Taranto: Egyptian swimmer Abdelrahman Sameh won the gold medal in the men's 50m butterfly at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games after finishing the race in 23.18 seconds, securing Egypt's first gold medal of the Games and breaking the competition record.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games is being held in the Italian city of Taranto and will continue through Sept 3, with 3,803 athletes from 26 countries taking part.

The Egyptian delegation is competing in 23 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, 3x3 basketball, boxing, canoeing and kayaking, equestrian, fencing, swimming, gymnastics, handball, judo, karate, padel, rowing, sailing, shooting, table tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, fin swimming, and inline skating.

The Egyptian delegation is seeking strong results and as many medals as possible, maintaining Egypt's position among the leading medal-winning countries in Mediterranean Games history. Egypt ranks sixth among the countries with the most medals in the history of the Mediterranean Games, with a total of 620 medals, including 156 gold, 209 silver, and 255 bronze.