European Athletics Championships

European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships

European Athletics U18 Championships

SPAR European Cross Country Championships

Less than 100 days to go to the biggest sporting event to take place in Munich since the Olympic Games 50 years ago

World Athletics Continental Tour 2022.

Meeting Stanislas Nancy, France

France rules on the second day of the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships

Mathys dominates with record-breaking fourth mountain running victory in El Paso

How to follow the inaugural European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships

Magic Munich - Jackson wins record fourth title on the track in 2002

Kallabis looking to follow in her father’s footsteps with steeplechase gold in Jerusalem

Final entries published for European Athletics U18 Championships

Topic equals world U18 high jump best with 1.96m at Serbian Championships

Jolanda Kallabis has been breaking all sorts of domestic records in recent years and now the up-and-coming German runner, who hails from Freiburg, is looking to make an impact internationally at the Jerusalem 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships from 4-7 July.
While most competitors will be new to this level of competition, Kallabis has some international experience to draw upon. At 16, Kallabis donned the German vest in the 1500m at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn last summer where she acquitted herself well, missing out on a place in the final by just one position.
But while Kallabis went to Tallinn mainly for the learning experience, the German will be heading to Jerusalem with clear ambitions: to win a medal.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;The European U18 Championships were canceled last year. That's why I competed in the European U20 Championship. Since the competitors were three years older, I was eliminated in the 1500m heats. I want to go to the final this year. Internationally I'm well-placed, I want a medal,&rdquo; stated Kallabis.
Kallabis is ranked first in Europe at U18 level in the 1500m by more than three seconds with her recently set lifetime best of 4:14.08 but she will be focusing solely on her primary event - the 2000m steeplechase - in Jerusalem next week.&nbsp;
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Kallabis leads both the European and world U18 list in that event with 6:23.82 and if she was to prevail, she would emulate her father Damian who won the 3000m steeplechase title at the European Athletics Championships in 1998.
Kallabis combines her high school studies with five hours of running each week along with yoga sessions and strength and conditions training in the gym. Alongside her hard work, Kallabis also credits her sporting genes for her success on the track.
"We always ask ourselves that too. Somehow it's also because of my parents. They were both good runners. My father Damian was even a European champion. I grew up on the sports track, I've been doing athletics all my life. My mother Nina is my trainer, she knows me well, that fits perfectly," said Kallabis.
Kallabis&rsquo; range of talents is considerable. Not only does she lead the U18 list in the 1500m and 2000m steeplechase, she is even ranked fifth in the 400m hurdles and could have plausibly challenged for a medal in Jerusalem in that event.
But it was over 800 metres this winter where Kallabis made the domestic headlines. Three weeks before her 17th birthday, Kallabis smashed one of the longest standing and seemingly untouchable German records, clocking 2:04.57 to break the German indoor U18 record which had stood to East Germany&rsquo;s Hildegard Ullrich since 1976.
A few weeks later, Kallabis would go on to win the German indoor U20 title in the event, beating athletes up to three years her senior.
"In Erfurt I broke an indoor record in the 800m that was 46 years old. Then I became the German U20 champion in the 800m. The two are the strongest for me," said Kallabis on her proudest sporting achievements so far.
But even greater moments could follow in the days to come in the 2000m steeplechase in Jerusalem.&nbsp;
All four days of the European Athletics U18 Championships in Jerusalem will be streamed live through the European Athletics website from 4-7 July.

The name &lsquo;Hahner&rsquo; initially makes you think of two strong marathon runners who competed for Germany at the 2016 Olympic Games.&nbsp;
However, when doing so you overlook the fact the twin sisters Anna and Lisa have quite a successful past in cross country running. And that the present and future for one of them is out there on trails.&nbsp;
Anna Hahner, who has a lifetime best of 2:26:44 in the marathon, will be one of the most familiar names in action at the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships in El Paso on the Canary Islands from 1-3 July when she will contest the trail race over a distance of 47 kilometres.
&ldquo;The reason I&rsquo;ve dedicated myself more and more to trails has a lot to do with the fact I&rsquo;m still enthusiastic about running, but my ambition for street racing isn&rsquo;t what it used to be. If you want to run with the best, you need ultimate commitment and must be able to push yourself to the limit in training,&rdquo; said Hahner.&nbsp;
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When her equipment provider approached her and asked whether she&rsquo;d like to be part of the &ldquo;Everesting&rdquo; attempt by her fellow German Janosch Kowalczyk as a guest runner, the 32-year-old top athlete happily agreed.&nbsp;
She accompanied him part of the way on his endeavour to run 8,848 meters in altitude in one single day. &ldquo;I was overwhelmed and elated,&rdquo; says Hahner. &ldquo;It felt so right to run up and down through nature, although I didn&rsquo;t even intend to get into trail running.&rdquo;&nbsp;
That was pretty much exactly one year ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;
One thing led to another as the equipment company also has a line of running shoes for this terrain. Hahner, who is a successful and experienced street runner and coach of others, found herself in the role of student and has been taken under the wing of Marcel H&ouml;che who has introduced her to the peculiarities and specifics of trail running.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Luckily, I didn&rsquo;t find it difficult to use a different type of running technique, and most of the transition was straightforward,&rdquo; says Hahner. &ldquo;Somehow, it was like when I started running, and I entered a new world with my eyes wide open, trained with others and copied them. Marcel showed me how much fun running downhill can be and what it&rsquo;s like to run proactively and basically switch off your brain. Meanwhile, I can trust my body to find the right way down a mountain.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Running downhill is one of her strengths. It gives Hahner confidence to know that she can fly downhill without fear after a climb and be able to keep up with others. This might come as a surprise for someone who was - and will still be - running mainly on flat and technically undemanding surfaces.&nbsp;
What struck the rookie trail runner though, was the equipment that comes with trails. &ldquo;There you are at a race, studying the list of mandatory equipment &ndash; such as running clothes that cover your entire body in case of sudden weather changes &ndash; and you naively ask: &lsquo;We don&rsquo;t need to carry this with us today, do we?&rsquo; And the answer is: &lsquo;Ummh, yes you do!&rsquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Moreover, the food and drink situation is different to city marathons, where you usually have a drink station every five kilometers. On trails, there might be a station marked at kilometer 11, but in reality it could be at 10.5 or 11.8 or 13 kilometers.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hahner remembers that she once had to fill up her flasks with water from a stream because she skipped a supply station and had underestimated the distance with all the vertical meters.&nbsp;
That there is competition between her and other athletes is clear: once the starting signal is given, the competitor in her comes out.&nbsp;
And still, trail running is so much more than that. Being at one with nature, managing unpredictable situations that don&rsquo;t exist in street racing, correctly assessing uphill and downhill and your own strengths and limits. &ldquo;How technical, how steep is a section?&rdquo; Hahner asks herself and she knows she will have to make on the spot decisions during the race.&nbsp;
It's something she does well: she won the Chiemgau trail at the beginning of April and the Rennsteig Marathon in mid-May. These performances helped Hahner to gain nomination for El Paso. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m honoured and proud to be able to wear my country&rsquo;s colours," she said. &nbsp;
The German star runner is not only looking forward to the competitions on the Canary Islands, but also the interaction with others with the mass participation element a strong component of these championships.
&ldquo;In street racing, there are defined areas for specific groups while trail runners are one community. We all sit at the same tables, regardless of our times or places because it&rsquo;s not primarily about competing against anyone but overcoming the distance and its difficulties,&rdquo; she said.
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Hahner thinks the European Off-Road Running Championships are a stroke of genius &ldquo;because mountain running and trail running come together, because such an event is not only relevant for the media but also for the running community meeting there.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Where is her personal benchmark in El Paso? &ldquo;My goal is to run happily and with ease, get the best out of my body and accept the result I achieve with grace.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Her focus for this and next year is on trails. &ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t mean that I won&rsquo;t be running any street races anymore. But I&rsquo;ve learned to listen to my inner voice and it tells me: see what else you can achieve in trail running,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;
The European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships will be streamed live through the European Athletics website in its entirety from 1-3 July.
Egon Theiner for European Athletics

German Olympian Anna Hahner is seeking new challenges on the trails in El Paso

All eyes will be on the Italian Martin Dematteis during the trail race as the inaugural European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships take place in El Paso in the Canary Islands, Spain from 1-3 July.&nbsp;
The same eyes will be looking in vain for his twin brother Bernard, who is currently out-of-form due to injury and not part of the squadra azzurra.
"When I talk about my sporting life, I automatically start talking about his, too," says Martin. That&rsquo;s logical: both were born on 24 May 1986 and brought up in Rore di Sampeyre, around 1000 metres above sea level in the Italian Province of Cuneo, where the Alps unite and separate Italy and France.&nbsp;
While all the other children chased a ball, the Dematteis brothers ran. When they got more interested, a trainer told them that they had runners&rsquo; DNA and it would be better for them to cultivate this. And so, their path was already set before the new Millennium started. They ran everything they could by the time they were 13: along roads, up mountains, through forests and across meadows.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
"We never thought we would be so successful," says Martin, taking a look back in time. As a matter of fact, it rained titles and medals at national, continental and world level, in the individual as well as in team events.&nbsp;
There was one very special moment at the European Mountain Running Championships 2016 in Arco, when the Dematteis brothers approached the finishing line hand-in-hand after 12.3 kilometres of running with the thought of being ex aequo winners. The time scoring denied them double-gold. Martin won one second in front of his twin. &ldquo;It was an extraordinary moment,&rdquo; said the former world champion with pride.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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It will be exactly six years to the day of this race on 2 July in El Paso. The northern Italian will compete in the Trail Race in the Canary Islands, over a distance of 47 kilometres that is new and relatively uncharted for him.&nbsp;
"Before the pandemic, I used to run the classical, somewhat shorter mountain races. Then, my training runs started getting longer as I am coming toward the end of my career, and want to run 30, 40 and 50 kilometers.&nbsp;
"I wanted to qualify for the European Off Road Running Championships this year; I won the Italian Championship equivalent and became part of the team. I&rsquo;m still a bit nervous because it is a new challenge, but I&rsquo;ll bring all my courage and determination with me to the starting line."
Is this because there&rsquo;s pressure to win a medal?&nbsp;
"Sure, I set myself goals and there is a certain pressure. I&rsquo;m not really worried about my opponents, more about the distance, as I am relatively inexperienced at it. Will I be able to manage the race and my strength well enough? And as for the medals: Italy cannot leave the Canary Islands empty-handed!"
The fact that Francesco Puppi broke his elbow in the second half of June and subsequently dropped out of the championships has been a hard blow for Team Italia. Puppi was second at the 2019 World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge in Patagonia and only beaten by Jim Whamsley from the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Results are always at the forefront of title races but Dematteis hasn&rsquo;t forgotten why he started running. "Mountain runs mean everything to me. Yes, I also train on asphalt and can run a marathon in 2:17, but I&rsquo;m only really myself in the mountains on the ridges with the summits in my sights. That&rsquo;s when I feel like a fox or an ibex or an eagle. Then, I am happy and free!"
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It&rsquo;s this search for pure emotion that drives Dematteis. "Humans are part of nature, it&rsquo;s part of who we are to maintain this. Thus, running on trails brings together what goes together. It&rsquo;s not about speed or victories or defeats. It&rsquo;s about discovering your true self and your true vocation in life in a natural environment. Or rediscovering it."
And so to the Canary Islands. La Palma. El Paso. The nature here is stunning. Running is an experience. Martin Dematteis also knows that the island group is not really around the corner and that the ecological footprint left by these championships is not exactly small.&nbsp;
"But many participants are traveling in a small number of planes and that&rsquo;s acceptable,&rdquo; he believes. &ldquo;There is for and against just like in every other situation. While I also try to live as sustainably and climate-friendly as possible as I can at home, I still create pollution &ndash; solely through the fact that I drive my car. It would be a good idea to find future venues that can be reached using environmentally friendly transport."
The Italian superstar is extremely positive about the new event format. "This is how it should be! Up, trail, up and down &ndash; I&rsquo;m really pleased it&rsquo;s all in one place, all within the framework of one event. We can celebrate a mountain and trail festival in El Paso and highlights like this will spur sponsor interest in our sport and maybe even make it into the Olympics. Not everyone will see it that way, but for me it would be the non plus ultra!"&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Maybe Martin Dematteis might extend his career for a participation at the Olympic Games? Who knows. He himself remains uncertain whether he might one day consider the Ultra Trail. &ldquo;100 or more kilometers are a completely different category to 40 or 60 kilometres. I&rsquo;m not saying never. But I&rsquo;m also not saying yes right now.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Egon Theiner for European Athletics
&nbsp;

Martin Dematteis: "I’ll bring all my courage and determination to the starting line in El Paso"

The second day of the inaugeral European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships was all about France. In the trail running event over 47.7km of arduous and undulating terrain, their men won silver and bronze in the individual race and their women topped that that by taking gold and silver on Saturday (2).
Not surprisingly, France also got the top spots in the respective team competitions to augment their medal haul.
The only exception to a French clean sweep of the medals was Belgium&rsquo;s Maximilian Drion du Chapois, who had tears of joy in his eyes of as he crossed the men&rsquo;s trail race finish line. &ldquo;I cannot believe it yet,&rdquo; the Belgian runner said, right after the race to the waiting media. &ldquo;I had hoped for a top 10 finish, but this medal, and the victory, came so unexpected.&rdquo;
Drion du Chapois covered the course, which included 2550m of vertical gain in 3:43:01, winning from France&rsquo;s Arnaud Bonin by 54 seconds, the latter clocking 3:43:55, with Bonin&rsquo;s compatriot Thomas Cardin third in 3:45:42.
The Belgian tactics were superbly astute. He started slow and was in 16th place at the early 3.5km marker and then moved up to tenth place at 12 kilometres.
&ldquo;That was what I wanted,&rdquo; he explained. The soon-to-be champion picked up the pace from the halfway point started to overtake runners who had started more ambitiously. At Pernada after 31.8km, he was in second spot, but running together with the Spanish local favourite Zaid Ait Malek, who eventually slipped back to fourth over the final 15km.
Arnaud Bonin moved up to challenge Drion du Chapois at 40 kilometres and the pair duelled for the next five kilometres before the Belgian broke away with two kilometres to go.
This important international success for Drion du Chapois was perhaps even more surprising given that Maximilian does not compete in road races or cross country events in winter but prefers ski mountaineering instead. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s actually the same sport, just with skis,&ldquo; he joked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
El belga Maximilien Drion ???????? campe&oacute;n de Europa con un tiempo de 3:43. Carrer&oacute;n del atleta belga que se impone con claridad en este primer <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EAORCHelpaso2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EAORCHelpaso2022</a> &iexcl;CONGRATULATIONS! ????????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReventonFredOlsenExpress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ReventonFredOlsenExpress</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroAthletics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/atletismoRFEA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@atletismoRFEA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FOexpress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOexpress</a> <a href="https://t.co/bnPFu5iu3A">pic.twitter.com/bnPFu5iu3A</a>
&mdash; Revent&Oacute;n El Paso (@ReventonElPaso) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReventonElPaso/status/1543184656916484096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
Placing three in the top four &ndash; with Kevin Vermeulen just missing on an individual medal by 18 seconds &ndash; helped France to a comfortable team victory ahead of Spain and Italy.
Blandine L&rsquo;Hirondel less unexpectedly won the women&rsquo;s race on the same track.
The French athlete had been one of the big favourites for the title and it was clear she was taking the championships very seriously because she arrived in La Palma 10 days before the race.
However, the Frenchwoman had an operation on her abductors two months ago and subsequently had to rest for six weeks and so there was a question mark over her fitness. &ldquo;The French Federation had called me up before the operation and I wasn&rsquo;t sure I&rsquo;d be able to take part at all. But I started to feel more confident again during the first training sessions after the break. And now I&rsquo;m standing here as the winner. I am overjoyed,&rdquo; reflected L&rsquo;Hirondel.
L&rsquo;Hirondel clocked 4:11:22 and came home more than eight minutes clear of Spain&rsquo;s iNuria Gil, who was second in 4:18:16 with another French athlete Mathilde Sagnes third in 4:22:42.
Despite the huge gap over her nearest rival at the end, it wasn&rsquo;t all easy going for the winner. &ldquo;I had real difficulties at the start,&rdquo; said L&rsquo;Hirondel, who was 2019 world trail champion. &ldquo;And I didn&rsquo;t cope with the first uphill as well as I had wanted. The field was also really strong, and you can&rsquo;t take it easy for one minute around so many great athletes. So, I had to always push and push and push.&rdquo;
Great Britain&rsquo;s Eleanor Davis missed out on an individual medal in fourth place bu has some compensation as she led the British women to bronze in the team competition behind the winners France and hosts Spain.
The final day of the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships on Sunday features the up and down races and eight full sets of medals are up for grabs for both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s elite and U20 categories, in both the individual and team events.
Full results <a title="" href="https://elpaso22results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Egon Theiner for European Athletics

The Munich Olympiastadion built for the 1972 Games was of a revolutionary design inspired by the nearby Alps and those 20th Olympics certainly produced peak performances, as did the European Athletics Championships hosted in the same stadium 30 years later in 2002.
Two decades on this iconic arena stands ready to host the 25th edition of the European Athletics Championships, where some of the world&rsquo;s finest athletes are preparing to converge.
The anticipation is heightened by the fact that it will be four years since the last edition of these Championships took place, in Berlin, the pandemic sadly having put paid to the event scheduled for Paris two years ago.
As the prospect of the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships looms closer, with the championships running from August 15-22, European Athletics is looking back and celebrating some of the high points of those two notable Munich events of 1972 and 2002.
To witness the next chapter of Munich athletics history in person, go to <a href="https://www.munich2022.com/en/tickets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.munich2022.com/en/tickets</a> for ticket details
Munich Magic &ndash; Jackson rounds off 110m hurdles career with unique fourth European track gold
Nobody had ever won four successive European outdoor titles on the track until Britain&rsquo;s Colin Jackson achieved that feat in 2002 &ndash; eight years before the event switched from being quadrennial to biennial.
Jackson, then 35, employed his characteristic dip to ensure he earned gold in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles ahead in 13.11 after drawing clear of Latvia&rsquo;s 2000 European indoor champion Stanislavs Olijars over the final three barriers.
It was to prove the last medal of a towering senior career that had begun in earnest in 1986, when the Welshman, then 19, had won silver at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games.
Two years later he earned silver at Seoul Games, and it seemed only a matter of time before he stood atop the Olympic podium although sadly &nbsp;&ndash; and too many suprisingly &nbsp;&ndash; that never happened.
By contrast, the European Athletics Championships became his go-to event to mine gold. At the 1990 edition in Split he ran 13.18 to claim gold ahead of his compatriot Tony Jarrett, who clocked 13.21.
Four years later in Helsinki Jackson retained his title under severe pressure from Germany&rsquo;s Florian Schwarthoff, winning in 13.08, only 0.04 slower than the Championship record he had set in the semi-finals, an effort he later explained had been made, &ldquo;to make the others think, &lsquo;Yeah. That&rsquo;s pretty quick.&rsquo;&rdquo;
He also expanded on his ambition of winning all four big titles &ndash; Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth. &ldquo;If I want to become one of the great UK athletes I think I will have to try and do that myself,&rdquo; he mused.
As things turned out, for all that he was the pre-eminent high hurdler in the world for several years, that proved beyond him because of his Olympic jinx. As he spoke, however, he was already world champion after having won in Stuttgart in 1993 in a world record of 12.91, a mark that would stand until 2006 and still remains the European record almost three decades later.
At the 1998 edition in Budapest Jackson hit his European peak as he set a Championship record of 13.02 that still stands. Had he not hit the eighth hurdle it might have been another sub-13 clocking.
&ldquo;I had to show I&rsquo;m still around and alive and ready to compete at the World Championships next year [and he was to go on and regain his world title in Sevilla],&rdquo; Jackson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time since people were looking at me like they were here.&rdquo;
Four years on, Jackson had hoped to secure what would have been his third Commonwealth title, after previous wins in 1990 and 1994, on the home ground of Manchester but had to settle for silver after a surprise defeat by Shaun Bownes of South Africa.
Two weeks later Jackson arrived in Munich in a relaxed fashion despite that defeat. &ldquo;Before the race I was on the training track and feeling absolutely no pressure whatsoever,&rdquo; said Jackson. &ldquo;I was laughing and joking with my coach Malcolm Arnold and not giving a single thought to the possibility of a fourth European gold medal.&rdquo;
Reflecting on his Munich win after retiring from competition at the 2003 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, where he finished fifth, Jackson said:&nbsp; &ldquo;This victory was more important to other people than to me. To me it was important to go and win it because it was the fourth time. I've felt this title was mine.&rdquo;

The curtain has been raised on the inaugural European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships, a three day event combining both trail and mountain running for elite and non-elite athletes, and it was hats off for some of the greats of mountain running.&nbsp;
Including the European Mountain Running Championships, Swiss star Maude Mathys won a record fourth title in a row in El Paso on the Canary Island of La Palma. Italian Cesare Maestri triumphed in the men&rsquo;s race while German Lukas Ehrle and Norwegian Ida Waldal proved unbeatable in the U20 competitions.
&ldquo;This victory means a lot to me,&rdquo; Mathys stated after her race. &ldquo;It shows that I can compete at a very constant high level and that I can compete with younger athletes. It is difficult to stay on top all the time, therefore I&rsquo;m especially proud of today&rsquo;s gold medal.&rdquo;
However, it is a fact that Mathys was not really thinking about running to a record-breaking fourth mountain race title. Her principal consideration was remaining the best in her discipline both pre- and post-pandemic.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Today, it was like a new beginning, after the interruptions caused by Covid, with a new format of the European Championships.&rdquo; Mathys said and laughed: &ldquo;It was very important for me to show that I am still the Queen.&rdquo;
Her strategy was simple. And it worked. The Swiss athlete wanted to run with the best women until the middle of the race and then attack and create a gap, before going solo. But the start proved more difficult than anticipated and Mathys had to fight to keep up with Scout Adkin, who later placed fourth. &ldquo;I had expected it to be easier,&rdquo; she said.
However, her tactics finally paid off and shortly before the sixth kilometre, Mathys went all-in for a big gap, achieved it and was able to hold her advantage until the finish-line which she crossed in 51:41 with Austria&rsquo;s fellow three-time winner Andrea Mayr (52:15) and Christel Dewalle from France (52:32) coming in second and third, respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Mathys will also take part in Sunday&rsquo;s up-and-down race to try for another medal. "it is possible and, if so, it will be a bonus. But I have to rest and show my best again," she said.
And winner of the men&rsquo;s race will also be seen again during these championships.
Cesare Maestri didn&rsquo;t celebrate his first medal today, but the first victory in his career so far. The Italian was European silver medallist in 2018 and the world silver medallist in 2019. And then came the pandemic. &ldquo;I thought the virus had stolen my best years,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But today, I achieved the success I have been waiting for such a long time &ndash; my emotions and my happiness are indescribable!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Maestri didn&rsquo;t really focus on a strategy as such because he had been dealing with muscle problems in recent days. But he realised in the first kilometre that he felt good and his legs were cooperating. &ldquo;I knew that it was very fast up to the sixth kilometre of the course and that suited me. Therefore I came with a gap into the last part of the course and had to defend my lead.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<img src="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/fe496844-40c3-4a7a-aa49-5cde3dcc643f?width=2000&amp;height=1335" alt=" Ds C2753" />
And this he did with the style of a champion right up to the finish, which he reached in 44:48 before Dominik Rolli from Switzerland in 45:19 and Daniel Osanz from Spain in 45:26.
&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t really begun concentrating on the up-and-down race as yet because I want to enjoy this moment. I will enter it in a relaxed manner and try to give it my best,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
While the title winners in the elite class were two personalities who were expected to be in the mix, both winners of the U20 races were themselves surprised by their triumphs.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect to win here,&rdquo; said Norway&rsquo;s Ida Waldal. &ldquo;I approached the race very thoughtfully and got faster and faster the closer I got to the finish. After arriving there, I was really surprised &ndash; and happy.&ldquo;&nbsp;
Germany&rsquo;s Lukas Ehrle was also finding it hard to take in his success. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my first big international race and I came to La Palma without any real expectations. Now I&rsquo;m standing here with a gold medal&nbsp; &ndash; I simply can&rsquo;t believe it!&rdquo; he said.
After the first day, Italy leads the medal table with three gold, two Silver and one bronze medal in front of Switzerland (1-3-0) and Spain (1-1-4) respectively.
Tomorrow, Saturday (2) sees the trail competitions on La Palma which will be <a title="" href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=european+athletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">streamed live</a> from 8.45am CEST. Stay tuned!
Full results <a title="" href="https://elpaso22results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Egon Theiner for European Athletics

With less than 80 days to go, European Athletics and the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) are ramping up preparations for the first European DNA U20 Clubs competition in Castell&oacute;n, Spain on 17-18 September.
Hosted by local club Playas de Castell&oacute;n, the pilot project event will attract more than 200 competitors representing teams from 11 Member Federations and it follows on from February&rsquo;s successful indoor debut of DNA (Dynamic New Athletics) in Glasgow where, coincidently, the senior national team from Spain took home top honours.
The event in Castell&oacute;n will be a milestone in the delivery of the DNA concept.
&ldquo;The Glasgow event and, before that, the 2019 launch in Minsk established that elite, senior athletes and hardcore fans really enjoy DNA once they experience it and see what it is all about,&rdquo; said European Athletics Vice President Libor Varhanik, who is the DNA project steering group chairman.
&ldquo;Now we want to learn how well we are reaching two very specific target groups: U20 club athletes and younger potential fans who will be watching on their smartphones. The results will help inform us of the direction we need to take in the future.&rdquo;
Building on Glasgow&rsquo;s successful communications campaign, which used the tagline &lsquo;Athletics with Attitude&rsquo;, the pre-event promotion for Castell&oacute;n will be social media-focused and highlight young competitors selected by their clubs with the aim of attracting a big audience for the live stream of the event, which will be available via several platforms.
RFEA President Raul Chapado, who is also a member of both the European Athletics Council and the DNA project steering group, sees the U20 event as an important element of his federation&rsquo;s long-term strategy to attract and retain young athletes.
&ldquo;The DNA format is already well established in Spain. We have delivered DNA national championships for both senior and U20 teams and this summer we introduced the concept in Spanish schools with a project we called &lsquo;Jungle Athletics&rsquo;. I am sure that Castell&oacute;n will help to increase its popularity.&rdquo; he said.
In addition to Spain, who will field two 18-athlete (nine men/nine women) teams &ndash; the host club and CD Surco Lucena - ten European Athletics Member Federations have confirmed the participation of their leading clubs in their countries for the 12-team, tournament-style competition.
Day 1 (17 September) will see two 2.5-hour preliminary matches of 12 disciplines for six teams each, leading the teams qualifying for either the A or final on the following day.
Day 2 (18 September): the final team positions in each match will be determined by the last race &ndash; &lsquo;The Hunt&rsquo; medley relay &ndash; which starts from a staggered start based on the points scored in the first 11 events.
Following the event in Castell&oacute;n, European Athletics and the RFEA will co-host an online Jungle Athletics/DNA conference to promote the project and develop plans for the continued roll-out of DNA in 2023, which could include an international clubs&rsquo; event for senior athletes.
Athletes, club leaders and other members of the athletics community are invited to join the conference, ask questions, and learn more about DNA.
For further information on the DNA U20 Clubs competition, the conference and the DNA project itself see <a href="about:blank">www.dna.run</a>.
The European DNA U20 Clubs competition in Castell&oacute;n comes at the end of busy summer for European Athletics with the first European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships in El Paso, Spain from 1-3 July and then the European Athletics U18 Championships in Jerusalem, Israel from 4-7 July followed by the highlight of the continental outdoor season, the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships from 15-21 August.

First European DNA U20 Clubs competition set for 17-18 September in Castellón

European Athletics is responsible for promoting athletics in Europe and for making it a safe environment for everyone involved in the sport and has launched its Safeguarding Policy to help ensure this.
The Safeguarding Policy can be accessed and downloaded&nbsp;<a href="https://7cy74.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/cvVJQi3T3iiPKUWYia6-i-x9ov7fPIuF-uC62vwf6Ahd2mHYdJvVM6fGE6lGWDicKAoyrzqR6npGVrl_zQTp0mamF1MZUK8te8Py7hhJgfyFIIDQgM5dXP8vLuoFZOaKU4ugIIT98kBrN6mOAVGiWxKUhE5ZC4a1rameX7EZ3Vc7PMiBjHJnupyLYXAPXIivJlOggkPhF_R6a15G6rhD9XVeTsbNCgutFXq54Isbq8dnVJSQfmqGLmSl0Uu95P9yWSOdo8roRlLLEJdqnWorVj5jXOPAu9vWhiV1CUjupwGH2F2MQ8mZNux9kg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</a>.
The Safeguarding Policy was approved at the recent European Athletics Council meeting that was held between of 6-9 May in Munich with the guiding principles of preventing harassment, abuse and exploitation in athletics.
A key component of this policy is supporting the European Athletics Member Federations in creating or reviewing their own national safeguarding policies with a view to implementing the measures outlined by European Athletics by the end of 2023.
&ldquo;Safeguarding is instrumental to our sport, Athletics is a place where we should be able to express our passion and feel safe regardless of our role,&rdquo; commented European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov.
&ldquo;We took a clear stand by conditioning our funding for Member Federations to their commitment to have their own safeguarding policy in place as soon as possible and start its implementation by the end of 2023, and we will also support our Member Federations to succeed in this endeavour.&rdquo;
The European Athletics Safeguarding Programme ensures the implementation of a twin-pillar strategy based on European Athletics&rsquo; own commitments and its commitments toward the European Athletics Member Federations.
European Athletics has adopted the World Athletics Safeguarding Policy, is currently updating the EAA Code of Ethics as well as upgrading its reporting platform and has created a set of Safeguarding Principles to ensure the safe delivery of our sport in Europe.&nbsp;
European Athletics support for its Member Federations includes raising awareness of safeguarding issues by providing prevention and educational activities via its communication campaigns and also establishing forums during various events including the European Athletics Convention, the Young Leaders Forum, and the CEO Conference.&nbsp;
European Athletics Executive Board Member Karin Grute Movin, who is also the Chair of the Safeguarding Working Group, highlighted the woks of both groups to make athletics safe.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is the time for European Athletics to lead by example as an Area Association and to provide adequate support to our Member Federations so that together we can reach the 2023 target for delivering a safer sport and a better environment in which to participate in athletics,&rdquo; said Grute Movin.&nbsp;
Everyone in the European Athletics family is responsible for ensuring that no one suffers abuse, harassment, or exploitation.&nbsp;
If anyone has any suspicion that abuse, harassment, or exploitation occurred to someone they should report it&nbsp;through the dedicated and confidential&nbsp;<a href="https://7cy74.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/37XfoPOXpYFQLN53bS7cIGjyt3nI8Ok41lBrB90h96wl8NskMjtvHt28bwmOTgsTABF81PG1-mCEx2h5CiGFoW-W7fGcPKk9ORsTuef9BHzXbqsXS4hlr_TDQ41JUzw_qodD1t9ed-l6gIy5EjU6-CqdNTrBkH9L0mC25b3nWmysoArVNO9RYw2dWfbFK36Qa3fl6Au3mIKmaZyFU5hrGYNf3NgCVg0J5PXYrxvmmREM3Wzr7PHrftXO" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">European Athletics Integrity Platform (which can be accessed here)</a>.&nbsp; This Platform is fully secured and independent from European Athletics and reports can be made anonymously.&nbsp;

European Athletics launches its safeguarding policy

European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov and CEO Christian Milz met with the Prime Minister of Romania Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă and Romanian Athletics Federation, President Anișoara Cușmir-Stanciu to discuss the hosting of the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Cluj-Napoca on Wednesday morning (22).
The delegation from European Athletics met with the Romanian dignitaries and officials in the Prime Minister&rsquo;s offices at the Victoria Palace in Bucharest, the main government building in the Romanian capital.
The 27th edition of these championships will take place between 3-6 August in 2023 and follows on from Cluj-Napoca&rsquo;s successful staging of the European Athletics Team Championships First League earlier this year.
&ldquo;This high-calibre competition will give us the chance to promote athletes and a new generation of brilliant sports stars,&rdquo; said Ciucă.
&ldquo;The Government of Romania offers its full support to the organisation of this sporting event and will continue to be actively involved in bring high-class competitions here to be hosted by our country," he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
European Athletics had a very productive meeting with the Prime Minister of Romania Nicolae Ciucă along with federation leaders Anișoara Cușmir-Stanciu and Mladinoiu Adrian. One year before the European U20 Championships in Cluj Napoca we are all looking in the same direction. <a href="https://t.co/LFC1OpN4OL">pic.twitter.com/LFC1OpN4OL</a>
&mdash; Dobromir Karamarinov (@DobriBulgaria) <a href="https://twitter.com/DobriBulgaria/status/1539534229360586752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
&ldquo;We really appreciate the initiative of Romania in organising these championships. In addition to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s support, I would also like to thank Romania for its organisational efforts that meant we had the best conditions of the Balkan Athletics Championships, which were staged in Craiova last week,&rdquo; commented President Karamarinov.
Approximately 1100 athletes from every one of the eligible European Athletics Member Federations is expected to compete in Cluj-Napoca next year.

European Athletics President Karamarinov meets with Romanian Prime Minister Ciucă

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SPAR has been the principal sponsor of European Athletics since 1996, becoming synonymous with the sport during this period. Athletics is a sport where personal endeavour is combined with team participation to achieve success, and SPAR identifies with this principle through its national partners by ensuring that consumers enjoy shopping at SPAR. SPAR retailers continue to develop the brand through sponsorship awareness and through the critical link with individual athletes who are also customers of independent retailers. SPAR is proud to be involved with European Athletics, an organisation which strives to bring passion and enthusiasm for their sport to viewers, spectators and participants.

SPAR

Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland began its partnership with European Athletics in 2008 as a top-tier sponsor of all Major Events and the European Athletics U23 and U20  Championships. Le Gruyère is a very high quality natural cheese that has been produced for many centuries in an artisanal method without any additives. VIP guests, athletes and fans have the opportunity to taste this magnificent cheese at European Athletics events sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland.

Le Gruyère

Toyo Tires is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers. Toyo Tire Corporation was founded in 1945 in Osaka, Japan. In 1975, the manufacturer opened its European headquarters in Germany. The product range includes winter, summer and all-season tyres for motor vehicles as well as van tyres and special off-road products. The philosophy of Toyo Tires is to combine driving pleasure with top performance. This is reflected in each of the products, as well as in its close partnership with European Athletics.

Toyo Tires

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been the Official Broadcast Partner of European Athletics since 1981. During this 40-year partnership, the outstanding collaboration between both organisations has always been focused on developing European Athletics into a more attractive product for television, spectators and athletes. Through its operational department Eurovision Services, the EBU is continuously working to promote athletics by offering the most comprehensive coverage of European Athletics events all over Europe.

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees and an annual revenue of approximately €12 billion. It is the European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, and the group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 73 countries. A pioneer in decarbonisation services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonised digital environment for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

Atos is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic and  Paralympic Games. It is also the Timing-Scoring, Results and Operations provider of European Athletics events since 2017, and European Athletics Official Digital Partner for their new digital platform (web and mobile).


Atos

Mondo has designed and produced prefabricated athletics tracks since 1948 and has been a European Athletics partner since 1988. They have combined their skills in the pursuit of a shared goal: to support the growth of athletics with passion and innovation. Mondo’s athletics surfaces offer uniform dynamic response and complete control over stride, rhythm, and balance for every athlete. The advantages of Mondo’s prefabricated track surfaces include optimal performance for athletes regardless of climate and environmental conditions. Mondo operates a careful selection of its raw materials for its track surfaces and constant production as we care about athletes’ health. Mondo products have passed UL Environment Tests for more than 10,000 volatile chemical agents and have attained GREENGUARD Gold certification.

Mondo

Opened in 1909 and magnificently restored, the Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne combines Art Nouveau and modernity with genuine panache. Featuring tailor-made service and unbeatable comfort, this legendary venue is located a short walk from the shores of Lac Leman and offers every guest the absolute luxury of feeling truly at home. The Hotel Royal Savoy is proud to be the Preferred Hotel Partner of European Athletics in Lausanne since 2016, offering valuable support and accommodation services to European Athletics business activities throughout the year.

Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne

Getty Images is the world's leading creator and distributor of visual content – with award winning editorial photographers and videographers covering hundreds of Sports, Entertainment, and News events daily. Digital asset management and distribution services optimize efficiency and content syndication for hundreds of media partners and rights holders.

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The first companies of Würth MODYF Group were founded in Künzelsau, Germany, and Neumarkt, Italy, in 1997 as an independent subsidiary of the Würth Group and can thus look back on more than 25 years of experience in the field of workwear and safety footwear.

Würth MODYF Group currently operates companies in seven countries and has more than 400 employees in Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Smaller sales units support Würth MODYF’s customers in Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium. Würth MODYF Group is continuing to expand internationally, opening new branches all over Europe.

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