Martinenghi races from the shadows in Paris Olympics to beat Peaty and Qin in the 100 breaststroke

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Nicolo Martinenghi won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke on Sunday at the Paris Olympics, thrilling Italian fans and canceling several of the main story lines going into the race.

Martinenghi was a bronze medalist in this event in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and won at the world championships earlier this year in Doha.

But he was not the expected winner.

That was to be Great Britain’s Adam Peaty — the two-time defending Olympic champion in the event in Lane 4.