Nicosia: Kalia Antoniou won Cyprus' first gold medal at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games, retaining the women's 100m freestyle title she claimed four years ago in Oran,
According to Cyprus News Agency,The Cypriot swimmer was slightly behind after the start but recovered quickly to lead at the halfway mark by just three hundredths of a second. She held off Italy's Chiara Tarantino in a thrilling finish, winning in 54.60 seconds. Tarantino took silver in 54.67, just seven hundredths of a second behind.
The result gave Antoniou her second consecutive Mediterranean Games gold medal in the event, following her victory at Oran 2022. The Cyprus Olympic Committee congratulated Antoniou, saying she had once again made Cyprus proud. It also praised her coach for his work and guidance and congratulated the Cyprus Swimming Federation.