dominance down to 100-meters, but could only take silver in that race. Slovenia’s Janja Segel went 56.62 for the win, with Kesely going 57.18.

Moldova’s Alexei Sancov followed up his big day 1 with another Moldovan record. Sancov won the 400 free to open day 2, going 3:53.42 and breaking his own national mark.

Sancov broke Moldova’s 200 free record on day 1, with Germany’s Johannes Hintze in tow. Hintze got a win of his own on day 3, going 2:02.52 to touch out Hugo de Oliveira for the 200 IM win. Both were under the previous meet record.

Oliveira won the 100 back on day 2, going 55.87 and tying the meet record he set in semifinals.

Other individual winners from days 2 and 3:

• Estonia’s Kregor Zirk paced the 100 fly, barely sneaking under a Velimir Stjepanovic meet record in 54.04. Stejpanovic, now a European champ for Serbia, was 54.08 back in 2009.
• Valeriya Egorova of Russia won the girls 100 back, going 1:03.93 to touch out Slovania’s Janja Jamsek.
• Jamsek would win the 200 back the next day, going 2:16.75.
• The Netherlands made the medal stand with Nyls Korstanje‘s 23.26 win in the 50 free.
• Hungary’s Fanni Gyurinovics took gold in the girls 200 IM, going 2:18.93 to end day 3.

The meet continues for two more days, through Friday. You can find full results here.