On the second day of competition, freestyle swimmer Isabel Gose wins the first medal for the German team. In the well-attended stands of the open-air stadium, the Italian fans created goosebumps. Gose's partner has chances for precious metals on Saturday.
Completely exhausted, Isabel Gose, silver medalist at the European Championships, held on to the edge of the pool and blew deeply. After her long-awaited success over 800 meters of freestyle in the open-air pool, the 20-year-old lacked the strength to celebrate excessively. "You have to let that sink in after the first international medal on the long track for adults," she said a few minutes later and smiled happily. "But the joy is all the greater now." Gose got the first medal for the German team in Rome. With her time of 8:22.01 minutes, she was only beaten by the Italian local hero Simona Quadarella. Bronze went to Merve Tuncel from Turkey.
At the World Championships in Budapest about a month and a half ago, Gose was the second best European and was very unhappy about it. With a delay, she has now fulfilled her dream of winning a precious metal in an individual discipline. "I'm just super happy that I was able to win the medal and of course there's a lot of pressure," said Gose.
Together with Quadarella and Tuncel, Gose had set himself apart from the other swimmers early on in the race. She put a lot of energy into it. "It was super exhausting, but that's clear. That's always the 800-meter freestyle," said Gose. At the awards ceremony, she seemed a little recovered and waved both hands at the crowded stands.
In the venerable Stadio del Nuoto, her friend Lukas Märtens was also excited and happy. "I won't miss the race. Cheering on my partner and giving my all, that's what I like to do," said the 20-year-old after his own heat in the morning. The man from Magdeburg, who lives with Gose in the same apartment in the immediate vicinity of the training hall, wants to follow suit this Saturday with a European Championship medal.
Märtens is one of the podium candidates in the 800 meter freestyle. On Friday, only the Ukrainian Mykhailo Romanchuk, who is training in Märtens' group in his home country because of the war, was faster. World Championship silver winner Florian Wellbrock decided not to start in the preliminary heat. The open water Olympic champion is not yet in top form after a corona infection and wants to take part in the European Championships on Monday.
Before Gose's success, breaststroke swimmer Lucas Matzerath had finished sixth in the 100m final. Italy's Nicolò Martinenghi won gold. He and other Italian athletes caused huge enthusiasm in the stands with their successes. The loud cheering reminded of a football atmosphere.
In addition to Martinenghi, three other swimmers from Italy won gold in Margherita Panziera (200 meters backstroke), Thomas Ceccon (50 meters butterfly) and Quadarella. The Romanian David Popovici also provided an international highlight with his European record in the semifinals over 100 meters freestyle in 46.98 seconds. The German 4x100m mixed medley relay finished fifth at the end of the final session.
