Swimming Worlds: Cerasuolo Wins 50m Breaststroke Gold

Rome: Italy’s Simone Cerasuolo won the gold medal in the 50m breaststroke at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Wednesday. The 22-year-old beat Russian Kirill Prigoda into second place, with China’s Qin Haiyang taking the bronze medal.

According to Ansa News Agency, Cerasuolo expressed his determination and acknowledged the uncertainties leading up to his victory. “I wanted to win a medal, but it wasn’t a sure thing,” he told Sky Sport. Reflecting on his performance, Cerasuolo noted, “I have shown myself to be very fast in the 50m breaststroke, but it’s not the fastest who wins the final, it’s the strongest.”

Cerasuolo emphasized his growth as an athlete, stating, “I’ve become a solid athlete: I made some mistakes and there’s room for improvement, but the important thing was to win.” He admitted that his start wasn’t optimal and that the last strokes could have been tighter, but he focused on giving his best effort.

The victory marks Italy’s second gold medal of the championships, following the success of Chiara Pellacani and Matteo Santoro in the mixed 3m Springboard synchro diving event earlier on Wednesday. Cerasuolo also highlighted the influence of his family’s values on his journey, saying, “My family has instilled values in me that go beyond sport, and I’m happy to carry them forward.”