European Athletics Championships

The European Athletics Championships is a biennial event and the continent's premier athletics competition.

European 400m record holder Femke Bol outlined her plans for 2022 and confirmed that the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships are part of her schedule for this coming summer.
Understandably, the World Athletics Championships in July are her main target, where she will hope to improve on her Olympic Games bronze medal last summer, where she reduced the continental standard to 52.03 in a thrilling final which saw a world record from the American winner Sydney McLaughlin.
"That is the most important tournament and I hope to be at my best there. At the European Athletics Championships, I hope to have held on to that peak and to put in another good performance," comments the 21-year-old 2021 European Athletics Rising Star in an interview with the Dutch broadcaster NOS.
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No Dutch woman has ever won a 400m hurdles medal at the European Athletics Championships so Bol has the additional motivation of trying to challenge the championship record of 52.92 set by Russia's Natalya Antyukh in 2010. Bol beat that time on no less than four occasions during 2021.
And if Bol does triumph in Munich this summer, she will keep the title in her training group as the gold medal in Berlin 2018 went to the now-retired Lea Sprunger from Switzerland who also used to be coached by Laurent Meuwly.&nbsp;
She is hoping that improvements in her hurdling technique before the summer - and being able to sustain a 15-stride pattern between hurdles for longer &ndash; will lead to her going even faster with the 52-second barrier an additional target.
"If you improve a hundredth (of a second) in your technique, that is already a tenth gained after ten hurdles; that would mean for me that I would run 51 seconds something," she added, noting that she feels that her hurdling technique isn&rsquo;t yet as polished as the two American hurdlers &ndash; McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad &ndash; who finished in front of her in Tokyo.
Bol also intends to run at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March, where she will contest the 400m without the barriers.
She won the European indoor title over two laps of the track in Torun, Poland last year, when she ran a European-leading indoor time and national record of 50.63, and would appear to have a very good chance to go for another gold in the Serbian capital. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Bol confirms Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships ambitions

The marathon and race walking courses which will be used for the European Championships Munich 2022 have been unveiled by the organisers on Wednesday (17).
Following the trend of recent major championships, the road events will take place entirely beyond the confines of the main athletics stadium with the courses taking in many of the Bavarian capital&rsquo;s principal tourist attractions.
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The marathon will take place largely on a looped 10km course - with an additional 2.2 kilometres on the first lap to make up the full marathon distance - which incorporates well-known attractions including the Hofgarten where the race starts and finishes. The race walking events will be held on a two kilometre loop between Odeonsplatz and Professor-Huber-Platz.
Both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s marathons are scheduled to take place on the first morning of the athletics programme on 15 August. The newly introduced 35km race walk - which replaces the 50km race walk which has been dropped from most championship programmes - is scheduled for the morning of 16 August with the 20km race walk due to take place on 20 August.&nbsp;
European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said: &ldquo;The preparations for the European Championships Munich 2022 are now in full swing and the release today of the marathon and race walking courses for the European Athletics Championships are proof of this.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The routes will take in many of Munich&rsquo;s iconic sites including the Marienplatz, the Siegestor and the finish line at the Odeonsplatz. I am sure that Europe&rsquo;s top athletes as well as athletics and sports fans alike are counting down the days to what will be a fantastic multi-sport European Championships.&rdquo;&nbsp;
And after the turn of the elite marathon runners on 15 August which doubles up as a public holiday in Germany, the recreational runners will have the chance to run a 10-kilometre loop of the marathon circuit in the &lsquo;Run of 22.&rsquo; Entries are open <a title="" href="https://www.munich2022.com/en/runof22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Marathon course
<img src="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/516e3f27-8e32-48a6-9e71-a69ff29e982e" alt="Munich 2022 Course Marathon En" width="2480" height="3508" />
Race walking course
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Marathon and race walking courses for Munich 2022 unveiled

Europe&rsquo;s leading free-to-air broadcasters met in Munich earlier this week at the World Broadcaster Meeting for the European Championships 2022 to learn more about ongoing preparations for the second edition of the multi-sport event.
The European Championships 2022 will once again bring together the existing championships of some of the continent&rsquo;s leading sports - including the 2022 European Athletics Championships - into one multi-sport event to create a must-watch experience that crowns the champions of Europe in nine sports.
About 80 representatives from 21 European broadcasters attended the meeting either in-person or remotely. In total, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - a European Athletics Partner - already has agreements with 44 broadcasters in Europe to cover the event.
The Munich 2022 Local Organising Committee presented its Host Broadcast plans that include more than 400 hours of live production of the nine participating sports across the 12 competition venues from 11-21 August with the athletics programme taking place between 15-21 August.&nbsp;
The Host Broadcast operations will not only provide state-of-the-art coverage for linear TV, but will also provide extensive support for the digital and social coverage of the broadcasters and the participating federations. With the use of legacy facilities and landmarks from the 1972 Olympic Games &ndash; including the Olympiapark as the centrepoint of the championships &ndash; the LOC emphasised the sustainability concepts and initiatives at the heart of the event organisation which minimize the environmental impacts and unnecessary costs for the host city.
Broadcasters were excited to see the shared vision of the Munich 2022 LOC, European Championships Management and other stakeholders to build on the success of the first edition of the&nbsp; European Championships in Glasgow and Berlin, both on the field of play and on television screens and digital channels worldwide.
Achim Hammer and Steffen Lunkenheimer, Heads of Program for German broadcasters ZDF and ARD respectively, jointly commented: &ldquo;This World Broadcaster Meeting was very special &ndash; it really created a &lsquo;wow&rsquo; factor for us. The commitment of Munich and all the stakeholders to make the multi-sport European Championships 2022 a big&nbsp; success is clear and we are confident the German public will embrace this event like they did in 2018."
BBC Sport's Ron Chakraborty, the British broadcaster's Lead Executive - Major Events, said, "The Munich 2022 WBM was a top-class event, with great presentations and plenty of progressive thinking from the LOC and Host Broadcaster, and European Championships Management. We saw how TV audiences reacted very favourably to the Glasgow/Berlin event and now, after seeing the Host Broadcast plans and the venues from the 1972 Olympic Games that will provide a fantastic backdrop, we are assured that with Munich in 2022 the multi-sport European Championships is going from strength-to-strength.&rsquo;&rsquo;
Executive Producer of the European Championships Munich 2022 LOC Benedikt Happe said: &ldquo;It was our intention to present the World Broadcaster Meeting in Munich 2022 in a different way. We wanted not only to showcase our comprehensive Host Broadcasting concept, but also provide a feeling of what the event will be about: high-end, innovative, spectacular and entertaining.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We are very happy about the feedback and appreciation we received from our broadcast partners and are looking forward to excite sport fans all across Europe.&rdquo;

Munich hosts multi-sport 2022 European Championships World Broadcaster Meeting

Tickets for the European Championships Munich 2022 have gone on sale today (26) and can be purchased <a title="" href="https://www.munich2022.com/en/tickets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The second edition of the multi-sport European Championships takes place entirely in Munich between 11-21 August. The full programme is made up of nine sports with the athletics programme to be held primarily in the Olympic Stadium between 15-21 August, the same venue for the 2002 European Athletics Championships.
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The organisers are expecting one million visitors across all venues over the eleven days of competition and associated side events. Ticket prices begin at 10 Euros with several fan-friendly packages such as day tickets and championship tickets available to buy for individual sports. There will also be combined tickets on offer for some events, including the decathlon.
A number of events, such as the marathon and race walking events, BMX freestyle, mountain bike cross-country, road cycling and triathlon will be accessible free of charge along with selected beach volleyball and sport climbing sessions.
Speaking on the launch of ticket sales, Munich's Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter said: &rdquo;The 50th anniversary of the Summer Olympic Games in Munich is just around the corner. What better way to celebrate the anniversary than with a sporting event like the European Championships. With the start of advance ticket sales, Munich 2022 is now a decisive step closer.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Every sports enthusiast can secure tickets and look forward to exciting competitions at various sports venues in the city. The many free offers round off the programme of the European Championships Munich 2022 perfectly and underline the inclusive and sustainable character of the event. The anticipation in our city is rising!&rdquo;
Organiser and Managing Director of Olympiapark M&uuml;nchen GmbH Marion Sch&ouml;ne said: &ldquo;The European Championships Munich 2022 shall not only be a first-class international multisport event. We want to set new standards, especially when it comes to inclusion and sustainability. The offer of freely accessible competitions is one of them.&nbsp;
&ldquo;At the same time, I am convinced that ticketing, with its many different offers, enables a wide range of visitors to experience the unique atmosphere of this extraordinary sporting event.&rdquo;
The European Championships Munich 2022 will be the biggest sporting event to be held in the Bavarian capital since the 1972 Olympic Games and the organisers are expecting approximately 4700 athletes to compete across all sports.

Ticket sales for 2022 European Championships in Munich launched

The European Championships Munich 2022 organisers have launched an event sustainability concept under the banner of &lsquo;Count &amp; Last&rsquo; to leave behind a sustainable legacy with climate neutrality one of the main priorities of their two-pillar approach.
The multi-sport European Championships programme which takes place from 11-21 August 2022 is composed of nine sports, most of which will be taking place in existing sport facilities in Munich, underlining Munich's pioneering role as one of the most sustainable Olympic cities in the world.
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The athletics programme takes place between 15-21 August inside the city&rsquo;s famous and iconic Olympic Stadium, the host venue for not only the 2002 European Athletics Championships but also the 1972 Olympic Games. The European Championships Munich 2022 will be the biggest sporting event to take place in the Bavarian capital since those Games.
European Championships Munich 2022 puts vision into practice
To inspire their own vision of Munich 2022, the organisers have created a comprehensive concept that promotes sustainable development in economic, social and ecological spheres which continues the Olympic legacy of 1972.
A key issue is climate neutrality with the other five key topics including waste and littering, reuse of buildings and sports equipment, impact on popular and competitive sports, inclusion and accessibility, and local added value. The six topics include specific plans of action related to the championships and forms the first pillar of &lsquo;Count &amp; Last&rsquo;.
Care is also being taken to keep CO2 emissions as low as possible during the event by encouraging the use of local public transport to keep the impact on the city and its surroundings as low as possible.&nbsp;
<img src="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/a861f46c-41e4-4490-b9c7-56ef3dbb8e9d" alt="Klimaneutral 1 by Climate Partner" width="3420" height="2480" />
However, unavoidable CO2 emissions are calculated and offset in cooperation with partner ClimatePartner. This is done through a reforestation project in eastern Nicaragua. This certified, internationally recognised climate protection project has reforested 2,361 hectares with more than a million plants of a native bamboo species and protects 1,000 hectares of old forest.
September start for Second Pillar
The second pillar of the sustainability concept consists of 12 projects that the organisers, together with various cooperation partners, are launching monthly from September 2021 until the start of Munich 2022. The launch project is the &lsquo;22,000 LEGO&reg; Bricks for Munich 2022&rsquo; project. Colourful ramps (for example, for prams and wheelchairs) will be placed at the European Championships Munich 2022 to create awareness of accessibility among all visitors and participants.
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&lsquo;From Routes to Roots&rsquo; is the motto in October for Strava Club members of the European Championships Munich 2022 in cooperation with ClimatePartner. Whether taking part in running, cycling or rowing, the Munich 2022 community will be asked to collect kilometres &ndash; with kilometres covered converted into trees planted.&nbsp;
The goal is reached when 1000 trees are planted, with the Hofoldinger Forest south of Munich looking forward to reforestation. The club will continue to exist after the project and underlines the interactive and sustainable character of &lsquo;Count &amp; Last&rsquo;.
Commenting on the sustainability plan, European Championships Management Board Chair and European Athletics Vice President Libor Varhan&iacute;k said: &ldquo;Sustainability is one of the core values of the multi-sport European Championships. For all stakeholders, ensuring Munich 2022 is environmentally sustainable &ndash; the use of the city&rsquo;s sporting infrastructure minimising environmental impact &ndash; is a key element in the overall philosophy underpinning the event.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The staging of a major event like this has provided Munich with the opportunity to carry out the initiatives outlined that will continue the legacy from Berlin/Glasgow 2018, through Munich 2022, and onto future editions of the European Championships in 2026 and beyond.&rdquo;

Munich 2022 launches 'Count and Last' sustainability programme

The athletics timetable for the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships from 15-21 August has been published and can be found <a title="" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/downloads/e1042163-7510-437a-bbe0-eec8c9bb932b/Munich_2022_Timetable_Athletics.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The athletics programme forms part of the second edition of the wider multi-sport 2022 European Championships programme which is composed of nine sports and takes place entirely within the Bavarian capital from 11-21 August.&nbsp;
The focus of attention in the second week will be on the athletics programme. The programme will take place in the city&rsquo;s iconic Olympic Stadium which staged not only the 2002 European Athletics Championships but also the athletics programme at the 1972 Olympic Games. Athletics tickets for the championships will go on sale on 26 October.
The seven day programme begins on Monday (15) and features five medal events, including the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s marathon and shot put finals along with the women&rsquo;s 10,000m final.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The last day is made up of seven finals and the championships will conclude with the women&rsquo;s 4x100m final in which the Germans will be looking to improve on their bronze medal from Berlin 2018.
Great Britain topped the medal table at those championships with seven gold medals, just ahead of Poland who also won seven gold medals. Hosts Germany were third on the medal table with six gold medals and 19 in total.
More information about Munich 2022 can be found <a href="https://www.munich2022.com/en">here</a>.

Athletics timetable for Munich 2022 published

Friday (15) marks 300 days to go to the start of the second edition of the multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, with the European Athletic Championships being one of nine sports having their continental championships in the German city next summer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Get ready for the biggest athletics event in Europe in 2022, the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships! It's not long now???? Just 300 days to go until the start of the multi-sport European Championships. ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/ECMunich2022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ECMunich2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/CUJSlTUcUb">pic.twitter.com/CUJSlTUcUb</a>
&mdash; European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1448903469553930246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
The European Championships &ndash; will unite the existing senior championships of nine of the continent&rsquo;s leading sports &lsquo;under one roof&rsquo; &ndash; will take place from 11-21 August and the European Athletics Championships occupy the last seven days of the programme and will be staged between 15-21 August.
Tickets for all the sports involved in the European Championships, including the European Athletics Championships, will go on sale on Tuesday 26 October.
The detailed day-to-day timetables for all sports are now available and the full athletics programme can be downloaded <a title="" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/downloads/52b82f07-aeae-47d6-956c-1ffd2fb4b985/Munich_2022_Timetable_Athletics.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<img src="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/4b7adb33-0f63-4788-b564-675762342f92" alt="Athletics" width="1081" height="1351" /> Details of how to apply for tickets for all sports (including prices) can be found <a title="" href="https://www.munich2022.com/en/tickets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Munich 2022 is set to feature 4700 athletes from approximately 50 nations competing in 176 medal events, with the in-stadia athletics taking place inside the city's iconic Olympic Stadium which also staged the 1972 Olympic Games and 2002 European Athletics Championships. The marathons and race walking events will take place in the heart of the city.
The nation finishing top of the overall medal table for the participating sports will be awarded the European Championships Trophy.

300 days to Munich 2022, athletics tickets on sale from 26 October

The qualifying system and entry standards for the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships from 15-21 August have been finalised and can be found as a pdf document <a title="" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/10459212-9aae-4005-8cce-18179c53ec5d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The championships are part of the second edition of the multi-sport 2022 European Championships which takes place entirely in Munich from 11-21 August some 50 years after the German city hosted the 1972 Olympic Games.
The finalised overall sports programme for Munich 2022 consists of nine sports and is set to feature 4700 athletes from approximately 50 nations competing in 176 medal events. The athletics programme occupies the last seven days of the programmr with the track and field programme taking place inside the city's iconic Olympic Stadium.
The nation finishing top of the overall medal table for the participating sports will be awarded the European Championships Trophy.

Qualifying system and entry standards published for 2022 European Athletics Championships

The volunteer registration process for the second multi-sport European Championships in Munich, Germany from 11-21 August has started and remains open until the end of August.
More than 4700 athletes will compete across nine sports with the athletics programme taking place in the city&rsquo;s iconic Olympic Stadium from 15-21 August - the out-of-stadia events will take place in the heart of the city - during&nbsp;the summer of the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the German city and 20 years after Munich staged the 2002 European Athletics Championships.
The European Championships Munich 2022 will unite the existing senior championships of nine of the continent&rsquo;s leading sports &lsquo;under one roof&rsquo; in Munich to create a must-watch, must-attend experience that elevates the champions of Europe.
An army of volunteers will be needed across 16 areas to ensure the smooth running of the championships. Prospective candidates will be able to choose their preferred areas and will be able to support the event from as little as a couple of days to the entirety of the championships.
Volunteers must be 18 or over as of 1 June 2022 and must be able to speak either German or English.&nbsp;
More information about the volunteer programme and registration process can be found on the <a href="https://www.munich2022.com/en/volunteers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Munich 2022 website</a>.
The volunteer registration link is <a href="https://volunteers.munich2022.com/login" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
For any additional enquiries about volunteering at Munich 2022, please e-mail: volunteers@munich2022.com.

Volunteer registration opens for 2022 European Championships in Munich

The European Championships 2022 Board has ratified the sports programme and daily competition schedule for the second edition of the multi-sport event taking place in Munich. The European Championships Munich 2022 sports programme is available to be downloaded <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/downloads/91359bec-6245-4af8-be05-b0e0bc2b68c2/Sports%20Programme.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The detailed daily schedule with the exact timing of all events across all sports will follow later this year and ticket sales will start in October 2021.
The European Championships is set to take place from 11-21 August 2022 in the summer of the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the German city and 20 years after Munich staged the 2002 European Athletics Championships. The main athletics programme is due to take place between 15-21 August in Munich's iconic Olympic Stadium, with the out-of-stadia events taking place in the heart of the city.
The European Championships Munich 2022 will unite the existing senior championships of nine of the continent&rsquo;s leading sports &lsquo;under one roof&rsquo; in Munich to create a must-watch, must-attend experience that elevates the champions of Europe.
The finalised overall sports programme will feature 4700 athletes from about 50 nations competing in 176 medal events. The nation finishing top of the overall medal table for the participating sports will be awarded the European Championships Trophy.
European Championships Management has coordinated an intensive timetable development process that involved representatives of the participating federations of athletics, beach volleyball, canoe sprint, cycling, gymnastics, rowing, sport climbing, table tennis and triathlon along with the host city Munich, the European Broadcasting Union and national broadcasters.
European Championships 2022 Board Chair and European Athletics Vice President Libor Varhan&iacute;k, said: "This is a huge milestone for the European Championships Munich 2022. All stakeholders have worked together in a spirit of collaboration to develop a fantastic competition schedule over 11 days full of action-packed finals and gold-medal moments that will feature Europe&rsquo;s brightest stars including the likes of Dina Asher-Smith, Laura Ludwig, Yul Oeltze, Adam Ondra, Peter Sagan, Max Whitlock, Birgit Skarstein, Timo Boll and Alistair Brownlee.
"Munich 2022 will be an amazing viewing experience for ticket holders and viewers at home with television, radio and online channels able to deliver a huge choice of content to sports fans. By uniting our sports, we will provide broadcasters great storytelling opportunities, allowing them to seamlessly switch between events and giving audiences the chance to follow their favourite national athletes across the nine Olympic sports from morning till night as they strive for European glory."
The revamped sports programme for Munich 2022 sees increased diversity, with individual, team and ball sports all represented, gender equity across all disciplines, and sports appealing to both young and older audiences. The programme is also expected to deliver a greater spread of European medal-winning nations than in 2018.

European Championships finalises sports programme and competition schedule for Munich 2022

As European Athletics celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2020, we take a look back at some of the memorable world record-breaking exploits to be achieved at the European Athletics Championships over the last five decades. 
At the first edition of the European Athletics Championships to be held under the auspices of European Athletics - then known as the European Athletic Association (EAA) - in Helsinki 1971, three world records were set on the women's side and two notable barriers were broken.
In just the second ever running of the 1500m at the European Championships for women, East Germany's Karin Krebs became the first woman in history to break the 4:10-barrier with gold in 4:09.62. Her teammates also became the first quartet to break the 3:30-barrier in the women's 4x400m relay with gold in 3:29.28.
Three world records were also set and another record was equalled fifteen years later at the Stuttgart 1986 European Athletics Championships. One of those records still stands on the record books nearly 35 years later.
Yuriy Sedykh won his third successive title in the hammer with a massive throw of 86.74m against Soviet rival and teammate Sergey Litvinov whose silver medal-winning throw of 85.74m remains the fifth longest throw in history and the best ever mark for second-place in any competition.
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Sedykh's fourth round mark of 86.74m added eight centimetres to his previous world record although his fifth round throw of 86.68m would have also eclipsed his previous mark. In total, Sedykh had five performances over the 85 metre-line in the final and all seven throws in Stuttgart, including his qualifying throw, exceeded his pre-1986 championship record of 81.66m.
His compatriot Marina Stepanova won the 400m hurdles in Stuttgart in a world record of 53.32 at the age of 36. Great Britain's Fatima Whitbread also set a world javelin record of 77.44m in front of a sparse crowd in qualifying shortly after 9.00am before winning gold ahead of Petra Felke from East Germany the next day with 76.32m, also in excess of the previous record.
Heike Drechsler sped to the 200m title in Stuttgart in 21.71 to equal the world record set by fellow East German Marita Koch, who won not only six European titles during her career but also broke three world records at the European Championships in the process.
Koch became the first athlete to break 49 seconds in the 400m at the 1978 European Championships in Prague with 48.94. This was followed by two more world records in Athens 1982: 3:19.05 in the 4x400m and 48.15 in the 400m, which is still a championship record.
Another notable barrier was broken by Tatyana Zelentsova at the 1978 European Championships in Prague. In the first ever staging of the 400m hurdles, the Soviet broke the 55-second barrier, winning the title in Prague in 54.89 to lower her own mark from 55.31. Zelentsova went on to coach Stepanova, who succeeded her as world record-holder and went on to win the European title in a world record in 1986.
The women's world high jump record was beaten or matched at three successive editions of the European Championships. In 1974, East Germany's Rosemarie Ackermann cleared 1.95m to break the world record before Italy's Sara Simeoni took the championship record in excess of the 2.00m-barrier with to equal her world record clearance of 2.01m to beat Ackermann in an epic contest in Prague 1978.
That world record lasted for just over four years when West Germany's Ulrike Meyfarth added one centimetre to the world record with an excellent 2.02m clearance in Athens 1982 with Simeoni having to settle for bronze.
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Meyfarth was to clear another world record of 2.03m at the 1983 European Cup in London, where she was matched by her Soviet rival Tamara Bykova who would clear 2.04m to gain the world record outright just four days later in Pisa.
The toing and froing of the world decathlon record in the 1980s saw Daley Thompson reclaim this accolade from Jurgen Hingsen at the 1982 European Championships in Athens. In one of their very many duels on the big stage in the early-to-mid 1980s, Thompson scored 8743 points - or 8774 points on the current scoring tables - to break the world record and win his first European title.
One of the most unexpected world records at a European Athletics Championships came from the French 4x100m quartet who clocked 37.79 at the 1990 edition in Split, breaking the record set by the USA at the 1984 Olympic Games to become the last European country to have held the world record in the sprint relay.
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With the record books reaching their maturity, world records have been a rarer commodity in recent editions of the European Athletics Championships.
Polish race walking great Robert Korzeniowski set a world best - as it was classified then - of 3:36:03 at the Munich 2002 European Athletics Championships in the 50km race walk.
The last world record to be set at the European Athletics Championships was achieved by France's Yohann Diniz in Zurich 2014. At 36, Diniz won his third successive title in the 50km race walk in a still-standing world record of 3:32:33 to slash almost two minutes from the previous mark.
European Athletics marked the milestone of 50 years with its '50 Golden Moments' campaign which celebrated five incredible decades of performances. All 50 videos can be watched in short form version on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/watch/208150086180/596805387859346'>Facebook</a> or in longer form version on <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd-8UfiChnk&amp;list=PLDSjlplfuMVb0gzbxmdEX2NXItEQmHEBG' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>YouTube</a>.
World records set at the European Athletics Championships
Helsinki 1971
1500m - Karin Krebs (GDR) 4:09.62 Discus - Faina Melnik (URS) 64.22m 4x100m - German Democratic Republic 3:29.28
Rome 1974
400m - Riitta Salin (FIN) 50.14 High jump - Rosemarie Ackermann (GDR) 1.95m 4x100m - German Democratic Republic 42.51
Prague 1978
400m - Marita Koch (GDR) 48.94 400m hurdles - Tatyana Zelentsova (URS) 54.89 High jump - Sara Simeoni (ITA) 2.01m
Athens 1982
Decathlon - Daley Thompson (GBR) 8743 points 400m - Marita Koch (GDR) 48.15 High jump Ulrike Meyfarth (FRG) 2.02m 4x400m - German Democratic Republic 3:19.05
Stuttgart 1986
Hammer - Yuriy Sedykh (URS) 86.74m 200m - Heike Drechsler (GDR) 21.71 400m hurdles - Marina Stepanova (URS) 53.32m Javelin - Fatima Whitbread (GBR) 77.44m
Split 1990
4x100m - France 37.79
Munich 2002
50km race walk - Robert Korzeniowski (POL) 3:36:39
Zurich 2014
50km race walk - Yohann Diniz (FRA) 3:32.33

 As European Athletics celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2020, we take a look back at some of the memorable world record-breaking exploits to be achieved at

Record breakers: a retrospective on world records at the European Championships

The 2024 European Athletics Championships was awarded to Rome on the first day of the 160th European Athletics Council Meeting on Tuesday (10).
Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Athletics Council Meeting took place virtually and delegates from both Rome (ITA) and Katowice-Silesia (POL) had the opportunity to present their bids for European Athletics’ flagship event in 2024.
European Athletics will also initiate discussions with Katowice-Silesia (POL) concerning the hosting of a future edition of the European Athletics Championships. A delegation, headed by European Athletics CEO Christian Milz, and travelling to the region for a site visit for the Torun 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships, will start preliminary talks in the coming weeks. 
Following the announcement, European Athletics Interim President Dobromir Karamarinov said: “We are very pleased to announce that Rome will be hosting the 2024 European Athletics Championships and we would like to thank Katowice-Silesia for their excellent bid as well.
“Italy has already demonstrated they are capable of staging excellent athletics championships across all age-groups and I am sure that athletes and fans alike will look forward to travelling to Rome in 2024.”
This will be the third time Italy has staged the now-biennial European Athletics Championships after Turin held the inaugural edition in 1934 followed by Rome in 1974 when Pietro Mennea famously won the 200m for the host nation.
This will also be the first major athletics competition to be held in the Italian capital since the 1987 World Athletics Championships which was highlighted by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova setting the still-standing world high jump record of 2.09m.
The 2024 European Athletics Championships will take place in the famous Stadio Olimpico which staged both the 1974 European Athletics Championships and 1987 World Athletics Championships as well as the 1960 Olympic Games.
Renovated in 1990, the Stadio Olimpico, which also stages the annual Wanda Rome Diamond League meeting, holds up to 70,000 spectators. 
The host city for the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships and 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships are due to be allocated on the second day of the European Athletics Council Meeting on Wednesday (11).

 The 2024 European Athletics Championships was awarded to Rome on the first day of the 160th European Athletics Council Meeting on Tuesday (10). Owing to the

Rome to stage 2024 European Athletics Championships

European Athletics today announces that the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships, scheduled to take place at the Charlety Stadium from 25-30 August, have been cancelled.
The decision to cancel the championships was taken today by Paris 2020 Local Organising Committee (LOC) and Fédération FranÃ§aise d'Athlétisme (FFA) at an extraordinary LOC Executive Committee meeting. 
This was held following an earlier meeting between the relevant French authorities. European Athletics and the Paris 2020 LOC had been evaluating all possible options for holding the championships this year as planned following a feasibility study relating to the current situation.
European Athletics, and all other relevant parties involved in the project, were subsequently informed of the decision to cancel the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships.
The decision to cancel was driven by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the associated risks linked to the current situation, which are far from being under control, as well as the existing ban on mass gatherings in France.
An evaluation made by the FFA Medical Commission was also taken into account when considering all the potential risks for spectators and accredited persons who would attend the championships. The commission’s unfavourable opinion on this issue, delivered this week, was duly taken into account by the Paris 2020 LOC and the FFA at their meeting.
Commenting on the cancellation of the European Athletics Championships, European Athletics Interim President, Dobromir Karamarinov said: “It is with great regret that we announce the cancellation of the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships. We had hoped in these troubled times to offer European athletes a major event to aim for at the end of this summer. Unfortunately, today we were informed by the LOC and French athletics federation that, after discussions with the relevant French national and local public health and safety authorities, they were no longer able to proceed with delivering the championships this August and were forced to cancel the event.
“Whilst we regret announcing the cancellation of our European Athletics Championships, it is worth reiterating that in these unprecedented times the health and safety of all athletics’ stakeholders including athletes, fans, officials, partners and everyone connected with the sport is paramount. We will always do what is best for the members of our athletics family and the wider public.”
The European Athletics Council will discuss this issue, together with other changes to the global athletics calendar that have been forced upon the sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at their next meeting which is scheduled to take place via video conference on 7-8 May.

 European Athletics today announces that the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships, scheduled to take place at the Charlety Stadium from 25-30 August,

Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships cancelled

With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games now delayed for 12 months, Belgium’s Rio 2016 heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam isn’t now expected to compete in her gold medal winning event this year but has targeted continental glory in other events this summer.
'I can see myself participating in the high jump or the long jump at the Euros in Paris, much more than in the heptathlon,” Thiam told the Belgian sports website www.sport.be
At both events, she has medal potential in the French capital and could challenge the specialist jumpers like the reigning world champions Maria Lasitskene and Malaika Mihambo. 
She can boast of a high jump best of 2.02m from the Talence heptathlon in June last year and holds the Belgian long jump record both outdoors and indoors with 6.86m and 6.79m, the latter mark coming in February just a few weeks before the coronavirus pandemic ended up erasing much of the immediate sporting calendar. 
“For the rest of the summer, I really can't make any statements on my schedule. Will the Diamond League meetings take place and, if so, when?” added Thiam, who is also the reigning European heptathlon champion from Berlin 2018.
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Thiam added the postponement of Tokyo 2020 could ultimately be to her advantage in her bid to become just the second woman to retain her Olympic multi-events crown, following in the footsteps of American legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who won back-to-back titles in 1988 and 1992.
The delay will allow Thiam additional time for her right elbow to continue healing following a series of injuries which have caused problems since the first damage occurred in June 2016, just a seven weeks before her competition in Rio, when she ripped two ligaments while throwing the javelin at that year’s Belgian championships.
 'There is now even more time for this elbow. I have no more excuses not to go to Tokyo with a perfect javelin technique and throwing over 60 metres,' commented Thiam.
Thiam’s current best in this event is 59.32m so that distance would add useful points and she could challenge the world best in a heptathlon, which stands at 60.60m to a certain Barbora Spotakova.
Like all elite athletes, Thiam is learning to adapt to the new, and strange, situation, regarding her training regime.
'I do my weights work at home, I had been able to train in the Louvain-la-Neuve athletics centre (30 kilometres southeast of Brussels, before the lockdown in Belgium which started on 18 March). It is not ideal, but it's okay. In my life daily, little changes: I train, I rest, and I read a little,” 
Prior to the lockdown, but in anticipation of the Belgian government’s restriction on movement, she installed a temporary gym in her garage at her home in Liege so that she could continue some of her preparations for the summer.
 [INSTAGRAM ID='https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZLyasHJpa'] 
 The video of her training in the gym became an Instagram hit just over a week ago. “if I can't go to the gym, the gym will come to me,” joked one of Europe’s most popular athletes, who has over 138,000 followers on that particular social media portal.
On Tuesday she added to her photos with this caption. 
 “If we are going to be stuck at home for the coming weeks, why not make the best of it. Now that I have plentyyy of time to do all the things I never have time to do, most of my mornings are for paperwork, sending mails and working on my personal projects. Then I would usually read until lunch and train/stretch/exercise in the afternoon. Getting used to this new lifestyle tbh..” 
Like the rest of Europe’s elite athletes, Thiam is trying to make the best of a difficult and challenging situation but she’s still clearly managed to retain her sense of humour and there could be a queue to her front door for cappucchinos once the pandemic has abated.

 With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games now delayed for 12 months, Belgium’s Rio 2016 heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam isn’t now expected to compete in her

Thiam looking to spring a surprise on Lasitskene or Mihambo this summer

The European Athletics Athletes Committee which is chaired by Periklis Iakovakis from Greece has responded to the European Athletics Executive Board requesting the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships Local Organising Committee 'to carry out an immediate and detailed feasibility study for the event, which is currently scheduled for 25-30 August.' The full story can be found <a href='https://www.european-athletics.org/news/article=european-athletics-executive-board-reviews-feasibility-2020-european-athletics-championships/index.html'>here</a>. 
The letter from the Athletes Committee reads as follows: 
This morning (25), the European Athletics Athletes Committee held a teleconference with Renaud Lavillenie (World Athletics Athletes Commission) and Jean Gracia from Paris 2020 Local Organising Committee (LOC) as guests.
We are delighted to learn that there is a chance for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships in Paris 2020 to go ahead. This has been a stressful and confusing period for athletes – we have lost our structure and our sense of normality. We join our larger communities in focusing on the health and well-being of everyone during the COVID-19 outbreak; to have the light at the end of the tunnel that Paris 2020 may still go ahead is something positive in these extremely hard times.
We support the decision to postpone the global Olympic Games and feel the chance to salvage some sort of summer season, however unusual, will be great for the long-term development of athletes and our competition structure and nurture high-performance levels of our European athletes in the months and years ahead.
We would like to formally support the proposal from the LOC of Paris 2020 to try and keep to the original dates for the championships. We do understand eventually this may still be disrupted by the current global pandemic. We would also like to thank Jean Gracia and his team for their efforts and dedication to this event.
Going forward, we think it is important to have clarity in the communication – it would be good to have publication of a final decision date if European Athletics and Paris 2020 LOC decide on one. The more information athletes can have – the better they will feel mentally.
As we are sure you agree, it is important that we stress to athletes that their health and the health of those around them is paramount; training comes second. We see these championships as an opportunity to celebrate the recommencement of our wonderful sport, even if preparation and training cannot be perfect for everyone.
 
The European Athletics Athletes Committee
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 The European Athletics Athletes Committee which is chaired by Periklis Iakovakis from Greece has responded to the European Athletics Executive Board requesting

European Athletics Athletes Committee responds to Paris 2020 update

The European Athletics Executive Board completed a two-day video conference meeting on Wednesday (25) with the main decision being a request to the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships Local Organising Committee (LOC) to carry out an immediate and detailed feasibility study for the event, which is currently scheduled for 25-30 August.
The Executive Board received an update on the current preparations from the LOC, which reported that their work has been severely compromised by France’s national shutdown of non-essential activities in response to the worldwide coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
While preparations for Paris 2020 continue fully as planned and according to schedule, a study of possible alternative scenarios for hosting was requested, including potential postponement, and taking into account all the stakeholder opinions including those of partners, athletes as well as related national and local government authorities in France. 
France and the Ile de France region around Paris have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic.
In the absence of President Svein Arne Hansen, unable to take part due to health issues, the meeting was led by Dobromir Karamarinov, European Athletics First Vice President and interim President.
“European Athletics and the entire athletics family remain close to Svein Arne and his family in this challenging time and we wish him all the very best for a full recovery.
“It is clear we are currently living in unprecedented times that require us to be flexible, open-minded and realistic. Above all, the health and safety of the athletes, officials, fans, volunteers, staff and everyone involved in European athletics must be our very top priority,” said Karamarinov.
Periklis Iakovakis, Chairman of the Athletes Committee, said that many athletes are keen that the European Championships go ahead as planned.
“To have the light at the end of the tunnel that Paris 2020 may still go ahead is something positive in these extremely hard times. This has been a stressful and confusing period for athletes, we have lost our structure and our sense of normality. We join our larger communities in focusing on the health and well-being of everyone during the Covid-19 outbreak,” commented Iakovakis.
In other decisions, the Executive Board in collaboration with the various LOCs, agreed to postpone both the European 10,000m Cup and European Mountain Running Championships to 2021. 
The European Athletics U18 Championships, which was scheduled for 16-19 July in Rieti, Italy will now not take place in 2020. Any new date for the latter event will be communicated in due course.
The Leiria 2020 European Throwing Cup, originally scheduled for 21-22 March in Portugal and postponed earlier this month, is now cancelled.
The European Athletics Council is scheduled to meet by video conference on 7-8 May.

 The European Athletics Executive Board completed a two-day video conference meeting on Wednesday (25) with the main decision being a request to the Paris 2020

Executive Board reviews feasibility of 2020 European Athletics Championships

Everyone will know Lea Sprunger by now but they might not know too much about her coach. 
Though still only 44, Laurent Meuwly has been coaching since he was 18. He finished his coaching qualifications by the age of 20 and attended his first championships as a coach at aged just 24 - ironically at the European Athletics U23 Championships.
Meuwly has coached Sprunger for over a decade now and is responsible for taking her from a solid flat sprinter to an elite 400m hurdler, picking up a European title in the process - as well as a European indoor 400m title - and countless Swiss records over a gamut of distances, including the long-standing Swiss 400m hurdles record held by Anita Protti.
Sprunger, however, is not his only success story. As Swiss head coach for sprinting, hurdles and the relays, Meuwly transformed Swiss fortunes in the 4x100m relay with their women setting a remarkable 11 national records under his tutelage.
Now, intriguingly, he has taken the position of head of sprinting, hurdles and the relays in the Netherlands. Considering the Netherlands are one of Switzerland’s main rivals in the relays especially at continental level, how did the move come about?
“I was approached by Charles van Commenee after I attended a coaching clinic in 2018. The Dutch team were starting a ‘Close the Gap’ Project for the 400m/400m hurdles events. At that time, the Netherlands had mixed training groups with 100/200m sprinters, 400m sprinters, long jumpers and hurdlers, split between Bart Bennema and Rana Reider. 
“With Reider having to move back to the US, it was an opportunity for them to split the short sprinters and hurdlers from the 400m sprinters and hurdlers,” he explained.
 [INSTAGRAM ID='https://www.instagram.com/p/B7gzPwAnPAp/']
Meuwly has now taken charge of the long sprinters and hurdlers but he also has responsibility for all four relay teams too. He still coaches Sprunger who has moved across to Papendal in the Netherlands with Meuwly along with Ajla Del Ponte, a key component of Switzerland’s 4x100m relay team that finished fourth at the World Athletics Championships in Doha.
Meuwly immediately made some technical changes to the Dutch 4x100m team, changing the starting position from a three-point start to standing start. This allowed the outgoing runners to see the incoming runner more clearly, it allowed them to get to top speed more quickly, and most of all gave them greater consistency.
The changes paid off quickly. The men’s 4x100m relay team set a Dutch record - and ran under 38 seconds for the first time – with 37.99 in the London Diamond League and then went even faster in the heats of the World Athletics Championships in Doha with 37.91, their second national record in less than three months.
After persuading the federation to allow Meuwly to take a women’s 4x400m relay team to the World Relays in Yokohama last May, the Dutch team duly qualified for Doha – only the second time a Dutch team had qualified for a World Championships in that event. This time they went one better, reaching the final and thus qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.
 [INSTAGRAM ID='https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Z0ZTNFnez/']
Part of that 4x400m relay squad were two young athletes fans may be less familiar with for now. Femke Bol, the reigning European U20 400m hurdles champion, and Lieke Klaver, who is a 200/400m specialist, are both coached by Meuwly, and are names to watch out for.
Bol began her career as a 400m runner and only started running over the hurdles last year. But she did something quite remarkable in her nascent career, qualifying for World Athletics Championships in the 400m hurdles in only her third ever 400m hurdles race with a 55.94 clocking in Geneva. She lived up to her role as favourite for the European Athletics U20 Championships in Boras, winning gold in that event in 56.25 before setting a European U20 record of 55.32 in the heats in Doha.
Bol has started 2020 where she left off, taking her indoor 400m lifetime best down to 52.47 and is expected to improve further now she has moved to the hi-tech Dutch National Training Centre in Papendal. So what can we expect from Bol in the summer?
“This year is about stabilisation, that is the most important thing. The goal is of course for her to run faster than her PB, but being consistent around the 55.0-55.5 level is what we are aiming for. 
“We will work on her speed and technique. We worked hard on her start this winter, her first hurdle and up to the third, and already she is much faster. She has a more endurance-based profile, she needs time to unwind and find her rhythm in a race. But we are working at opening faster and will initially do 16 strides for the last two hurdles, and then, once she gets better in her opening 200m, try and finish in 15s,” said Meuwly.
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With both the Tokyo Olympics and Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships taking place within a month this summer, there is a decision to be made on which events should be the priority, especially for younger athletes just starting to break into the elite ranks.
“Femke could possibly make the final in Tokyo but she is one of maybe six women battling for the podium in Paris, so that will be our focus. That and the 4x400m relays in both Tokyo and Paris.”
Her teammate Klaver was initially a 100/200m runner, reaching the final in the 200m at both the 2015 and 2017 European Athletics U20 Championships although her future seems destined to lie with the 200m and 400m.
“We will see how she develops over this next season,” said Meuwly. “The plan is ultimately to transition her to 400m, but as she is a speed-based athlete - we will need to improve her 200m for her 400m anyway. In terms of Tokyo, the standard in the 200m (22.80) is probably easier for her right now than the 400m (51.35) but I believe she can get down to 51.5 this summer. But like Bol she is still young, so the priority will be the relay.”
 [INSTAGRAM ID='https://www.instagram.com/p/B86wEOTH25a/']
Inevitably, we cannot talk about Dutch sprinters without mentioning two-time world 200m champion and multiple European champion Dafne Schippers. 
Schippers had to withdraw from the 4x100m relay in Doha due to an injury which also forced her out of the 100m final and the 200m, the event in which she was shooting for a third successive title. With Jamile Samuel also injured and sprint hurdler Nadine Visser unable to start because of the timetable, their chance of making the final was severely impaired. 
He will continue to run Schippers on the long second leg this summer, and despite some jesting about drafting her into the 4x400m, she will run the 4x100m only to give them the best chance of a medal.
Meuwly believes they can run under 42 seconds in the 4x100m relay this year, which gives them a chance of getting on the podium in both Tokyo and winning the title in Paris although they will need all the best women available - and in form.
“If you can run under 42 seconds it means you can get on the podium. That is our aim. For the women’s 4x400m relay, we’re targeting the top five finish in Tokyo and the podium in Paris. “Our men’s 4x100m team can certainly make the final in Tokyo and again, we want to challenge for a medal in Paris,” he said.
With Meuwly’s track record in both Switzerland now in the Netherlands, who would bet against him?
Stephen Prior for European Athletics
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 Everyone will know Lea Sprunger by now but they might not know too much about her coach.  Though still only 44, Laurent Meuwly has been coaching since he was

After success in Switzerland, Meuwly is working his magic in the Netherlands 

Single session tickets have gone on sale for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships which takes place from 25-30 August.
Tickets are available for all eleven sessions with prices beginning from 22 euros for both morning sessions and weekday evening sessions and from 30 euros for weekend evening sessions. There is also a 20 percent discount for under 16s.
There will also be free allocation for the morning sessions which allows fans to choose their seats within the confines of their ticket category. For more information about single session tickets, please click <a href='https://www.athle2020.paris/en/ticketing/' target='_blank'>here</a>.
For any further questions regarding ticketing, please e-mail: ticket@athle2020.paris

 Single session tickets have gone on sale for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships which takes place from 25-30 August. Tickets are available for all

Single session tickets for Paris 2020 available to purchase

Competition to be Europe’s number one shot putter is currently very fierce. Last year, the Polish pair of Michal Haratyk and Konrad Bukowiecki as well as Luxembourg’s Bob Bertemes led the way and the trio all threw 22 metres or more.
However, Croatia’s Filip Mihaljevic was not too far behind with a national record 21.84m and his indoor exploits have elevated him into medal consideration for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships.
At the World Athletics Indoor Tour finale in Madrid last Friday, he produced a terrific heave of 21.74m, just 10cm down on his outdoor national record, in the last round to not only add 22cm to his own indoor record but also move from third to first and clinch the World Athletics Indoor Tour title as well as the $20,000 winner-take-all first prize.
“I had really good indoor season and this just tops it,” reflected a smiling Mihaljevic in the wake of his win in the Spanish capital.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet'>
Filip Mihaljevic wins the men’s shot put and takes the overall <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldIndoorTour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#WorldIndoorTour</a> win. 
His winning distance of 21.74m is just 3cm shy of the Spanish all-comers’ record. <a href='https://t.co/oioGPmvyPu'>pic.twitter.com/oioGPmvyPu</a>
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics/status/1230930102508310530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>February 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
“I started well (with his previous national record of 21.52m at the World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting in Dusseldorf on 4 February. I opened a little late because the world champs in Doha were late last year.
“I was a little surprised how well I did in that first meet in Dusseldorf but everything has kept rolling after that. Here (in Madrid), it took me a little while to fathom it out but I got it together in the last round.”
Doha was a disappointment for Mihaljevic – he finished 11th with 20.48m after reaching 21.00m – coming as it did after finishing third for Team Europe at The Match less than a month before with 21.60m.
However, he got back into training with new coach Marko Macelic – after his previous coach Edis Elkasevic decided at the end of last season to concentrate solely on assisting his partner and multiple global discus champion Sandra Perkovic – with motivation to bounce back with aplomb and so it has proved.
“I trained firstly in Split and then in Belgrade. It was always my goal to win the Tour but the biggest thing was that I came into the indoor season heathy” added Mihaljevic, who at 2.01m in his socks stands taller than almost every other Goliath of the shot put circle.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet'>
21.52 and 21.37 world leads for filip mihaljevic in rd 2 and 3. Also nr and balkan rec. till continuing <a href='https://twitter.com/has_caf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@has_caf</a> <a href='https://t.co/rkz53qsQbf'>pic.twitter.com/rkz53qsQbf</a>
— Alfonz Juck (@emenews) <a href='https://twitter.com/emenews/status/1224763135996973056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>February 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
In between Dusseldorf and Madrid, he had an outing in Torun, Poland n 8 February where he finished third in 21.42m. His short indoor season will conclude at the European Athletics Indoor Permit Meeting in Belgrade on Thursday (27)
Further looking back on his Madrid competition, Mihaljevic said: “I knew I was in good shape from the practice throws. I had one put and I thought it was about 20 metres, but I looked at my coach and he was going ‘It’s 21 (metres),” reflected Mihaljevic. “However, coming here I was thinking I might be in shape to throw 21.30 to 21.40 so this (winning) throw comes as a big surprise.”
Mihaljevic, still only 25, was an American collegiate star while at the University of Virginia, having been recruited after winning the 2013 European U20 silver medal. 
He progressed quickly to take the 2015 European U23 crown.and won the prestigious NCAA title in the shot put in 2016 and 2017, adding the discus for good measure in his last year. Not bad for a student-athlete who was also studying for a degree in German and environmental sciences while regularly rewriting his university and conference record books.
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However, by his own admission, his transition to the professional ranks was not a smooth one.
“I couldn’t have asked for more when I was in Virginia, but it took me a year or two to adjust to the professional world, 2018 was a year of stagnation,” he added. 
Having graduated in December 2017, his big competitions the following year were a disaster despite him improving her personal best to 21.33m early in the season. He failed to make the final of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships and only finished a modest sixth at the Mediterranean Games, a competition where he could have and should have been on the podium.
“But I think I’ve got it right now and sometimes you learn from bad things that happen. I think I did.”
Evidence from the 2020 indoor season, his first competitions under cover since 2017, suggest he’s right on both counts.
If the World Athletics Indoor Championships had been held this year, instead of being cancelled due to concerns about the coronavirus, Mihaljevic could have been in contention to add to the surprise bronze at the same championships he won in 2016.
“I’m disappointed that they (the world indoor championships) were cancelled. I had hoped they would have been moved to another country but there is nothing I can do about it.”
Now he has set his sights on the two big events of the summer, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships.
No Croatian man has won an Olympic athletics medal since the country became independent in 1991, although Croatian-born athletes Ivan Gubijan and Franjo Mihalic won silver medals in the vest of former Yugoslavia – in the 1928 hammer and 1956 marathon respectively – the country’s only athletics medals prior to its break up.
Instead the Croatian national anthem has been heard in the athletics arena to celebrate the successes of Perkovic and javelin thrower Sara Kolak with Blanka Vlasic also getting medals in 2008 and 2016.
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“I’m very motivated about the Olympics, I know my history and know no Croatian man has been on the podium for athletics in recent times (since independence).” 
Paris offers a similar potential prize. Only 1500m runner Branko Zorko and long jumper Sinisa Ergotic have won continental medals outdoors in the last 30 years, bronze in 1994 and silver in 2002 respectively, but no one has taken a European Athletics Championships gold medal wearing the blue and red vest of Croatia.
Assuming he is healthy when the big competitions come around in six months’ time, Mihaljevic will be a contender to make some Croatian athletics history.

 Competition to be Europe’s number one shot putter is currently very fierce. Last year, the Polish pair of Michal Haratyk and Konrad Bukowiecki as well as

Croatian contender: Filip Mihaljevic looking to be a big shot

More than 1400 volunteers are required to contribute to the success and the running of the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships by filling a broad spectrum of roles both before and during the championships from 25-30 August.
Prospective applicants can apply to volunteer by following <a href='https://paris2020athle.vol-up.com/formulaire.html' target='_blank'>this link</a> and filling out the form. The form is in French and please note that intermediate French is a mandatory requirement.
There will be a distinct pan-continental theme as the volunteer programme for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships is actively supported by Erasmus+ in the context of their European Volunteer and Active Citizen Programme which combines sports with civic commitment.
“We wanted to create, lead and promote a community of volunteers before, during and after the European Athletics Championships in order to offer a real European heritage to this event,” said Jean Gracia, the President of the Local Organising Committee. 
“We want to make this sporting event a festive and unifying event. Being part of Paris 2020 as a volunteer is an opportunity to collectively build a major sporting competition but also to meet people from different backgrounds who share common values. 
“It is this feeling of belonging to a community that contributes to the European influence that we wish to extend in the long term,” added Gracia.
The deadline to register online to become a volunteer is 15 March.
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 More than 1400 volunteers are required to contribute to the success and the running of the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships by filling a broad

Become a volunteer at the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships

With less than 200 days to go until the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships from 25-30 August, European Athlete of the Year Karsten Warholm from Norway has confirmed his intentions to challenge for two gold medals this summer. 
“I love challenges and a double in Paris will be a tough one. I already tried it in Berlin in 2018 and I reached the final [he finished eighth in the 400m after winning the 400m hurdles]. I learned that this is tough - but possible - and I know I can do better in Paris,” he said. 
The schedule in Paris is arguably an even tougher one for Warholm. The 400m hurdles semifinal takes place on the morning of the 400m final but Warholm is accustomed to such assignments. He contested both events at the 2017 European U23 Championships, running six races in four days, and he attempted an even more improbable decathlon/400m double at the 2015 European U20 Championships.
Warholm has been a regular visitor to Paris in his career thus far and he tested out the new Mondo track surface in the Paris Diamond League last August, extending his winning streak with victory in the 400m hurdles in 47.26 - just five days before smashing through the 47 second-barrier in the Zurich Diamond League.
“I like running in Paris, the new track is very nice. The stadium is always packed with a crowd giving athletes good vibes,” assessed Warholm who went unbeaten in 17 races across all distances last year.
“Back from Tokyo, Paris is a perfect place for these European Championships. I am really looking forward to it. The interest for track and field in Norway is huge these days, with many athletes performing very well. Many Norwegian fans will come to support us, I will feel like home.”
Warholm won one of three gold medals for Norway at a memorable European Championships in Berlin with Jakob Ingebrigtsen, only 17 at the time, winning titles in both the 1500m and 5000m. Henrik Ingebrigtsen also won silver in the 5000m with Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal coming away with bronze in the 3000m steeplechase.
The organisers of Paris 2020 are very pleased with initial ticket sales. 90 percent of tickets which have gone on sale at this stage have already been bought with more tickets due to go on sale at the end of the month.
And taking inspiration from the European Mile which proved so successful at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships, fans will also be able to follow the action this summer at the Athletics Park which will be constructed in the heart of the capital in the Trocadero.
The Athletics Park will be staging both the qualifying round of the men’s and women’s long jump as well as medal ceremonies and other sporting, cultural and gastronomic events.
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 With less than 200 days to go until the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships from 25-30 August, European Athlete of the Year Karsten Warholm from Norway

Warholm confirms plans to challenge for two titles in Paris

Recreational runners will have the opportunity to contest the same course as the elite half marathon runners at the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships from 25-30 August.
A mass participation 10km will take place on the same course which is being used for the men’s and women’s half marathon and with 250 days to go until the European Championships begin, entries are now open to take part in the 10km.
Runners can enter by clicking on <a href='https://www.njuko.net/10kmparis2020/select_competition'>this link</a>. The 10km takes place on Sunday 30 August with the gun firing for the first wave at 11:00am and the fast and flat route takes in some of the city’s principal attractions. The runners will begin and finish in front of the Eiffel Tower on the Pont d’Iena and will pass notable landmarks such as the Hotel des Invalides, the Grand Palais and the Trocadero. 
'One of our ambitions at the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships is to bring athletics out of the stadium and reach new audiences. That’s why we are setting up an Athletics Festival in the heart of Paris, with this 10km mass race being one of its symbols. It is the promise of a unifying event that will make athletics shine and will create a positive dynamic in the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris,' said President of the Paris 2020 LOC Jean Gracia.
CEO of the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships Laurent Boquillet said: “This race is a unique opportunity to feel like a champion and to experience the European Championships from the inside. This is exactly the festive and positive spirit we want for our Athletics Festival, epicentre being the Athletics Park at Trocadéro. 
'This magical place will bring together audiences from all over the world, to support the participants, celebrate the athletes during the Championships’ medal ceremonies that will be organised there, as well as to enjoy musical, cultural, recreational and gastronomic activities.”
Each finisher will be rewarded with a replica of the official gold medal which will be handed out at the European Championships. Around 15,000 entrants are expected to take part.
For more information about registering to enter the 10km, please click <a href='https://www.athle2020.paris/en/10km-festival-athle/' target='_blank'>here</a>.
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 Recreational runners will have the opportunity to contest the same course as the elite half marathon runners at the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships

Registration open for mass 10km race at the European Championships 

Since the first edition of the European Championships in 1934, France has won 193 medals in championship history and it is very likely the hosts will surpass a combined haul of 200 medals at the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships from 25-30 August.


With 250 days to go until the European Championships return to the French capital city for just the second time, we take a look at some of the great French moments in European Championships history. 
Roger Rochard (5000m) Turin 1934
He might not be a particularly familiar name but Roger Rochard became the first French athlete to win a European title. He won France’s first gold medal at the 1934 European Championships in Turin, winning the 5000m in 14:36.8 ahead of the legendary Polish distance runner Janusz Kusocinski, the 1932 Olympic 10,000m champion. 
Nicole Duclos (400m, 4x400m) Athens 1969
Nicole Duclos’ exploits might have been somewhat overshadowed by her compatriot Colette Besson but Duclos won the 400m title at the 1969 European Championships ahead of Besson - 51.77 to 51.79. The gold and silver medallists both ducked under the previous world record of 51.9 and Duclos’ time was to stand as a French record until 1987.
Men's 4x100m relay team, Split 1990 
The British team included individual champions Linford Christie and John Regis but underdogs France combined brilliantly to win the title in Split in a world record of 37.79. Jean-Charles Trouabal took the French into a clear lead on the third leg before Bruno Marie-Rose maintained France’s advantage against Christie on the anchor leg. The French team scratched 0.04 off the world record and they are still the only European nation to have held the world record since 1960.
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Marie-Jose Perec (400m, 4x400m) Helsinki 1994
After focusing on the 200m in 1993, Marie-Jose Perec refocused on the 400m the following season, winning gold medals at the European Championships in Helsinki in both the 400m (50.33) and the 4x400m relay (3:22.34). Perec’s anchor leg was timed at 49.36 and their time remains the French record.
Christine Arron (100m, 4x100m) Budapest 1998
Christine Arron was at the height of her powers at the 1998 European Championships in Budapest where she produced two irrepressible pieces of sprinting. After winning the 100m title in a still-standing European record of 10.73, Arron produced a legendary anchor leg to run down Irina Privalova in the 4x100m relay. Her anchor was timed unofficially at 9.67. 
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Renaud Lavillenie (pole vault) Barcelona 2010
France has a venerable tradition in the men’s pole vault but Renaud Lavillenie’s gold medal at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona was surprisingly the first time the title was won by a French vaulter. Lavillenie defended his crown in 2012 and 2014 but his run of success ended with a no-height in Amsterdam in 2016 when Lavillenie elected to enter at 5.70m in a final which was decimated by a swirling wind. 
Christophe Lemaitre (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) Barcelona 2010
Christophe Lemaitre left his mark on European Championships history in his first season as a senior. At the age of 20, he became the first male sprinter to win a sprint treble in championship history, winning the 200m title courtesy of a late lunge to pip British veteran Christian Malcolm. He ran the second leg of France’s gold medal-winning team in the 4x100m, taking ownership of the baton from an 18-year-old Jimmy Vicaut.
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Yohann Diniz (50km race walk) Zurich 2014
Yohann Diniz etched his way into European Championship history by winning his third successive gold medal in the 50km race walk in Zurich. He also broke the world record with 3:32:33 which remains the last world record to be set at the European Championships.
Floria Guei (4x400m) Zurich 2014
“And there won’t be a medal for the French team as we are too far back,” lamented the French commentator as Floria Guei entered the back straight with the three teams contesting the medals some way in the distance. A medal wasn’t even a likely outcome with 150 metres remaining but Guei went through the gears in the home straight, tearing past teams from Russia, Ukraine and Great Britain & NI to win the most improbable of gold medals. 
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Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (110m hurdles) Berlin 2018
Fourth at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 Olympic Games and third at the European Championships in 2014, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde made it to the top of the podium in dramatic circumstances at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin where the Frenchman was given the verdict ahead of gold medal favourite Sergey Shubenkov on the photo finish.

 Since the first edition of the European Championships in 1934, France has won 193 medals in championship history and it is very likely the hosts will surpass a

10 memorable French victories in European Championships history

With just over 250 days to go, the timetable for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships from 25-30 August has been published and can be viewed under Related Documents.
The championships begins at 3:15pm on Tuesday with an afternoon of heats and qualifying at the Charlety Stadium which will be followed by an Opening Ceremony to be held at 8:00pm.
The majority of the action across the six days will take place inside the Charlety Stadium. The men’s and women’s long jump qualifying are however scheduled to take place in between sessions at the Athletics Park which is to be constructed on the Trocadero in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and the half marathons will begin on the Pont d’Iena and finish at the Athletics Park.
A total of 22 finals will be held across the Saturday and Sunday including all four relays, the men’s pole vault, women’s high jump as well as the conclusion of the heptathlon and the decathlon.
One of France’s principal title hopes next August is world decathlon record-holder Kevin Mayer and the championship programme suitably concludes with the decathlon 1500m at 7:40pm on the Sunday.
Tickets for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships are still on sale and can be purchased <a href='https://www.athle2020.paris/en/ticketing/' target='_blank'>here</a>. 
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 With just over 250 days to go, the timetable for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships from 25-30 August has been published and can be viewed under

Timetable released for Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships

Yuliya Levchenko’s season began with a 1.98m clearance in Minsk on 22 December and concluded at the World Military Games in Wuhan just over 10 months later - and 20 competitions later - on 23 October but the Ukrainian isn’t planning on a low-key start to her campaign in 2020.
“There will be no fundamental changes in my preparation for the next season,” Levchenko told X-Sport. “I’m not going to skip the indoor season as I really like to compete indoors and I don’t feel like I need a long rest.”
After winning bronze at the 2017 European Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Levchenko upgraded to a silver medal in Glasgow in March ahead of her largely successful summer campaign - albeit one which was punctuated by a bittersweet performance at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha.
Her outdoor campaign began on a worrisome note as Levchenko injured her back on a cold night in the Stockholm Diamond League but the Ukrainian’s season began to pick up pace in July with notable wins at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships and then the Bydgoszcz 2019 European Athletics Team Championships, clearing 1.97m in both competitions.
Victory in the latter competition sealed her place on Team Europe for The Match in Minsk where Levchenko was one of Team Europe’s star performers across the two days, clearing a lifetime best of 2.02m ahead of her training partner Iryna Herashchenko to lead the hosts to a 1-2-3 in the women’s high jump.
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This performance demonstrated Levchenko was rounding into excellent form ahead of the IAAF World Athletics Championships and some observers even opined the Ukrainian, who won silver in London 2017 at the age of 19, could even dethrone reigning two-time champion Mariya Lasitskene who showed rare signs of fallibility in Minsk by only finishing third at The Match. 
But Lasitskene successfully completed the hat-trick of titles with silver going to Levchenko’s precocious 18-year-old compatriot Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Vashti Cunningham winning bronze on countback at 2.00m ahead of Levchenko. Missing out on a medal by such a small margin was patently frustrating but the Ukrainian assesses the final pragmatically. 
“The fourth place finish in Doha was a nuisance but I still managed to produce competitive jumps and the overall standard was high. This is only the second time in history a high jumper has left without a medal with a 2.00m clearance,” she said.
After leaving Doha without a medal, Levchenko has two opportunities next summer to come away from a major outdoor event with some silverware, including the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships which could be every bit as competitive as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Indeed, nine of the top-10 female high jumpers on the 2019 world list all represent European countries.
“The most important events in 2020 for me are the Tokyo Olympics and then European Championships in Paris,” said Levchenko. “I still have room to improve as well as I have something to learn.”
2019 world outdoor high jump list
2.06m Mariya Lasitskene (ANA/RUS) 
2.04m Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) 
2.02m Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) 
2.02m Yuliya Levchenko (UKR) 
2.00m Anna Chicherova (RUS) 
2.00m Vashti Cunningham (USA) 
2.00m Karyna Demidik (BLR) 
1.99m Iryna Herashchenko (UKR) 
1.98m Kamila Licwinko (POL) 
1.97m Mirela Demireva (BUL)

 Yuliya Levchenko’s season began with a 1.98m clearance in Minsk on 22 December and concluded at the World Military Games in Wuhan just over 10 months later -

After a near miss in Doha, Levchenko sets sights on Tokyo and Paris

Karsten Warholm was crowned men’s European Athlete of the Year at the Golden Tracks award ceremony in Tallinn, Estonia last Saturday (26) but the Norwegian was just as eager to look ahead to the upcoming season as he was to reflect on his unbeaten 2019 campaign.
“It’s a huge year ahead,” said Warholm award the award ceremony. “Everybody knows it’s the Olympics and the European Championships next year and those will be my main targets.”
Warholm will be aiming to complete the set of major titles in the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics and if he does so, he will have achieved the Grand Slam of major titles only four years after dedicating himself to the event. 
The 2016 season was Warholm’s first full season in the 400m hurdles and got to grips with the event quickly, breaking the 49 second-barrier for the first time at the European Championships in Amsterdam with a national record of 48.84 in the semifinal before finishing sixth in the final. Still only 20, Warholm improved to 48.49 in the heats of the Rio Olympics before missing out on the final by only two places.
Since then, Warholm has won two world titles, a European title and is second only to Kevin Young on the world all-time list with 46.92. The Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships also features in Warholm’s plans for the upcoming season and he hasn’t ruled out contesting both the 400m flat and 400m hurdles at those championships.
“The problem is that it is very difficult to find circumstances where you can test your absolute top level in the 400m outdoors, but I am very eager to try and I think there are very high chances of it happening after Tokyo,” said Warholm.
Warholm kick-started his campaign by equalling the long-standing European indoor 400m record of 45.05 at the Glasgow 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships and while the summer season promises to be another busy one for Warholm, he is planning to compete sparingly during the indoor season.
Warholm has pencilled in some domestic races in his diary including the Karsten Warholm International which takes place in his hometown of Ulsteinvik on the day of his 24th birthday on 28 February. 
Like Warholm, Germany’s Niklas Kaul was crowned men’s Rising Star at the Golden Tracks award ceremony and the world decathlon champion is also eyeing the two major outdoor championships in 2020.
“It’s a big year ahead with the Olympics and European Championships after this. There is a bit more pressure on me for next year but we have to train this winter and stay injury-free and we will see what next year brings for us,” said Kaul, who finished fourth in the decathlon at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin. 
Women’s European Athlete of the Year Mariya Lasitskene is planning another full indoor season as a prelude to the outdoor campaign. Her first competitions of the season will be in Cottbus on 29 January followed by Karlsruhe on 31 January en route to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China from 13-15 March.
Women’s Rising Star Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine’s is also planning to compete in the upcoming indoor season. Her first competition is provisionally the Minsk Christmas Starts on 19-20 December.

 Karsten Warholm was crowned men’s European Athlete of the Year at the Golden Tracks award ceremony in Tallinn, Estonia last Saturday (26) but the Norwegian

Warholm planning a potential double at European Championships

Tickets for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships from 25-30 August have now gone on general sale to the public and are available for purchase.
Six different ticket packages are available to purchase, ranging from single day tickets incorporating two sessions with prices beginning from 40 euros to week-long packages encompassing all eleven sessions from 204 euros. 
For more information about tickets and ticket purchases, please click <a href='https://ticket.athle2020.paris/uk' target='_blank'>here</a> for more information. 
The European Athletics Championships will be held in the famous Charlety Stadium, situated in the south of the French capital, three weeks after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. This will be only the second time Paris has staged the European Championships which is expected to attract 1500 athletes from 51 countries. 
France finished fourth on the medal table at the last edition of the European Championships in Berlin, winning three gold medals and 10 medals in total. Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad won his fourth gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase while Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Morhad Amdouni won the 110m hurdles and 10,000m titles respectively. 
 
 
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 Tickets for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships from 25-30 August have now gone on general sale to the public and are available for purchase. Six

Paris 2020 tickets now on sale to the general public

A sold out edition of the IAAF Diamond League at the Charlety Stadium in Paris on Saturday (24) marked the one year countdown until the Opening Ceremony for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships which takes place in the very same stadium.
The European Championships will begin on 25 August some three weeks after the Tokyo 2020 and the 25th edition is expected to gather 1500 athletes representing 51 countries across the six days of competition.
This will be just the second time Paris has staged the European Championships after the French capital held the competition in 1938.
The full competition schedule for the European Championships can be found <a href='http://www.athle2020.paris'>here</a> and tickets will go on sale to the general public on 25 October - one month after ticket sales open exclusively to French Athletics Federation licence holders on 25 September.
From 25 Octobers, five types of ticket packages will go on sale in three categories. These include a day package - including both the morning and evening sessions - which will be available from €51 while a week-long package incorporating all eleven sessions will be available from €272. 
“We want to involve our whole family in this adventure. License holders thus have a period of exclusivity on the purchase of packages so that they can book the best seats in the stadium and be at the heart of this celebration. They will also benefit from a discount on the general public prices,” said President of the Paris 2020 LOC Jean Gracia.
“Many European fans have already expressed their enthusiasm to come and support their athletes while enjoying the charm of Paris in August. We are therefore counting on our family to make this event as festive as possible”.
All ticket prices for the European Championships will be communicated in September on <a href='http://www.athle2020.paris'>www.athle2020.paris</a>.

 A sold out edition of the IAAF Diamond League at the Charlety Stadium in Paris on Saturday (24) marked the one year countdown until the Opening Ceremony for

Tickets for Paris 2020 to go on sale to public in October

European stars at the IAAF Diamond League in Paris next Friday – including reigning world and European 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm who has also broken the European record in his specialist discipline this year – will be the first elite athletes to get a chance to try out the new Mondo Sportflex Super X 720 track that has been laid in the French capital’s Charlety Stadium ahead of next year’s European Athletics Championships at the same venue.
Completion of the track finished just over a week ago with approximately 11,000m2 installed with 260 rolls in blue of the pre-fabricated 13.5mm thick surface being delivered for the main track and another 240 rolls for the outfield areas, all the rolls arriving in Paris by lorry from Mondo’s factory in the Italian town of Gallo d’Alba.
The organisers of the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships have made sustainability one of its key priorities and policies. One example of this is the close proximity of the selected venues: it’s only about five minutes’ walk between the Charlety Stadium and the Cité Universitaire where the athletes will be accommodated so athletes will arrive at the stadium on foot, reducing the carbon footprint of the event.
 [PHOTO src='1289014' size='mediumLandscape' align='right'] 
It was also this issue of sustainability and restricting the environmental impact that led to Mondo being chosen to provide the new track. 
The track manufacturing plant in Gallo d’Alba is certified as meeting the requirements of International Standards ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:201; which respectively relate to a company being able to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and an organisation’s environmental management system that it uses to enhance its environmental performance and manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner. 
The manufacturing facilities are equipped with a 4.6 MWp photovoltaic system which prevents the release into the atmosphere of around 2000 tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) per year. Mondo also carefully select their raw materials so that their track surfacing products contain approximately 38% of contaminant-free recycled materials and approximately 10% of rapidly renewable materials. 
All of Mondo’s products are heavy-metal free and guarantee emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in compliance with the most stringent air quality standards, contributing to clean air in and around stadia where they have installed tracks and fighting against air pollution, which has an obvious detrimental impact on athletes' health and performance. (Mondo products are classified as non-hazardous waste with EWC Code 170203.)
 [PHOTO src='1289012' size='mediumLandscape' align='right'] 
Mondo and the French capital have a long association. 
They were the track provider for the 2003 AAF World Championships in the Parisian suburb of St. Denis and also provided the track for the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy where Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer memorable set world indoor 800m records in both his heat and final.
No less than 12 world records, indoor and out, have been set on on Mondo tracks in Paris, including two of Sergey Bubka’s plethora of pole vault world records: his 5.88m mark in 1984 in the old St Denis stadium and his barrier-breaking 6.00m vault in the Jean Bouin Stadium, across the road from the Parc des Princes.
European records by France’s Jimmy Vicaut, who ran 9.86 for 100m in 2015, and his compatriot Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, whose continental 3000m steeplechase mark of 8:00.09 dates from 2013, were set on the Stade de France’s Mondo track at IAAF Diamond League meetings. 
It will be interesting to see what standards are set in the Charlety Stadium on Friday, a year in advance of the European Athletics Championships there.

 European stars at the IAAF Diamond League in Paris next Friday – including reigning world and European 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm who has also

Mondo track for Paris 2020 to make its debut at IAAF Diamond League meeting

European Athletics is pleased to announce that LIQUI MOLY will be an Official Partner for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships.
The German company specialises in motor oils, lubricants, additives and car care products, with its headquarters in Ulm. They join SPAR, Le Gruyère and Toyo Tires as top tier partners for the championships.
LIQUI MOLY will benefit from a comprehensive rights package leading up to and during the championships, which will be staged in the French capital between 25-30 August 2020.
The package includes LED adverting board visibility in and around the Charlety Stadium – which is expected to play host to an estimated 100,000 spectators during the five days of competition as well as competitors, officials, volunteers and media – branding on promotional material throughout the French capital, ticketing and VIP hospitality, and fan activation opportunities as well as other core marketing rights
The European Athletics Championships are one of the highlights of the international athletics calendar and the leading competition in European Athletics’ event portfolio.
LIQUI MOLY Managing Director Ernst Prost said: “This week in Paris is a great fit for our global brand awareness strategy. It helps to improve visibility beyond our traditional involvements in motor sports. We are proud to be part of the championships when Europe’s best athletes meet.”
European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen said, “We are very pleased that LIQUI MOLY is again a partner with European Athletics after their involvement with the Amsterdam 2016 European Athletics Championships. We understand their market research showed that was a successful venture for them and it certainly was for us, and I expect it to be even more worthwhile for both parties this time around.
“Following on from our announcement in the last few days of extending our partnership with Toyo Tires, this shows that leading brands in Europe believe that our sport projects the qualities they want to be associated with and that they have confidence in European Athletics and its local organisers to deliver successful and innovative events that capture the imagination of the general public.”

 European Athletics is pleased to announce that LIQUI MOLY will be an Official Partner for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships. The German company

LIQUI MOLY to be Official Partner for Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships

Paris has staged the European Athletics Championships once before, back when both the sporting and political landscape was very different to the present day.
The Colombes Stadium hosted the second edition but only in part in 1938. At that time the men’s and women’s competitions were still held separately so while the French capital held the men’s events from 3-5 September, the women competed across a programme of only nine events in Vienna, Austria on 17-18 September.
The men’s and women’s competitions were amalgamated for the next edition of the European Athletics Championships in 1946 and were largely held every four years up until 2010 in Barcelona when the championships were moved to a biennial cycle.
Next year’s edition of the European Athletics Championships takes place at the Charlety Stadium towards the south of the city from 26-30 August, just after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Four years after that, the eyes of the sporting world will be fixed on the French capital again which stages the Olympic Games for a third time.
“While an opportunity to celebrate the athletes after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, above all the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships will open a new cycle for French sport, of which the 2024 Olympic Games will be the highlight,” said President of the French Athletics Federation and President of Paris 2020.
The organisers of Paris 2020 have made sustainability one of its key priorities. The compactness of venues - only five minutes’ walk between the Charlety Stadium and the Cité Universitaire where the athletes will be accommodated - will allow athletes to arrive at the stadium on foot, thus reducing in the carbon footprint of the event. Other eco-responsible initiatives will be carried out to promote the use of public transportation for spectators.
At the last edition of the European Championships in Berlin, France was one of five countries to win 10 medals or more across the six days of competition. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (110m hurdles), Mourad Amdouni (10,000m) and Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (3000m steeplechase) all came away with gold medals while the French team also accrued four silver medals and three bronze medals.
In total, 10 championship records were set at the 2018 European Championships including four on the last day: Koen Naert in the marathon (2:09:51), Sifan Hassan in the 5000m (14:46.12), Anita Wlodarczyk in the hammer (78.94m) and Armand Duplantis in the pole vault (6.05m).

 Paris has staged the European Athletics Championships once before, back when both the sporting and political landscape was very different to the present day.

Paris to stage the 2020 European Athletics Championships 

A report analysing the event impact of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships which European Athletics commissioned the Swiss company Rütter Soceco AG and the University of Applied Sciences in Lucerne to conduct, has shown considerable benefits accrued by the German capital as a result of staging the championships.
The economic analysis shows that Berlin 2018 - co-host of the inaugural multi-sport European Championships in August last year - added €144 million in turnover to the German economy and these effects corresponded to creating 1000 additional full-time jobs in Berlin and more than 300 more elsewhere in Germany.
In addition, a tax income of approximately €11 million was gained by the public authorities in Germany.
Part of the revenue came from the fact that spectators and visitors had almost 270,000 overnight stays in hotels and other accommodation that were directly related to Berlin 2018.
The economic effects were also felt beyond the German borders. A total of 1359 hours of live, replay and highlight TV content was shown across Europe from a week before the event until two weeks after the event had ended on 12 August.
Berlin 2018 was the co-host of the European Championships with Scottish city Glasgow, which staged the six other sports between 2-12 August.
[PHOTO src='1286529' size='mediumLandscape' align='right']
Considering other media formats as well, including newspapers, magazines, radio and online, the report concluded that Berlin 2018 generated an equivalent advertising value of approximately €91.5 million.
In addition to the immediate financial benefits from the championships, there are expected to be significant long-term returns.
The report shows that 98% of visitors to the German capital from outside Germany would recommend a trip to Berlin to their family and friends and spectator satisfaction for Berlin 2018 was rated at 97%: 72% very satisfied, 25% satisfied. Analysis of the athletes themselves and delegations from Member Federations also gave very high satisfaction ratings, above 95%, for almost every category of the championships.
Culturally and socially, Berlin 2018 also made a considerable impact.
In the five years leading up to Berlin 2018, youth athletics club memberships and associated registrations increased by 30%. The city of Berlin, in cooperation with regional athletics clubs and the organising committee, actively used the momentum of the event to increase athletics participation.
In the Berlin Olympic Stadium itself, European Athletics and local organisers’ sustainability aims were met. Although championships generated 35 tonnes of waste, 98% was converted to refuse-derived fuel.
 [PHOTO src='1284820' size='mediumLandscape' align='right'] 
“The details contained in this report come as no surprise because, I said at the time that it was the best European Athletics Championships ever. Nevertheless, it is gratifying to have the impression we had at European Athletics reinforced and see the numbers in front of our eyes,” said European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen.
“The economic impact, in particular, should encourage existing and future bidders for European Athletics competitions of the benefits that staging our events can bring to host cities. However, issues such as the social impact and sustainability are also very important in this report and are a blueprint for how other competitions can bring significant advantages to their surrounding communities.
“This very positive report comes in the wake of event impact reports of other recent European Athletics competitions, such as the one conducted after the Grosseto 2017 European Athletics U20 Championships.
“A host city for a European Athletics competition does not need to a major European capital such as Berlin, it can be a provincial town; but if the local organisers can deliver an event with efficiency and combine that with creativity and imagination – as Berlin did so well – then the benefits are there for all to see and enjoy.
“What this report also shows, even factoring in Berlin’s excellent organisation and delivery of a magnificent championships, is that athletics remains an attractive and exciting sport to a very wide audience,” added Hansen.

 A report analysing the event impact of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships which European Athletics commissioned the Swiss company Rütter Soceco

Berlin 2018 Event Impact Report: Big benefits to host city

The Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships was an outstanding advertisement for athletics. But why was that and why did our sport win so many new fans and admirers this summer? And what can athletics learn from it for the future? 
'I confess, my long-gone love for athletics has been re-ignited.' said reporter Walter Straten in German newspaper BILD after the climax of the European Championships. And this feeling was widely shared. In total, more than 43 million viewers watched at least one broadcast of the inaugural multi-sport European Championships staged between Berlin and Glasgow.
On the last day of the Championships, athletics kept up closely with football: 5.44 million spectators watched Bayern Munich triumph 5-0 over Eintracht Frankfurt on one German channel ZDF. At the same time, 5.16 million watched Gesa Felicitas Krause defend her European 3000m steeplechase title on ARD.
Berlin 2018 is increasingly seen as a model for sporting events of the future to follow and the Championships has already been honoured with awards such as the Prize for Fairness and Olympic Values of the Deutsche Olympische Gesellschaft (German Olympic Society)
'These European Championships radiated a very special atmosphere through many things. This event was backed by a highly committed team, which put the athletes at the centre of its actions in every aspect,' said the German Olympic Society on bestowing the championships with that accolade.
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Was für ein überragender Auftritt: Gold für Gesa Krause über 3000 Meter Hindernis. Wir gratulieren zu einem tollen Lauf. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/WirfuerD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#WirfuerD</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamDeutschland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TeamDeutschland</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/Jihi3I9VCG'>pic.twitter.com/Jihi3I9VCG</a>
— Team Deutschland (@TeamD) <a href='https://twitter.com/TeamD/status/1028721435030765568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
Fairness, joy, authenticity
But what exactly are the 'many things?' It is worth taking a close look at the success factors. 'Fairness, joy, authenticity. That's what we love about sport,' wrote Straten in BILD and provided evidence for his enthusiasm.
Fairness. The Belarusian high jumper Maksim Nedasekau claps to the rhythm of the fans as his German competitor Mateusz Przybylko leaps over 2.35m to clinch the gold medal ahead of him.
Joy. European long jump champion Malaika Mihambo invited the silver medallist from Ukraine Maryna Bekh and the bronze medallist from Great Britain Shara Proctor to celebrate their successes together on their victory lap.
Authenticity. In front of the TV microphones, the athletes were genuine and ebullient. “When I understood that I had won the European Championships, I lay on the ground and cried like a little baby,” said Przybylko.
New sporting heroes emerge
Coincidence or strategy? To identify the successes of the European Championships, you have to go back three years. 
The concept for the event was already developed in 2015 with the early ticket availability immediately after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The European Championships might have suffered from a lack of exposure in the build-up due to the World Cup in Russia but the poor performance of the German national team created space for new sporting heroes to emerge. And Berlin provided them.
The German team there delivered their best performance collectively since the Munich 2002 European Athletics Championships and they reaped their second best ever medal haul after Budapest 1998. 
No less important was the chronology of the German successes.
Starting with David Storl in the shot put qualification, Gina Lückenkemper's silver medal on the first evening in the 100m, Arthur Abele’s decathlon gold on the next evening through to Krause’s win in the steeplechase, the timetable had already been developed at the beginning of 2016 in coordination with German head coach Idriss Gonschinska to ensure there would be strong German representation in each evening session.
<blockquote data-lang='en' class='twitter-tweet'>
Gina Luckenkemper celebrates her second medal of the European Championships with a hug from dad.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/02ORwybJN1'>pic.twitter.com/02ORwybJN1</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028751363868643334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
Revolutionary schedule and communications
Another of the great successes was the schedule with each evening session held in a two or three-hour time-slot featuring multiple finals. The wider European Championships programme - which Berlin 2018 was a key part of - made it essential to tighten the schedule to accommodate stakeholders’ demands.
In order to achieve this, day ‘Q’ was dedicated solely to heats and qualifying events. The evening sessions were also collectively shortened by six hours by staging the majority of medal ceremonies at the European Mile in the Breitscheidplatz in the centre of the city as opposed to the traditional venue of the main stadium.
None of the disciplines were shortened, changed or eliminated, but a new kind of athletics was created. 
Spectators were able to follow all of the events in the stadium thanks to the cutting edge event presentation.
The athletes also received their medals in an innovative environment at the European Mile in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The temporary stands held 8000 spectators and the fans were able to high-five medal winners as they made their way onto the medal podium.
This concept came from the 2009 World Championships in Berlin where both the men’s and women’s marathon started and finished outside the main stadium for the first time. Berlin 2018 extended this concept by staging the men’s shot put qualifying at the European Mile.
The communication concept, which was consistently rolled out digitally and cross-media for two years always focused on the athletes, making it possible to greatly increase the level of awareness of the championships but above all enabling a special proximity to individual athletes at an early stage. 
Likewise, comprehensive cooperation with the German Sports Aid Foundation and the German Football League and an individual Donald Duck story with the Walt-Disney publishing house served towards one big goal: to make Berlin 2018 unforgettable.
Frank Kowalski, CEO of Berlin 2018 puts the big message in a nutshell. 'Athletics doesn't have to be changed at its core by setting new rules, it is already is a strong product if presented professionally and, above all, in a way that is appealing to the spectators.'
Translated from an article by Jörg Ulrich Hahn.

 The Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships was an outstanding advertisement for athletics. But why was that and why did our sport win so many new fans

Performance, Passion, Love: The Secret of Success to the European Championships

Adam Kszczot is the greatest 800m runner in the history of the European Athletics Championships, a fact he confirmed on the penultimate night of competition in Berlin last month.
With 220 metres left of the final in the German capital, the defending champion took off and put down the challenge to the rest: try to beat me.
They could not, and Kszczot triumphed for his third successive continental gold over two laps of the track in 1:44.59 with Sweden’s emerging talent Andreas Kramer second in 1:45.03 and France’s Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, who beat Kszczot at the IAAF World Championships in London last season, third in 1:45.30.
In those few seconds, Kszczot, 29, was as imperious - and as tactically aware - as he has ever been, running negative splits of 53.57 and 51.02 to ensure the hat-trick of titles. Now, Kszczot is eyeing up glory at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
It was a public display of brilliance at Berlin's Olympic Stadium and when you enter the mind of the man, his words bring even greater substance to what he achieves on the track.
“You are tired at 600m and who attacks with 220m to go and wins? Not many,” said Kszczot, as he chatted exclusively with European Athletics. “But if you believe really hard that you can keep the pace and push so hard to be a winner; it defines the winner.”
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Adam Kszczot hardly needs defining. He is the only man to win this European 800m title on three occasions and he puts so much of his success down to one thing.
“Planning, planning and once again planning,” said Kszczot, who had to manage an Achilles tendon injury in the build-up to his title defence. “To be really focused and strict.”
Coached by Zbigniew Krol, Kszczot is reaping the rewards and that planning.
'I changed coaches in 2012 and there have been a lot of changes since then, a huge effort, a new training programme and then came Zurich in 2014, Amsterdam in 2016 and now Berlin,” he said.
Kszczot is referring to his triple European 800m crowns, a glorious achievement for an athlete who has also won the European indoor title on three occasions (2011, 2013 and 2017). He won his first global title at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham in March to go alongside his two world outdoor silver medals.
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'Many people started to lose faith in me.' 
After an indifferent start to the outdoor season, Poland's Adam Kszczot came good with another faultless championship performance in the 800m last night.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/12rc0i7hdQ'>pic.twitter.com/12rc0i7hdQ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028643517881565184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
He has to almost pinch himself to take in all his success, particularly his record-breaking achievement in Berlin.
“This is unbelievable,” said Kszczot. “A long time ago, when I was a young athlete, I could not imagine myself in this point of my career being such a successful man in the 800m. It is amazing, this is everything.
“It comes from balancing the physical and mental preparation and belief in your own way, your own path.”
But with all his success, there is one missing medal – that from the Olympic Games. And it is why his mind is now focused on that with him deciding to give the drama of the boards a rest.
“I am not going to do the indoors,” said Kszczot, who exited in the semifinal stage in London 2012 and then again in Rio de Janeiro four years later and is considering moving up to the 1500m after Tokyo 2020.
“Since 2007, I have done all indoor and outdoor (seasons). Now I am tired. I have to find some freshness and Olympic preparation takes two years. Now the real work comes.”
Along with the aforementioned planning, planning... and more planning.
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 Adam Kszczot is the greatest 800m runner in the history of the European Athletics Championships, a fact he confirmed on the penultimate night of competition in

All roads lead to Tokyo for Kszczot after 800m hat-trick in Berlin

It is almost a year away but Karsten Warholm would have good reason to look forward to next summer’s European Athletics Team Championships.
For now, the First League venue is not yet fully confirmed but the Norwegian star will be in a prime position to take maximum points for his nation if he runs on the opening day of the championships on August 9.
No, it is not his birthday. It just happens to be the one day of the year when the 22-year-old cannot lose.
“I won the World Championships in London on August 9,” said Warholm. “And the same day, a year later, I became the European champion in Berlin. That was great.” 
Coincidence, of course, but should any of his opponents see the name of the 400m hurdler on any start-line in just under 12 months’ time, then beware. 
Any ‘any’ being the operative word because let’s not forget, that Warholm is an athlete of amazing adaptability. In 2015, when he won 400m silver at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Eskilstuna, he also finished second in the decathlon – which was running simultaneously. 
Now, though, it is all about the barriers over which he is one of the finest young athletes in the world. 
After his title win at the IAAF World Championships in London, the pressure was on in Berlin a fortnight ago but Warholm once more proved to be the supreme competitor. He triumphed in another European U23 record of 47.64 from Turkey’s reigning champion Yasmani Copello in 47.81 and Ireland’s Thomas Barr in 48.31. 
And it had been the same one-two last summer at the European Team Championships in Vaasa, Finland when Warholm won on a cold afternoon in the Finnish town in a championship record of 48.46 from Copello in 49.17. 
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“Winning the 400m hurdles in Berlin was the most amazing day,” said Warholm, who followed up his Berlin glory by last weekend doing the 400m and 400m hurdles double at the national championships in Byrkjelo.
“It is all about the hard work and the dedication that my coach and I do. And I am a competitor – and I like to compete.” 
It is three summers now since the then 19-year-old took on that tough task of competing in an individual discipline and multi-events but he has discovered a great deal about himself since. 
“I learned that I am stupid,” said a smiling Warholm as he recalled that mammoth task. “It was fun to take on new adventures and new tasks 
“I have been growing a lot. Now I am world champion and European champion and most people do not get to experience that. I have grown a lot mostly because of these challenge because I am always challenging myself.”
The Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 is edging ever closer but Warholm said: “I am training and see where it takes me. I don’t look that far ahead.”
Though, you suspect - August 9 2019 - might have crossed his mind.
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 It is almost a year away but Karsten Warholm would have good reason to look forward to next summer’s European Athletics Team Championships. For now, the

After winning gold in Berlin, Warholm is poised for more success in 2019

It was a fascinating insight into how a gold medallist works. “Being European champion is going to bring me more confidence,” said Lea Sprunger. “But I am still a beginner.”
She is chatting in the aftermath of her glory in Berlin, where, if the Swiss 400m hurdler is just a ‘beginner’, who knows what the outcome will be by the time she is a veteran?
In 54.33, Sprunger showed immense speed followed by brilliant staying power and control to hold off the challenge of Ukraine’s Hanna Ryzhykova. And it was there the impact of being so good on the flat kicked in as she had enough to make it home for the first major title of her career.
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The bronze medallist from the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam in 2016 duly became the gold medallist in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin in 2018, yet she is still learning with every stride. Even though she has been hurdling since she was 13, she still thinks of herself as a newcomer to the event.
“I did the heptathlon before. I was quite fast but on the 200m, I was not able to do use all my skills, so I switched to 400m and I then chose the hurdles because they are more fun and more interesting,” she said.
“I just started - I am not like some other girls who do the hurdles for years. I knew I would be good in the 400m flat and 400m hurdles because of my speed and my stride.”
Prior to the IAAF World Championships in Beijing in 2015, Sprunger’s roll-call of international performances are in the 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay and the heptathlon.
Back in 2007, as a 17-year-old, she was 13th in the heptathlon at the World U18 Olympics in Ostrava in the same year as winning a 4x100m relay gold at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Belgrade. In 2009, she took a bronze medal at the European U20 Championships in Novi Sad, finishing ahead of Dafne Schippers and Katarina Johnson-Thompson for a place on the podium.
Now she has firmly established herself as a 400m hurdler, and Sprunger is only looking to take her career to greater levels.
Standing at 1.83m tall, she uses her height to good effect with her slick execution of the barriers and her win in Berlin in 54.33 put her sixth on world lists which are led by teenage phenomenon Sydney McLaughlin from the United States with a world U20 record of 52.75.
“I have to improve a little more to be the best in the world,” said Sprunger. “I need to [improve] a little bit everywhere. I need to be confident and I need to be able to start faster.
“The season is not over yet, I have two more Diamond Leagues [Sprunger has since won the Birmingham Diamond League in 54.86] and the main goal are the Olympics in Tokyo 2020 and before that the World Championships.”
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First win at the league!! Happy with that! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/MullerGPBham?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#MullerGPBham</a> <a href='https://t.co/uOeUQ73IdF'>pic.twitter.com/uOeUQ73IdF</a>
— Lea Sprunger (@LeaSprunger) <a href='https://twitter.com/LeaSprunger/status/1030887532333096960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
How she thrilled in her success in Berlin, in a summer where prior to the European Championships she was Europe’s leading 400m runner with her national record of 50.52 from La Chaux-de-Fonds in July.
She is now third on that list behind Poland’s Justyna Swiety-Ersetic (50.41) and Greece’s Maria Belibasaki (50.45), the one-two from the European Championships. Sprunger almost doubled up but opted to focus on just the 400m hurdles.
'I was thinking about doing both but I wanted to focus on one event,” she said. “I achieved my goal and it is really good. It is not the first time I have come into a big championship with one of the best times but I was never able to compete and do my best. I did it - and it was just amazing.
“Sure there was pressure but I knew I was in good shape and that if I ran a good race, it would be difficult for the others to beat me. I was focusing on my lane and what I had to do.
“I felt my opponent getting closer and the last hurdle was not the best one I did, I knew that I had a good finish on the flat, I am quite fast compared to the others. I was focussing on my positive skills and I felt [Ryzhykova] but I was never really afraid.”
Sprunger lives in Lausanne where she is surrounded by greatness every day as she trains at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, the home of the annual Athletissima. But when she is going through her drills, it is not a case of imagining there are 15,000 fans cheering for her.
“It is strange when the stadium is full,” she said smiling when comparing her day-to-day life at the stadium to the night of the big meeting.
But the difference next year is that she will be announced as Switzerland’s European champion, which is not bad for an athlete who is just beginning.

 It was a fascinating insight into how a gold medallist works. “Being European champion is going to bring me more confidence,” said Lea Sprunger. “But I

Winning gold in Berlin is only just the beginning for Sprunger

Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam will celebrate her 24th birthday this coming Sunday and what better present can she have than her European gold medal.


It arrived after arguably the gutsiest performance of her career amid the fanfare and glory of the sensational drama of the Berlin 2018 heptathlon.
In terms of points, her victory in the heptathlon was not achieved with a personal best, that remains 7013 from Gotzis last year. In terms of strength, determination and self belief, she has never been better.
What Thiam achieved in the famous Olympic Stadium was a personal triumph in knowing that remains when things are not going her way, she will not panic, she will not fret. She will just put her mind in the right place and be confident that everything will come together.
The story began on the second morning with the long jump waiting.
Thiam, already the reigning Olympic and world champion, n athlete who has tasted only gold over the previous two summers, was in second position with 3930, 87 points behind Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
“I just started the day thinking it is not going to be easy, but you can do it,” said Thiam as she chatted with European Athletics in the aftermath of her glory.
“You have to give your all, so whatever happens you can walk off the stage and have no regrets.”
 [VIDEO src='1285013' align='right'] 
By the evening of Friday night, the fourth day of the Championships, she certainly had no regrets.
Thiam was the champion with a world-leading score of 6816, and victory over Johnson-Thompson by 57 points.
“In the heptathlon, the physical is very important, but it is a very long event over the two days and there is the occasion to miss your chance and if it goes good, or if it goes bad, you have to forget about it and focus on the next one and never give up,” she reflected.
“In this kind of competition when it is tight like that, when everything is not going how you want it to be, you manage to pull yourself through, you prove to yourself that whatever happens, you are able to give your best and even if your first one is not good, then the second one can be amazing.”
Here she is talking about the moment which changed everything, the javelin, the penultimate discipline.
Thiam had finished second in the long jump with 6.60m for 1040 points as Johnson-Thompson won with 6.68m for 1066 to extend her advantage but the Belgian knew she had a big advantage over her rival in what was to follow.
Johnson-Thompson opened with a personal best of 42.16m as Thiam started well with 46.36m to provisionally take pole position.
But for a woman with a personal best of 59.32m from Gotzis 2017 – and aware that the Briton was the better 800m runner – she knew she had to do more. Now the mind really went to work.
 [PHOTO src='1284968' size='mediumLandscape' align='right'] 
In the second round that she later called “amazing” she reached 53.55m to show how she can deliver and then extended her distance to 57.91m, a championship best performance for this individual discipline.
In one instant, it was all over as Thiam now led by a virtually uncatchable 192 points.
“Competition after competition, I learn a lot about myself,” commented Thiam. “At the Olympics, it was maybe about confidence; in the worlds, it was about the pressure in London because I had a hard time. And here, with the performance not coming together, it was a lot of feeling in the head.
“I managed to comeback with a strong performance in the second day and the javelin throw put me in a good position for gold. I had 100 points difference before the last throw and I knew it was going to be tight. I knew I was going to have give a very big throw and I knew I was able to do it after Gotzis.”
Thiam might have achieved only one personal best in Berlin, with 15.35m in the shot put on the first day, but her belief in her own abilities was worth its own weight in gold.

 Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam will celebrate her 24th birthday this coming Sunday and what better present can she have than her European gold medal.   It

Thiam's mental strength clinches the triple crown of heptathlon golds 

Six athletes representing six countries were elected by their peers to the European Athletics Athletes Committee during the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships this week.
Each of the 1571 accredited athletes had the opportunity to vote for three female and three male candidates at polling stations located in the official team hotels from 7 -11 August. In total, 36 per cent of participating athletes took part in the vote.
Joining the 2018-2022 Committee are long jumper Ivana Spanovic (SRB), who received 316 votes, followed by sprinter Ivet Lalova-Collio (BUL), and middle-distance runner Hannah England (GBR). On the men’s side, middle-distance runner Marcin Lewandowski (POL) received the most votes (451), followed by multi-disciplinarian Janis Leitis (LAT), and sprinter Angel David Rodriguez Garcia (ESP).
The European Athletics Athletes Committee is composed of eight members (four women and four men), of which six (three women and three men) are elected at the European Athletics Championships and two (one woman and one man) are appointed by the European Athletics President.
The main task of the Committee is to address and discuss all matters of concern to elite athletes in Europe, with one member also appointed to represent the Committee in the Event & Competition Commission. The Athletes Committee is, therefore, the voice of and for all elite athletes in Europe.
The Athletes Commission Chair, to be voted in by the Commission Members, will take their place on the European Athletics Council.

 Six athletes representing six countries were elected by their peers to the European Athletics Athletes Committee during the Berlin 2018 European Athletics

Spanovic, Lewandowski lead voting for European Athletics Athletes Committee

Victory in the men’s 4x100m relay final meant Great Britain earned a third gold on the final night – following the women’s 4x100m triumph and Laura Muir’s 1500m win - to finish top of the medal table at what has been a momentous Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships. 
Once again the Olympic Stadium was a roaring cavern - with more than 40,000 present - and the action matched their anticipation as - apart from the achievements of the latest astonishing teenage talent, pole vaulter Armand Duplantis - there was another rich and varied menu of athletics delights.
 Dina Asher-Smith, already individual 100m and 200m champion here, completed her set as she anchored home the British 4x100m relay team to gold in 41.88, the fastest time in the world this season. Silver went to the Netherlands in 42.15 - which meant Schippers claimed her third medal of the championships - with Germany taking bronze in 42.23.
World champions last year, Britain’s male 4x100m team won in 37.80, with silver going to Turkey in a national record of 37.98, and the Netherlands taking bronze in 38.03 - also a national record.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
And the European Championships closed with a British double in the 4x100m relay!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/NbybYGKzGw'>pic.twitter.com/NbybYGKzGw</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028752529834881025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
Muir added the European outdoor 1500m title to the indoor version she won in Belgrade last year with a superbly assured display that saw her seize the initiative soon after compatriot Laura Weightman had led through the first lap.
The flying vet had a 15 metres lead entering the final straight and although Poland's Sofia Ennaoui was closing, the gold was never in doubt. Muir took gold in 4:02.32, with Ennaoui claiming silver in 4:03.08 and Weightman being rewarded for her gutsy running with bronze in 4:03.75. 
Muir won both the 1500m and 3000m at the 2017 European Indoor Championships and her thoughts are already turning to those championships next March. “I'm also very excited about the European Indoor Championships coming to Glasgow next year, as it's my home track where I usually train,” she said. 
Wlodarczyk smashes championship record to retain hammer title 
Poland's world and Olympic hammer champion Anita Wlodarczyk earned a fourth consecutive European title with a championship record of 78.94m, nine years after winning her first major title in this arena at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. 
“I have nice memories on this stadium and the support of fans was just amazing. I had to fight till the end. But I come out of this competition with the smile on my face. I think my horizon is Tokyo 2020 and of course the world championships next year. These are my main goals,” she said after winning Poland’s seventh gold medal of the championships. 
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For one last time - VOTE for <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> of the sixth and last day of <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> 
A fourth European title 
18-year-old breaks pole vault CR 
5000m title defended 
A championship record in the marathon 
Over to you.... <a href='https://t.co/ja7CiLitNA'>pic.twitter.com/ja7CiLitNA</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028740100597993475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
Alexandra Tavernier from France took silver in a national record of 74.78m with bronze going to Poland's Joanna Fiodorow, who recorded 74.00m.
Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands won the 5000m title also in a championship record of 14:46.12 in a race that will always be remembered for the calamitous misjudgement of Israel’s 10,000m champion Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, who began celebrating silver after sprinting through the line with the Dutch athlete before realising she had another 400 metres left to go.
As the startled Kenyan-born athlete veered back towards the inside lane to restart her race she was passed by Britain’s Eilish McColgan, who had led for two-thirds of the race and went on to win silver in 14:53.05. Turkey’s defending champion Yasemin Can also moved past a flagging Chemtai Salpeter to take bronze in 14:57.63.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Sifan Hassan broke the European 5000m record last month. 
Now she's the European champion at the distance!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/z2OoW0PFmx'>pic.twitter.com/z2OoW0PFmx</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028722867863728128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
Chemtai Salpeter collapsed in a heap on the in-field and to add salt to the wound, she was subsequently disqualified for a lane infringement. 
A fervently desired home gold was delivered in the women’s 3000m steeplechase by Gesa-Felicitas Krause, who timed her run to the line perfectly to pass the taller figure of Switzerland's Fabienne Schlumpf at the final water jump and power home in 9:19.90. The Swiss took silver in 9:22.29 ahead of bronze medallist Karoline Grovdal of Norway, who ran 9:24.46. 
“I always have a plan A, but also a plan B or even C. I always watch my opponents, what are they doing and I want to be able to react accordingly. In the training we saw that my last 400m are fast. Today's medal is very special to me,” said Krause. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
The sprint finish was timed to perfection! 
Gesa Felicitas Krause (<a href='https://twitter.com/GesaFK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@GesaFK</a>) won the final individual track title at the European Championships by successfully defending her title in the 3000m steeplechase.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/Hs61yT86In'>pic.twitter.com/Hs61yT86In</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028746460412686336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
Ten years after taking the triple jump title at the 2008 Olympics, Portugal's 34-year-old Nelson Evora has another major gold thanks to an effort of 17.10m. 'Thanks to this wonderful crowd,' he said after completing the set. 'This moment was perfect.' Silver went to Alexis Copello of Azerbaijan with 16.93, and bronze to Dimitrios Tsiamis with 16.78. 
Another extraordinary performance on another extraordinary night of track and field at these Championships.

 Victory in the men’s 4x100m relay final meant Great Britain earned a third gold on the final night – following the women’s 4x100m triumph and Laura

Great Britain tops the medal standings in Berlin after double sprint relay gold

In a pole vault which will be talked about for years, 18-year-old Armand Duplantis brought the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships to the most spectacular, breathtaking and, disbelieving, conclusion.
If anyone thought he was a superstar of the future, the future is here. Duplantis won gold by breaking his personal best - and his world U20 record - by an incredible 12 centimetres, at times just sailing over the bar like it was not there.
It was a display of agility that has rarely been seen by someone so young in the pole vault, not even the great Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie. He was chasing a fourth European gold and while he ended with bronze, he provided the championships with another of its great moments.
When Duplantis, who had spent 10 days training with him in France, went over both the magical 6.00m barrier and then 6.05m, Lavillenie rushed over to cuddle and celebrate like the achievement was his own.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>

(<a href='https://twitter.com/airlavillenie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@airlavillenie</a>, <a href='https://twitter.com/mondohoss600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@mondohoss600</a>) <a href='https://t.co/yfdvdr4wFH'>pic.twitter.com/yfdvdr4wFH</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028728178972520458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
It was a glorious scene, proof that sportsmanship can triumph even in the heart of such drama when one man has seen his golden chances just about disappear.
Lavillenie knew the European crown was being handed over to this American-based youngster who could dominate the event for the next decade and beyond.
Let's not forget Lavillenie is 31 and remains at the top. But no longer the very top as Duplantis showed what a championships this has been for the teenage brigade following the double gold glory of Norway's 17-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
As with Ingebrigtsen, sport really does run in the family as Duplantis' father and coach Greg was a 5.80m pole vaulter himself – his mother Helena was a heptathlete.
Starting the evening with a personal best of 5.93m, Duplantis was alway likely to be among the medals just weeks after winning the world U20 title in Tampere.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
The incredible Armand Duplantis (<a href='https://twitter.com/mondohoss600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@mondohoss600</a>) cleared a world U20 record and championship record of 6.05m on his first attempt to win the European pole vault title!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/BxZ4rLtltP'>pic.twitter.com/BxZ4rLtltP</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028733704536027137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
But to go from 5.93m to 6.05m - all on his first attempt as well - is a climb of epic proportions as he leaped about in delight each time he landed and the bar stayed put. He was also vaulting on new poles for the first time as well. 'I had to switch the poles at the higher heights for the ones I have never used before in the competition,' he said.
It was 24 years to the day that Russia’s Rodion Gataullin had set the championship record height of 6.00m in Helsinki but first Duplantis went over this with no trouble and then he was followed by Authorised Neutral Athlete Timur Morgunov.
But when Duplantis cleared 6.05m, there was no way back for the rest. They just had no response.
Morgunov failed three times at 6.05m and after knocking the bar over at 6.00m, Lavillenie could not make it at 6.05m.
But the Frenchman knew he was part of a special occasion. He said of Duplantis: 'He is not yet 20, he is a good friend and what he did today was just amazing.'
Duplantis entered the competition at 5.50m and he cleared that height - and 5.65m at the first attempt - passing at 5.75m, failing first time at 5.80m before succeeding at the next go and then came the real sensation. He had first time clearances at 5.85m, 5.90m, 6.00m and 6.05m. It was the dream series on the dream night.
But perhaps we should not be surprised. The rise of Duplantis has seen him deliver at age group levels consistently.
He was the world U18 champion at the age of 15 in 2015 and the following he won bronze at the World U20 Championships before last summer taking European U20 gold in Grosseto.
Last month in Tampere, he set a championship record of 5.82m at the World U20 Championships in Tampere, taking gold by 27 centimetres - the perfect platform for Berlin.
Not that anyone here could have expected to witness a performance as mesmerising as this one.
<div> </div>

 In a pole vault which will be talked about for years, 18-year-old Armand Duplantis brought the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships to the most

Duplantis, 18, clears 6.05m to shatter championship record in the pole vault

The Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships due to finish tonight have been the “best ever,” according to European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen.
“Thank you, Berlin. You have delivered the best European Championships ever, that is for sure,” Hansen told a closing press conference at the Olympic Stadium.
“I have been to every one since 1970 and maybe people will have another opinion, but we have had an unbelievable atmosphere in the stadium which has been bringing tears to the eyes, not only in my country of Norway, but in many places.
“We have so far had 27 countries with medals.”
Aleksander Dzembritski, Berlin State Secretary for Sport, commented: “We are very, very satisfied with these European Championships. 
“Wherever I’ve been, whether it was the arena at the Breitscheidplatz, or it was the Olympic stadium, or at the concert that was held on Tuesday, there were fantastic emotions. I think there was no better way of showing our European idea.
“There was an emotional goodbye from [retiring German discus thrower] Robert Harting. We learned the word ‘goosebumps.’ And in the Olympic Stadium there were more and more spectators every day, they celebrated and it was a fantastic feeling.
“We started in Glasgow, and they delivered, and I am very, very sure that Berlin delivered,' he said, referring to the inaugural multisport European Championships, which has brought together continental championships in seven sports – athletics in Berlin, and in Glasgow aquatics, rowing, triathlon, cycling, golf and gymnastics 
“This was a great event, it worked very well.”
Stefan Kuerten, Executive Director EBU Sport, described the EBU Member's broadcast of the European Championships in gambling terms:
“We brought in the best media we had, the best host broadcasters and services. On top of that we brought 40 EBU member organisations with us who cleared their schedules and went for between 8-12 hours live coverage for a new event. As you would say in poker, we went 'all in'. When we see what Berlin did, what European Athletics did, what Glasgow did, it was beyond expectations. The viewing figures have been incredible in Germany, and in Norway, where the reach was 80 per cent. We have had a 50 per cent reach in the Czech Republic, and between 30-40 per cent in Switzerland. The whole concept flies. It shows how free-to-air public service broadcasting is an incredible partner for multi-sport events.”

Dr. Clemens Prokop, President of the Organising Committee for Berlin 2018, said: “When we bid for these Championships five years ago we announced we would organise an innovative championship that would mark an important step in the future of athletics in Europe – and according to the Secretary of State and the European Athletics President I think we did it. I am very proud of that. I think we can say Berlin did a good job for the city and for athletics.”
Frank Kowalski, CEO Berlin 2018 European Championships, added: “We are expecting about 45,000 spectators tonight. Including qualification day that means we have had a total of 360,000 spectators at the stadium, and the European Mile has drawn around 150,000.
That means we activated more than 500,000 people for our sport. This was beyond our expectations. But this is not an accident. There was a really strong concept behind it when we went into the bidding in 2013.”
Kowalski added that Saturday evening’s athletics, watched by a crowd of 60,500, represented a significant step forward in the presentation of the sport.
“That was a big change,” he said. “A session of only two hours of athletics, only finals. And in my opinion, we do not need any change of athletics. We need to have professional presentation, very compact time schedules and the emotions of the athletes, and then we have perfect moment of athletics during the evening.”
Hansen concluded: “We want the same system in four years. We have an eight-year deal with the EBU and we want to have the best conditions for European athletics. If it is one city, or one region – we don’t know yet.”

 The Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships due to finish tonight have been the “best ever,” according to European Athletics President Svein Arne

President Hansen calls Berlin 2018 'best ever' European Athletics Championships

On the final day of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships, Belgium’s Koen Naert won European men’s marathon gold in a championship record of 2:09:51 with favourite Volha Mazuronak of Belarus taking the women’s title in 2:26:22 – but only after outsprinting the dogged French opponent making her debut at the distance Clemence Calvin.
Naert made a decisive break around the 33 kilometre mark to move clear of the two other runners who had put themselves in line for medals - Switzerland’s 2016 European half marathon champion Tadesse Abraham, whose surge after 30km had detached the trio from the main group, and Italy’s Yassine Rachik.
Abraham claimed silver in 2:11:24, with an exhausted Rachik crossing for bronze in a personal best of 2:12:09, 13 seconds clear of Spain’s Javier Guerra, who was also fourth in Zurich four years ago.
The Italian swiftly recovered, although had he required extra help the newly established gold medallist, who works as a nurse, could doubtless have provided it.
“This is incredible!” said Naert. “Coming out here and doing this time, it hasn't really sunk in. I waited until the right moment to move away from the group, and get the lead position. I was feeling particularly strong today, but equally apprehensive. This puzzle in my life is finally complete.”
Calvin, who was looking to emulate Rosa Mota in 1982 by winning the European marathon title on her debut, gave everything in pursuit of gold before succumbing to a final piece of acceleration from Mazuronak - who had suffered a severe nosebleed early stages in the race and then nearly took a wrong turn in the final kilometre – that took six seconds out of her at the Breitscheidplatz.
The French athlete’s reward for an indomitable effort was a silver medal in 2:26.28, with the Czech Republic’s three-time Winter Olympian and one-time Summer Olympian Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova claiming bronze, and a national record, in 2:26:31.
Mazuronak, the top European finisher at the 2016 Olympics in fifth place, leads the European lists this season with 2:25.25 from victory in the Dusseldorf Marathon and was in control of everything throughout the race - other than the nosebleed that left her face a mask of red in the early stages.
There was a home connection to the victory, as Mazuronak has a German coach in Wolfgang Heinig.
All three medallists had been in lead group of nine that passed the halfway point, heading for the Victory Column, with Mazuronak’s compatriot Maryna Damantsevich leading them through in 1:14:00.
Led by Mazuronak, the three eventual medallists broke clear after 25km. The lone figure of Maryna Damantsevich had bridged the gap by 30km, and the lead group of four went through in 1:44:35 before Calvin made a big statement with another break that conclusively dropped the second Belarusian.
At 37km, passing the Brandenburg Gate for the last time, Calvin, Mazuronak and Vrabcova-Nyvltova went through in 2:08.07, with Damantsevich 20 seconds adrift. Barring a disaster, the medal group was decided.
As the 40km marker approached Mazuronak, who had put on a headscarf after finally stemming the flow of blood on her face, symbolically divested herself of it and pushed on again, at which point Vrabcova-Nyvltova began to flag.
Mazuronak’s face - a mask of blood in the early stages - was now impassive. By contrast, her only remaining opposition was grimacing and clearly working to stay with her. A quick look back from Mazuronak, however, determined that the race was not yet won.
A miscalculation on one of the final corners cost the Belarusian and allowed the French athlete to take a slight lead.
Mazuronak accelerated past her, but the French runner dug in to draw level again and the two raced side by side into the final turn before the Belarusian produced her final, unanswerable flourish. She covered the second half in 72:22 on a warm morning in Berlin where nine runners dropped out.
Norway’s Sondre Nordstad Moen, who set a European record of 2:05:48 to win the Fukuoka Marathon last December, was a major point of interest in the men’s race. He has raced sparingly this year due to illness and injury and although he took an early lead, the running was taken up on the half hour by Abraham.
The Swiss athlete led the field through halfway in 1:05:54, at the head of a group of nine. Moen, who was in the chasing group and ten seconds off the lead, was not looking comfortable. He dropped out soon after.
Moen was not the only major casualty. Abdi Nageeye from the Netherlands dropped out in the closing stages due to breathing difficulties and leading German runner Philipp Pflieger also dropped out just after the 30km checkpoint.
With three finishers in the top five, Belarus won the women’s team title from Italy and Spain. The men’s race was decidedly closer with Italy pipped Spain with Austria third.
This meant there was a farewell medal for 40-year-old Jesus Espana, who was competing in his seventh successive European Championships. Espana, who famously outsprinted Mo Farah for the European 5000m title in 2006, announced his retirement after finishing sixth in 2:12:58.

 On the final day of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships, Belgium’s Koen Naert won European men’s marathon gold in a championship record of

Naert and Mazuronak secure contrasting marathon titles in Berlin

A crowd of 60,500 spectators – the largest yet at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships – inspired German athletes to gold in two of the three field events, but the possibility of a home hat-trick was terminated by a fifth-round throw of 67.72m.
That meant Croatia’s already multiple world and Olympic discus champion Sandra Perkovic became the first athlete to win five European titles in the same event.
Until that late, decisive flourish it looked as if Nadine Muller’s season’s best of 63.00m might be enough to earn a third German victory on the night following those of Mateusz Przybylko, who won the men’s high jump with an equal personal best clearance of 2.35m, and Malaika Mihambo, who took the women’s long jump title with 6.75m.
As things turned out, there was a golden hat-trick on day five and it was Poland who managed it. Adam Kszczot became the first athlete to win three European 800m titles, clocking 1:44.59 and Justyna Swiety-Ersetic won the women’s 400m title in 50.41 before anchoring her team to victory in the women’s 4x400m final less than two hours later in 3:26.59.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
It took five rounds until <a href='https://twitter.com/PerkovicSandra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@PerkovicSandra</a> found her best form in the discus but the Croatian landed an unprecedented fifth successive European title!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/kcMnUWx9vk'>pic.twitter.com/kcMnUWx9vk</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028375774783594496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
Until Perkovic - who had been unable to reach 60 metres for more than the first half of the final - burst into life with her penultimate throw, the hosts were poised not just for gold but for a full podium. Muller was followed by team-mates Shanice Craft, who eventually took bronze with 62.46m, and Claudine Vita, fourth with 61.25m.
“It was a very tough competition,” said Perkovic, before being lifted off her feet by Berlino the Bear. It was the second big surprise of the night for the Croatian.
“During the competition, I was thinking about my mum who is always very nervous watching me in the TV,” she said. “So I started to think about her and I imagined how nervous she must be at home seeing me not throwing so well. Then I managed to finally improve and I showed a smile to the camera. And suddenly, I saw her in the crowd. She came here to surprise me!”
Mihambo prevails with reigning champion Spanovic absent
Mihamabo’s winning effort came in the third round but she could not relax for a moment in a highly volatile contest which had opened up following the Achilles tendon injury which prevented Serbia’s world indoor champion Ivana Spanovic from defending her title.
While Britain’s Lorraine Ugen - who leads this year’s world list with 7.05m, failed to progress beyond the first three jumps after managing only 6.45m, her compatriots enjoyed a far more profitable day and Shara Proctor moved into silver position with a fourth round effort of 6.69.
A fifth round effort of 6.66m from the third British jumper, 2016 silver medallist Jazmin Sawyers, took her into bronze position, but she was immediately displaced by Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh, who managed 6.67m. Back came Sawyers with a final effort that matched the Ukrainian’s best and moved her back into bronze through a better second best jump.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
It was Germany's night in the field events! 
Not only did Mateusz Przybylko win the men's high jump title, Malaika Mihambo won a tight contest in the women's long jump. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/dlSkvlpR0g'>pic.twitter.com/dlSkvlpR0g</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028392769461645312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
But Bekh responded in turn with 6.73m, moving up to silver. There was nearly one final twist, as Proctor’s last effort looked big – but it was just one centimetre above her previous best, and the German was free to cavort.
“At the end it was very tight,” Mihambo said. “I followed the results of the other jumpers and was not sure about my medal because I knew that the others could jump further than me. I still do not believe that I won the gold medal. I am so pleased.”
Przybylko’s victory came courtesy of five first-time clearances, starting with 2.19m and ending with a height that equalled his personal best and saw off the challenge of his only remaining competitor - reigning European U20 champion Maksim Nedasekau from Belarus - who skipped up to 2.37m after two failures at 2.35m but then presented the delighted German with gold when he failed to clear at his first attempt.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
With six first-time clearances between 2.19m and 2.35m, Germany's Mateusz Przybylko delivers a clinical performance to win the European high jump title.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/GanQB95dRc'>pic.twitter.com/GanQB95dRc</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028381559332761600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
Nedasekau claimed silver with 2.33m, equalling his personal best, and bronze went to Authorised Neutral Athlete Ilya Ivanyuk in a personal best of 2.31. Italy’s defending champion Gianmarco Tamberi, still working towards his best form following the traumatic ankle injury he suffered in 2016, having to settle for fourth with a season’s best of 2.28.
Kszczot makes it a hat-trick in the 800m; two gold medals for Swiety-Ersetic
Kszczot offered yet another demonstration of perfectly judged championship racing as he took over the lead around the final bend from France’s world champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse who had led through the bell and powered home to victory in 1:44.59, running negative splits of 53.57 and 51.02.
Andreas Kramer came through for silver in 1:45.03, equalling the Swedish record, and Bosse just about hung on for bronze in 1:45.30.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Another tactical masterclass from the man they call 'The Professor' in Poland! 
Adam Kszczot won an unprecedented hat-trick of titles in the 800m at the European Championships tonight.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/9TnY4JwT2Y'>pic.twitter.com/9TnY4JwT2Y</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028374718922088448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
Swiety-Ersetic’s individual triumph over one lap – in the fastest time run by a European this season - came after Greece’s leader Maria Belibasaki ran out of gas with the line beckoning, having to settle for silver in 50.45 before collapsing in a heap. She did have the added consolation of a national record as did bronze medallist Lisanne De Witte from the Netherlands, clocking 50.77 to improve her national record.
And Swiety-Ersetic rounded things off just over an-hour-and-a-half later as she took over the baton with a final leg lead, allowed France to push on, then moved back past their runner to claim the win.
With Floria Guei on anchor, France finished second in 3:27.17, with Great Britain taking bronze in 3:27.40.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
A brilliant evening for Poland, and a brilliant evening for Justyna Swiety-Ersetic in particular!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/pTSi2mWWHp'>pic.twitter.com/pTSi2mWWHp</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028401669665705984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
Before her second challenge of the evening, Swiety-Ersetic commented: “I am shocked, really surprised. The only complication is now that I have to get ready for the 4x400 relay which starts in 90 minutes.
“This time is amazing. It is the second fastest time in the Polish history and also the first European gold for our country at this distance so it means a lot. Even Irena Szewinska who passed away this year got only bronze so it is very emotional and important for me.”
<div> </div>

 A crowd of 60,500 spectators – the largest yet at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships – inspired German athletes to gold in two of the three

Perkovic halts German treble with historic fifth discus title 

Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith became the King and Queen of the double on a spectacular night at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Less than 24 hours after winning the 1500m, the 17-year-old Ingebrigtsen sensationally banked his second gold with an even more remarkable run in the 5000m in a family one-two with brother Henrik taking silver.
No athlete had ever achieved the European 1500m/5000m double before and Ingebrigtsen truly has come of age.
Asher-Smith was the defending 200m champion and fresh from her glory in the 100m on Tuesday, she was irresistible again with an another awesome performance to once more defeat the Netherlands' Dafne Schippers.
But it was not just about the Ingebrigtsen family as the Belgium Borlee brothers – Dylan, Jonathan and Kevin – were part of the 4x400m relay team which won gold alongside Jonathan Sacoor.
If Jakob’s achievements stole the show on Friday, how could he come back for more of the same, such was the adulation he had received last night? But come back he did, pacing himself brilliantly throughout the 5000m with Henrik not far behind him for most of the race.
Spain's Antonio Abadia and Switzerland's Julien Wanders had shared the lead in the early stages with Turkey's Polat Kemboi Arikan always looking a threat.
But as the pace increased with four laps left, Jakob moved up to fifth, two positions in front of Henrik, who has returned from surgery in style this year after taking fourth in the 1500m. Gradually Jakob moved in front and was leading at the bell from Henrik and France's Morhad Amdouni who was trying to close.
But the Norwegians were in control and with 150 metres left, Jakob settled it. He upped the tempo even more and soared away from his brother to win in a European U20 record of 13:17.06.
Henrik took second in 13:18.75 - his fourth medal at the European Championships - with Amdouni in third in 13:19.14 but there was only one story in town. The cameras in the Olympic Stadium quickly focused on the head of the Ingebrigtsen family - Gjert Arne - their father and coach, as the celebrations started.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
One night after winning the 1500m title, the incredible Jakob Ingebrigtsen returned to the track to complete the 1500/5000m double at the age of 17!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/e8kLbNIx72'>pic.twitter.com/e8kLbNIx72</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028368553018368000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
Asher-Smith storms to a 21.89 world lead to win double sprint gold 
Dina Asher-Smith has proved this week that she is the best sprinter in the world at the moment as she achieved a brilliant defence of her 200m crown.
After her 100m glory in 10.85, equalling the world-leading time and breaking her British record, she now has the outright quickest global mark of 21.89 after leading all the way from lane five and not letting Schippers, the reigning two-time world champion at the distance, anywhere near her.
It was perhaps the greatest performance of Asher-Smith's career as she combined power and speed with maturity and belief. Schippers, in lane four, proved her mettle on the big stage again by taking second in a season’s best of 22.14 with her Dutch teammate Jamile Samuel third in 22.37, equalling her personal best.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Dina Asher-Smith (<a href='https://twitter.com/dinaashersmith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@dinaashersmith</a>) is the double European champion! 
After winning the 100m title in a British record of 10.85, Asher-Smith storms to the 200m in another British record and world-leading time of 21.89!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/j5tDoeqrQ3'>pic.twitter.com/j5tDoeqrQ3</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028362933703782401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
And at 22, it is now only just beginning for Asher-Smith, with the World Championships and Olympic Games ahead of her in the next two years. But next up for Asher-Smith is the 4x100m final tomorrow.
As in the 100m, her time was a British record, on this occasion lowering her mark of 22.07 set three years ago at the IAAF World Championships in London. What a way this was to smash through the 22-second barrier for the first time.
'I thought 'maintain your form, relax and all the other tips my coach gives me' – but ultimately you have to run like a bat out of hell,' said Asher-Smith. 'The race was over in a blur. It was a mixture of happiness and relief.'
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
100/200m doubles at the European Championships. 
Asher-Smith 2018 
Schippers 2014 
Gevaert 2006 
Privalova 1994 
Krabbe 1990 
Szewinska 1974 
Stecher 1971 
Vogt 1969 
Blankers-Koen 1950 
Sechenova 1946 
Walasiewicz 1938<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/moq9TS8cFG'>pic.twitter.com/moq9TS8cFG</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028381952729071616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
Belgian Tornadoes retain their European 4x400m title
As defending 4x400m relay champions, Belgium were always the justified favourites but what a performance it needed from renowned relay exponent Kevin Borlee in the home straight to snatch victory from Spain's Bruno Hortelano in the final stages as Great Britain's Martyn Rooney came through for silver.
Two years on from their glory in Amsterdam, the Borlee brothers of Dylan, Jonathan and Kevin were gold medallists again as they combined with world U20 champion Jonathan Sacoor to win in a European lead of 2:59.47 from Great Britain in 3:00.36 and Spain in 3:00.78.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
It was another excellent night for famous athletics families! 
With three Borlees in the team alongside Jonathan Sacoor, the Belgian Tornadoes won back-to-back titles in the 4x400m.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/G0vP7boC0k'>pic.twitter.com/G0vP7boC0k</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028372712543141888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
But for long it looked like it would be Spain's night as they led nearly all the way until those final stages when Kevin Borlee took over.
Oscar Husillos, on the opening leg, had given Spain a brilliant start which was maintained by Lucas Bua and Samuel Garcia. Hortelano took over on anchor with a healthy lead but the 2016 European 200m champion - who has returned to the sport after a career threatening car accident in 2016 - tied up in the last 70 metres as Kevin Borlee came flying past. 
Rooney, the former two-time European 400m champion, remains such a threat in the relays and the power he showed over the last 200 metres always ensured Britain would be among the medals. He also overhauled Hortelano for yet another medal in the 4x400m.
Amazingly the Ingebrigtsens and Borlees now have eight medals to take home with them from these European Championships. After Kevin's silver and Jonathan's bronze in the individual 400m, the Borlees have five after their relay success and the Ingebrigtsen's have three after Jakob's double gold and Henrik's silver.
<div> </div>

 Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith became the King and Queen of the double on a spectacular night at the Berlin 2018 European

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Asher-Smith complete remarkable doubles in Berlin

When Filip Ingebrigtsen could finally catch his brother Jakob in the midst of his celebration, the pair shared a hug on the first bend of the Olympic Stadium, with a Norwegian flag draped over them both.
'I told him he deserved it because he has been working every day since he was nine or 10 for this,' said Filip.
It was not long before Henrik joined in the fun, a momentous occasion at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships which had seen the youngest brother of athletics' most famous family follow his siblings to become the 1500m gold medallist.
Jakob is not 18 until next month and what happened on Friday night was nothing short of extraordinary.
In the biggest 1500m race of the year, the youngest man to ever run in such a European final proved age, experience, know-how and nerves count for nothing if you have the ability - although he did demonstrate the racing craft of a wily veteran in the first major senior final.
As Henrik said: 'He was the youngest guy in the field running like he is 10 years older than everybody else.'
A runner born to be a superstar, Jakob succeed Filip, 25, as the European champion, a title which Henrik, 27, held after his victory at the distance in Helsinki in 2012.
It is an astonishing achievement for this family from Sandnes where all three boys are coached by their father Gjert Arne.
As Henrik and Filip started to digest the achievement of their teenage brother, it was easy to understand why and how it works so well. Henrik had been fourth in the race and Filip, who fallen in the heat and was left with a huge gash from a spike, had trailed in second from last but their words were packed with as much emotion as if they had won.
Thirteen men lined up for the final, but to Filip, only 10 of them were 'rivals'.
'I saw Henrik and Jakob as brothers,' he said. 'I have not thought about it in that way before we were standing there, but I was really proud to see three Ingebrigtsens on the starting line in a final. It will happen again for our family - maybe in 50 years there will be another family.'
As they posed for a picture together, with Henrik and Filip pointing at Jakob in the middle, the chemistry between them all could be seen for the world.
And his performance was a coming-together for Jakob, the culmination of all that Henrik learned from his father, that Filip learned from them and that the youngest member of the runners learned from them all.
'There is no secret,' said Henrik. 'It is about continuity in our training and hard work every day, twice or three times a day, even on Christmas Day.
'Even when I won in 2012, everyone was saying it about Jakob at that point. He was that good at 11, but from a talented 11-year-old runner to being a European champion, it is long way. Everything seems to have gone his way in the last few years.
'Both Filip and him have learned from my mistakes. I have made a lot of mistakes!
'But every year we try to optimise our programme and all of training and all of your workouts and Jakob is starting his training with the perfect programmes, more or less.
'My father, me and Filip have spent years optimising the programme and making it perfect. Hopefully we will tweak it and make it even better and let us take one gold more each and then it will happen twice.'
Filip said: 'Henrik was leading the way and Jakob and I were just following. Henrik set the standard and he showed it was possible for Norwegians to keep up with the Europeans and also the Kenyans. He changed the mindset of Norwegian running and Jakob and me were just following and trying to beat him.'
But just what is it like in training?
'It is competitive between us in a healthy way,' said Filip. 'Our father has the final say on the training programmes. We do not push it in every workout, we try to train smart and push each other within the limits. But the psychological rivalry between us is one of the reasons why we are competing for medals every year.'
The rise of Jakob has been incredible. Since he won gold in the junior race at the SPAR Cross Country Championships in Chia in 2016, he has not looked back.
He became the youngest athlete to run the mile in under four minutes in 2017 followed by double gold at the European U20 Championships in Grosseto. He then retained his cross country crown in Samorin ahead of a silver and bronze at last month's World U20 Championships in Tampere.
But on Friday night, in front of a crowd of almost 50,000, he ran with such maturity, never looking like he would be beat as he took the race on with two laps to go to break away and hold off the surge of Polish veteran Marcin Lewandowski to win in 3:38.10.
'It is the first of many for him but it is nice bring back the European title to our town,' said Filip. 'I am really proud of both of my brothers, with Henrik back up there again after surgery last year and Jakob is just improving every year. Maybe this was the last chance we had to catch him.
'If someone was going to take my title, it was nice that it was one of Henrik or Jakob, especially Jakob because he did not have any senior titles.'
He has now. A title that puts him in the record books, but Jakob Ingebrigtsen is becoming used to that.
<div> </div>

 When Filip Ingebrigtsen could finally catch his brother Jakob in the midst of his celebration, the pair shared a hug on the first bend of the Olympic Stadium,

Filip and Henrik Ingebrigtsen bask in Jakob's 1500m success in Berlin

Spain celebrated a golden double as Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez – the latter in a championship record – were crowned the European 20km race walk champions at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
The women were due to start at 9.05am but with the fire services called to investigate a reported gas leak, their event was delayed and started with the men at 10.55am.
But that took nothing away from the quality of two tremendous races, which ended with the athletes doing all they could to hold their footing after a rain shower on this looped course along the European Mile in the city.
After taking charge with 2km to go in the men’s race, Martin was not going to be beaten. His stride quickened, his concentration remained and with every step he edged closer to the finish and, significantly, further away from his closest rivals.
In the end it had been a group of three who were left to decide the medals, with Martin ahead of teammate Diego Garcia Carrera and Vasiliy Mizinov, an Authorised Neutral Athlete.
But once Martin hit the front, it proved decisive as he maintained Spain's superb record in this event, succeeding Miguel Angel Lopez as champion as the country won this title for the fourth time in the last five championships.
Martin, 24, was first in 1:20:42, leading a Spanish one-two from Garcia Carrera in 1:20:48. Mizinov came away with bronze in 1:20:50 with Italy's Massimo Stano breaking his personal best in fourth in 1:20.51.
As he made the final turn with the line in sight, Martin waved to the crowd, took off his sunglasses, brushed back his hair and smiled as wide as he could as he broke the tape for the greatest moment of his career.
Eighth at the IAAF World Championships in London last year, Martin is no stranger to the European podium. He won bronze in the 10,000m walk at the European U20 Championships in Rieti 2013 and silver in the 20km walk at the European U23 Championships in Tallinn 2015.
Germany's Nils Brembach also made a big impression at home, leading for most of the early stages before finishing fifth in season's best time of 1:21:25, just two seconds and one position ahead of Lopez, the defending champion. Brembach’s more renowned teammate Christopher Linke also led in the early stages but dropped back to 13th in 1:22:33.
But it was very much Spain’s day as Martin won his country’s first gold medal of the European Championships. “During the last 100 metres, I was thinking about all the challenges I had to overcome in the last few months,” he said.
“Right now, I want to enjoy because I'm feeling like a student who needs to prepare for an assessment and today, it was my final exam.”
Perez breaks championship record to ensure a Spanish double
Spain's Maria Perez proved the epitome of concentration as she held her nerve behind the Czech Republic's Anezka Drahotova by stamping his authority on this race to win the European title in 1:26:36 to break Olimpiada Ivanova's 16-year record from Munich by six seconds.
“I really didn't care about the finishing time, all I wanted was gold,” she said. “But I'm happy I improved my mark by almost two minutes.”
It was a glorious success in a race where not only Perez made history as she won from Drahotova in second in 1:27:03 and Italy's Antonella Palmisano, the world bronze medallist, in third in 1:27:30.
In fourth, Lithuania's Brigita Virbalyte-Dimsiene broke the national record in 1:27:59 while her teammate Zivile Vaiciukeviciute broke the national U23 mark with 1:28:07. Spain's Laura Garcia-Caro produced a personal best of 1:28:15 in sixth.
But the star was Perez from a race where both Lithuanians made an impact at the front early on before Drahotova decide the take on the challenge after the halfway point.
When she put in laps of 4:17 and 4:18 over the 11th and 12th time around the one-kilometre loop, the European bronze medallist from 2014 must have been eyeing up the top of the podium.
She was looking in control, never faltering and it seemed she might extend her lead even more. But each time she tried to, Palmisano and Perez went that bit quicker too.
From being in third at the 15km stage, Perez had passed both Drahotova and Palmisano by the 16th marker before just stretching away to smash her personal best of 1:28:50 which had been set when she was seventh at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Taicang in May.
She was delighted as the line approached, grabbing a Spanish flag and walking as fast as ever, each step bringing her closer to a famous win just moments after Martin's glory - a fact she was aware of.
“There were a number of things going through my head in the last 100 metres, and I really wanted to enjoy the moment. I was also aware Alvaro and Diego had achieved medals in the men's race, so that motivated me even more to go for it,” she said.

 Spain celebrated a golden double as Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez – the latter in a championship record – were crowned the European 20km race walk

Martin and Perez sweep the 20km race walk titles for Spain

The rain might have passed from the night before but a thunderous long jump in the women's heptathlon had the Olympic Stadium gripped this morning at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson had led overnight with 4017 points from Belgium's Olympic and world champion Nafissatou Thiam with 3930 and Germany's Carolin Schafer with 3848.
But the British multi-eventer, who has already won the world indoor pentathlon title and Commonwealth heptathlon gold this year, knew she had to nail a good jump because the next discipline, the javelin, is one of her weakest.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Johnson-Thompson vs. Thiam in the long jump.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/3bHDx5BLJD'>pic.twitter.com/3bHDx5BLJD</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027869667791126528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
This was the time when the pressure was at its greatest for Johnson-Thompson and after she had started with 6.44m, Thiam followed her by going a centimetre further. On the scoring charts, it was worth three more for the Belgian as she looked to narrow the 87 point gap.
Round two saw them both foul, but Johnson-Thompson, who has a personal best of 6.92m, was not far away from that even though her foot had gone some way across the take-off line.
Had it been a legal effort, the task facing Thiam but have been almost insuperable but it became tougher for the Belgian in round three as Johnson-Thompson reached 6.68m for 1066 points with a really superb leap.
Her delight when she left the sandpit was evident enough as she was only two centimetres shy of her season's best.
Thiam responded in kind, with a jump of 6.60m, also just two centimetres off her season’s best , giving her 1040 points. Johnson-Thompson leads with 5083 from Thiam with 4970 points. Austria's Ivona Dadic moved into third with 6.35m as Schafer dropped down to fourth after a 6.24m.
But Thiam now knows she must take advantage of her javelin ability – she has a PB of 59.32m compared to Johnson-Thompson's 42.01m – if she is going to overtake her British rival with only that event and the 800m to go.
Wlodarczyk leads hammer qualifying; Lavillenie eases through; Holzdeppe and Hess out
Defending champion Anita Wlodarczyk opened with 69.81m but she made no mistake with her second throw of 75.10m as she reached the hammer final in her pursuit of her fourth successive European gold medal.
With 70.00m being the standard needed, the Polish star was top of Group B followed by Azerbaijan's Hanna Skydan with 74.02m, a season's best, and France's Alexandra Tavernier with 72.88m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Anita Wlodarczyk's bid for a fourth successive European hammer title is off to a very good start. 
The Pole led the two pools of qualifying with 75.10m. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/QGYFtrGCuw'>pic.twitter.com/QGYFtrGCuw</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027873191027515393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
Belarusian Hanna Malyshik was the best in Group A with 72.39m followed by Wlodarcyzk's teammate Joanna Fiodorow with 71.46m. Although she did not pass the automatic qualifying standard, Great Britain's Olympic bronze medallist Sophie Hitchon was the 11th best of the 12 qualifiers after throwing 68.69m in Group B, either side of two fouls.
Hitchon's teammate Laura Muir knows what it is like to stand at the top of the podium at a European Championships after her double gold at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade last year and now she wants a repeat of those moments in Berlin.
So far so good for Muir, who had no trouble making it into 1500m final after dominating the last 200 metres to win her heat in 4:09.12. The first four all progressed, with Angelika Cichocka, Poland's defending champion, in fourth in a season’s best of 4:10.04.
She will be joined in the final by fellow Brit Laura Weightman, who was second in the next semifinal in 4:08.74 as Poland's Sofia Ennaoui came from the back to win in 4:08.60 in a heat where Sweden's Hanna Hermansson's ran a PB of 4:08.98 to see her through in fourth.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
After winning two European indoor titles last March, does a European outdoor title beckon for Laura Muir in Berlin? 
She cruised through her 1500m heat earlier today in 4:09.12. <a href='https://t.co/dK6yHNibAx'>pic.twitter.com/dK6yHNibAx</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027877383863447553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
France's Renaud Lavillenie is another athlete going for a fourth European outdoor crown and he was not troubled in pole vault qualifying. He did not enter until the bar has reached 5.51m, clearing that height of 5.51m and then 5.61m without trouble to progress along with most of the main challengers including Poles Piotr Lisek and Pawel Wojciechowski and Sweden's Armand Duplantis.
There was disappointment for the home nation as Raphael Holzdeppe, the 2013 world champion, crashed out after three failures at 5.51m. Reigning champion Robert Sobera from Poland also failed to qualify.
Reigning European triple jump champion Max Hess also didn’t make it through to the final with a best of 16.32m. The two pools were led by Azerbaijan’s Alexis Copello (16.82m) and Spain’s Pablo Torrijos (16.79m).
But the crowd did have enough to cheer as Germany's defending champion Gesa-Felicitas Krause easily reached the final of the 3000m steeplechase, finishing third in 9:33.51 behind Switzerland's Fabienne Schlumpf in 9:32.32 and Albania's Luiza Gega in 9:33.11.
And this second heat saw national records for Slovenia's Marusa Mismas in 9:34.28 and Israel's Adva Cohen in 9:36.13, times which saw them both go through.
<div> </div>

 The rain might have passed from the night before but a thunderous long jump in the women's heptathlon had the Olympic Stadium gripped this morning at the

Johnson-Thompson keeps the pressure on Thiam with 6.68m long jump

A truly great contest in the heptathlon at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships ended with Olympic and world champion Nafissatou Thiam taking her first European title despite a huge and sustained effort from world indoor and Commonwealth champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson to deny her.
The 23-year-old Belgian had arrived at the seventh and final discipline having taken over in the gold medal position from the Brit thanks to a championship best javelin throw of 57.91m with her third and final effort, claiming 1014 points to total 5984.
Johnson-Thompson, whose long jump of 6.68m earlier in the day had extended her lead to 113 points, had produced a personal best of 42.16m to earn 709 points, but it was the Belgian who led, by 192 points going into the 800 metres.
The personal best stats offered the Brit a very small glimmer of hope – her best of 2:07.64 was almost ten seconds faster than Thiam. But how would it play out?
Johnson-Thompson, whose hopes of glory at last year’s home World Championships in London had ended with a poor high jump – an event in which she is British record holder with 1.98m – was a different athlete in Berlin. There were no falterings or failures, and she pushed resolutely from gun-to-tape in a last effort to turn silver back into gold.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
After two days of intense competition, the gold and silver medallists in the heptathlon share an embrace.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/F8Xd0c9xZH'>pic.twitter.com/F8Xd0c9xZH</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027991024319246337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
Despite winning in 2:09.84, almost 10 seconds clear of the second-last placed Thiam, it was not quite enough to claw back the near insuperable 14 second buffer which the Belgian had accrued after the javelin. The margin was reduced from 192 to 57 points but Thiam won in a world leading 6816 points to complete the set of major outdoor titles with Johnson-Thompson taking silver in a personal best total of 6759.
Bronze went to home athlete and world bronze medallist Carolin Schafer, who totalled 6602 points.
“Everything was in the head in this competition,” said Thiam. “It was fight until the end of the competition and I had to fight with myself too.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Nafissatou Thiam (<a href='https://twitter.com/thiam_nafi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@thiam_nafi</a>) is once more the of the multi-events! 
This is how she added the European heptathlon title to her world and Olympic gold medals.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/dLOWkRLUZK'>pic.twitter.com/dLOWkRLUZK</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028196823465381888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
Hussong smashes championship record to complete German javelin double
Germany expected one javelin gold in this stadium – but the hosts will end the Championships with two courtesy of to a championship record effort of 67.90m which secured the title for home thrower Christin Hussong.
That first round effort effectively decided a contest in which silver went to the Czech Republic’s Nikola Ogrodnikova, who threw 61.85m, and Liveta Jasiunaite of Lithuania took bronze with 61.59m. After her final throw she sank to her knees, hands over her face, before rising for a hug from – you know who.
“Seeing the German javelin throwers excel yesterday evening really inspired and motivated me. Suddenly, you also want to have a celebration and an experience like them.
“A lot of people said that I was not able to throw far at a major adult competition and in a big stadium but I proved the contrary tonight. This is my first major international title and I won it in my home stadium,” she said.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
'A lot of people said that I was not able to throw far at a major competition and in a big stadium but I proved the contrary tonight.' 
Christin Hussong did just that with a championship record of 67.90m to win the women's javelin title. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/jVXxXnxPJS'>pic.twitter.com/jVXxXnxPJS</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028022873020088320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
Two-time world high jump champion Mariya Lasitskene added European gold to the silver she won four years ago – and she couldn’t have looked less happy about it.
The Authorised Neutral Athlete won on countback from Bulgaria’s Mirela Demireva, who had gambled on passing at 1.96m and then 1.98m, during which heights all other opposition disappeared, and returned to match Lasitskene’s clearance of 2.00m, equalling her personal best, at her third attempt.
At that point Lithuania’s European indoor champion Airine Palsyte, looking on, dropped from third to fourth as home jumper Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch settled for bronze on countback from Palsyte at 1.96m.
Lasitskene then passed at 2.02, meaning both had unsuccessful attempts at 2.04m, with the Bulgarian having to clear to keep faint golden hopes going. But there were no celebrations for the champion, whose face was dark as she resumed her seat, punching the canopy alongside it before flinging down her back and slumping in her seat with head in hands.
“I won but I am upset,” she said. “We expected much better jumps and much higher result. If you want to congratulate me, it is OK, but I cannot celebrate after this event. I do not know why it went like this. I have to talk to my coach and we have to watch the videos. I will continue with the next competitions and the Diamond League but I hope I will feel much better.”
Pryshchepa retains her 800m title; Sprunger improves on 400m hurdles bronze
The women’s 800m field arrived into the finishing straight en masse as the race proper started 100 metres from home. First to cross at the other end turned out to be Ukraine’s Nataliya Pryshchepa, who clocked 2:00.38 to win gold ahead of the France’s Renelle Lamote - also the silver medallist behind Pryshchepa in 2016 - in 2:00.62.
Pryshchepa’s compatriot Olha Lyakhova took bronze in 2:00.79 with Britain’s Adelle Tracey narrowly missing out in fourth in 2:00.86. 
Lea Sprunger of Switzerland was an exuberant winner of the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.33, the fastest time run in Europe this year. Silver went to Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhykova in 54.51 and Britain’s Meghan Beesley took bronze in 55.31.
A first round personal best of 14.45m in the women’s triple jump sent Germany’s Kristin Gierisch romping out of the pit and into the lead. But Greece’s Paraskevi Papahristou pushed her down to silver in the next round as she produced an effort of 14.60m to match her season’s best.
That was how it finished, with Ana Peleteiro of Spain taking bronze with 14.44m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Greece's third gold medal in as many days at the European Championships! 
Following on from Miltiadis Tentoglou in the long jump and Ekaterini Stefanidi in the pole vault, Paraskevi Papahristou wins the triple jump with 14.60m.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/i4N4tN3fW8'>pic.twitter.com/i4N4tN3fW8</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028015914732736513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>

 A truly great contest in the heptathlon at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships ended with Olympic and world champion Nafissatou Thiam taking her

Thiam completes the set of major heptathlon titles in Berlin

A star is born. Norway’s 17-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen transformed himself from prodigious junior to astounding senior tonight as he took on a classy 1500m field including elder brothers - 2012 champion Henrik and reigning champion Filip - and pulverised it at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships. 
When the youngest Ingebrigtsen on show led his two siblings through the bell it seemed as if he might be hoping to see one or other through to a second title – but Jakob kept on running as if it was the easiest, most obvious thing in the world.
As the field reached the final straight he lengthened his stride, pinned his ears back and set off for the gold like a dog fetching a stick.
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European champion at the age of 17! 
Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen (<a href='https://twitter.com/JakobIng?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@Jakobing</a>) stormed to the 1500m title in Berlin to become the youngest ever track champion in European Championships history.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/C7LWbLLFPH'>pic.twitter.com/C7LWbLLFPH</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028030274951626752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
The field closed - with Poland’s hugely experienced Marcin Lewandowski timing his late charge with characteristic efficiency - closely tracked by another increasingly cute operator, Britain’s Commonwealth bronze medallist Jake Wightman. But the story was not to be changed, and the Ingebrigtsens were able to celebrate its third European 1500m champion in six years.
Ingebrigtsen, who took 5000m bronze and 1500m silver at last month’s IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, won in 3:38.10, with Lewandowski clocking 3:38.14. Wightman claimed himself another major medal in 3:38.25. 
Henrik Ingebrigtsen just missed the podium, finishing fourth in 3:38.50, while Filip slipped back to second last in 3:41.66. He had a circuitous route into the final, falling with 700 metres remaining and suffering a deep spike wound in the process. 
“I was wondering if I missed a lap or something,” said the bemused young champion in the immediate aftermath.
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Jakob Ingebrigtsen: European 1500m champion at the age of 17! 
He also becomes the first European champion born in this millennium. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/Y2rUJvMCFH'>pic.twitter.com/Y2rUJvMCFH</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028011540266541058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
Ingebrigtsen mark three has been – like his contemporary athletic talent Sweden’s pole vault Armand Duplantis – a rising talent for a number of years, having won cross country and track titles at European level, as well as becoming the youngest athlete to run a sub-four minute mile.
Now the European Championships has the youngest track champion in history. What more history Jakob Ingebrigtsen will make over the years remains to be seen. It could be added to very soon, however, as he is due to line up with both his brothers in the 5000m final here tomorrow night. 
Martinot-Lagarde amends for bronze in Zurich with gold in Berlin
Pascal Martinot-Lagarde - that most volatile and emotional of athletes - was for once unable to speak as he was asked by the man in the middle to reflect upon winning the European 110m hurdles title from the man so strongly favoured to win it, Sergey Shubenkov. 
Both had come through the line together, with the Authorised Neutral Athlete tipping over and tumbling with the impetus of his finishing dip. Both clocked 13.17 with the Frenchman taking gold by the margin 0.002. 
It was an extraordinary reversal of fortunes from four years ago when Martinot-Lagarde - having set a national record of 12.95 - arrived at the European Championships in Zurich as favourite only to lose out to Shubenkov, who would take the world title in Beijing the following year. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Brilliant race, brilliant reaction, brilliant celebrations! 
Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (<a href='https://twitter.com/PascalMartinot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@PascalMartinot</a>) wins France's third gold medal of the European Championships with a thrilling victory in the 110m hurdles.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/BFhjZBNSqu'>pic.twitter.com/BFhjZBNSqu</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028019062339784704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
This year it has been Shubenkov who has set the pace, breaking 13 seconds on three occasions last month, with a best of 12.92 that meant Colin Jackson’s then world and now European record of 12.91, set in 1993, was patently within grasp.
Martinot-Lagarde, by contrast, has made slow and stuttering progress this season as he has worked to regain fitness from injury. But while he might not have made the most of his talents on some previous occasions, he got every iota of speed out of himself here tonight.
Bronze went to Spain’s Olympic silver medallist Orlando Ortega in 13.34.
While his younger compatriot Jakob Ingebrigtsen ended the night wearing a Viking helmet, there were no similar celebrations this time for world 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm, whose bid to add the European 400m title to his tally turned out to be a challenge too far as Britain’s 23-year-old Matthew Hudson-Smith fulfilled his potential to take a first major individual title in 44.78.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Matthew Hudson-Smith (<a href='https://twitter.com/mattonthefloor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@mattonthefloor</a>) won Great Britain's third gold medal of the European Championships with victory in the 400m!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/tQUm44NdRQ'>pic.twitter.com/tQUm44NdRQ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1028008847741530113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
While Warholm started with his usual ferocity, the Brit also went out hard from the blocks, and had clearly established a lead around the final bend. As he came into the straight he was almost 10 metres clear, and although the field gained on him, he just held his form. 
Then he was flat on his back with a cameraman - and Berlino the Bear - looming over him. An exhausted Warholm, who had finished last, also offered a hand that was briefly clasped. 
Silver went to Belgium’s 2010 champion Kevin Borlee in 45.13, with brother Jonathan claiming bronze in 45.19. What a night for siblings!
<div> </div>

 A star is born. Norway’s 17-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen transformed himself from prodigious junior to astounding senior tonight as he took on a classy 1500m

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, 17, storms to historic 1500m title in Berlin

Amid the sturm und drang of a stadium packed with spectators eager to witness the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships’ marquee event - and the actual storm that made throwing fiendishly tricky - Thomas Rohler proved supreme. Again.
This season has been something of a Rohler-coaster for the Olympic champion in 2016, whose form has dipped a little since the 91.78m throw with which he won in the Doha Diamond League on 4 May.
But a best throw of 89.47m proved enough for him to claim a second major title against a field that included the two fellow Germans who currently sit above him in this season’s lists with 92 metre-plus throws – world champion Johannes Vetter and German champion Andreas Hofmann – as well as the Estonian who has beaten him several times this season, Magnus Kirt.
The key element to the latest success of this most thoughtful of athletes can be summarised in one word – his own, naturally – namely precision. “In javelin throw you need a lot of precision and this precision can disappear quickly,” he said. “Andreas Hofmann and me did everything that was possible today.
“This stadium is not actually a stadium where you can throw really far because the wind influence is affecting all the throwers. It was a windy day, and there was rain in the air. The wind gets gusty and blows around. So it was about throwing precise today.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Amazing celebrations from <a href='https://twitter.com/thomasroehler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@thomasroehler</a>! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/da5k5lHDOX'>pic.twitter.com/da5k5lHDOX</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027646785731403776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
Rohler’s record on the night tells its own story of consistent excellence. After Kirt had taken a first round lead with the throw of 85.96m that would eventually earn him a bronze medal, the 26-year-old from Jena - the city in which Jan Zelezny set the still-standing world record in the mid-1990s - established a lead he would not lose with a second round throw of 88.02.
It was a crucial marker for him as he went on to throw his best effort in the next round - 89.47m - before adding to that with efforts of 87.58m and 87.90m. Of his four throws, three were better than his nearest competitor - and the fourth only two centimetres inferior to the 87.60m with which his friend Hofmann secured silver - the first major senior medal for an athlete who was crowned European U20 champion in 2009.
Speaking after last year’s European Athletics Team Championships in Lille Metropole where he finished third, Rohler admitted he had struggled in windy conditions which often caused him problems. That only added lustre to his achievement in the Olympic stadium last night.
 “I know,” said. “I am just super happy. There was a lot of pressure on today, people were so excited to see the throwing and to be the one actually going out of here with the gold medal – I think there is nothing better. I will keep this medal really deep in my memory.”
Was he concerned that Kirt might spoil Germany’s, and in particular his own party?
“I was quite confident today,” he responded. “The first throw I did really showed the potential, and then I just kept going. I was adjusting the run-up a little bit over the competition. But I felt like, if you are not caring about the wind or the conditions today you will not really throw far. There’s the guys throwing with more power, there’s the guys throwing more precise. And if you don’t change the system after three throws…
“If you are leading you can see what’s going on out there. Andreas definitely is a big competitor. I watched his last throw really, really closely. But yeah – we all did our best to throw far today.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
They came and they delivered! 
Thomas Rohler and Andreas Hofmann won gold and silver respectively in the men's javelin at the European Championships.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/FqJmJKaek4'>pic.twitter.com/FqJmJKaek4</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027648806018588675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
On the subject of Germany’s phenomenal success in the event at the moment, Rohler added: “We have so many strong throwers because all this has been built up, it is a long process to build a javelin team. We share knowledge, we put our heads together, the secret is not to have a secret.”
Hofmann, meanwhile, was in high spirits: “With some of my attempts tonight something in the air was wrong, the javelin went down too early. During the competition I was thinking ‘Throw further! Do your best! Beat the other guys! I want a medal!’ 
“Thomas and me, we are good friends outside the competition. He gives me very good advice because he is very knowledgeable in javelin technique.”

 Amid the sturm und drang of a stadium packed with spectators eager to witness the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships’ marquee event - and the

Rohler’s precision under pressure lands him a second major javelin title 

Just at it looked like Nafissatou Thiam's domination of the major heptathlons could be coming to an end, the Belgian star responded in style this afternoon with a stunning javelin performance at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Thiam, the Olympic and world champion, was second behind Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson entering this penultimate event of the competition. With 4970 points, she was trailing the world indoor pentathlon champion by 113 points after the Brit led the long jump with 6.68m. 
But she has now turned that 100-point deficit into a healthy lead after smashing the heptathlon championship best with a third round effort of 57.91m. It brought her 1014 points in a discipline which saw Johnson-Thompson land a lifetime best of 42.16m for 709 points.
With just the 800m left this evening, Thiam has a commanding lead over the Brit, with 5984 giving her a 192 points advantage. Johnson-Thompson is by far the faster 800m runner – 2:07.64 to Thiam's 2:15.24 – but that will still take some turning around in the heat of competition.
Thiam, who has a javelin lifetime best of 59.32m from the Gotzis Hypo-Meeting last year when she surpassed the 7000-point barrier, started with a modest 46.36m as Johnson-Thompson opened her account with a lifetime best of 42.16m but then when it really mattered, Thiam then produced a 53.55m throw before ending with her 57.91m.
The gold and silver medal positions look safe and Germany could end up with a bronze medal courtesy of Carolin Schafer, the silver medallist behind Thiam at the World Championships in London last August.
Schafer solidified her medal-winning prospects by improving her lifetime best in the javelin to 53.69m. She is third in the overall standings with 5704 points ahead of reigning champion Anouk Vetter from the Netherlands, fourth overall with 5629 points. While this gap is by no means insurmountable, Schafer is slightly faster in the 800m.

 Just at it looked like Nafissatou Thiam's domination of the major heptathlons could be coming to an end, the Belgian star responded in style this afternoon

Thiam takes command of heptathlon with championship best in the javelin

A revolutionary new athletics experience is coming soon to a stadium near you.
At the European Games Minsk 2019 from 21-30 June, European Athletics and the European Olympic Committees (EOC) will unveil Dynamic New Athletics (DNA), an action-packed new mixed-gender team event built on tactics, competitiveness and grit.
Three years in the making, Dynamic New Athletics has been meticulously put together to appeal to new audiences, especially young people, in a rapidly changing digital world.
“Let’s be clear: we are proud of traditional athletics – we don’t want to change our sport at all, we only want to showcase it in an innovative new way, trying to be more dynamic and more interactive,” said Libor VarhanÃ­k, the European Athletics Council Member in charge of the project. “We will incorporate new technologies and try to communicate about it using storytelling and narrative. All the research showed us there is huge potential so it is now upon us to be brave and take the chance.”
For the first time ever, the DNA of athletics -- running, jumping and throwing – will take place in the same event. In Dynamic New Athletics, teams of men and women battle each other for supremacy in 10 intensely competitive events in only two hours. Only one team can win and it will all come down to the final event.
The opening event is the Track’athlon, a brand new athletics assault course that features a sled run, shot put toss, standing long jump, water jump and a medicine ball run for men in lap 1 and the same minus the medicine ball run – but plus a parachute run – for women in lap 2. These components were included as they are often part of athletes’ training regimes, giving fans a rare opportunity to see them performed in a competitive environment.
DNA has rewired traditional field events. Athletes will go head to head in individual battles in high jump, long jump and javelin where every attempt counts. Whoever throws or jumps further progresses.
Super-charged team races follow. Sprints, hurdles, and a mixed 4x400 relay power the middle of the match.
DNA concludes with another new event called The Hunt, a distance-medley race where the teams that perform best in the first nine events get a proportionate head start. The only goal is to cross the line first and claim overall victory.
“The purpose behind the new format is to appeal to a younger audience between the ages of 15 and 34,” said Marcel Wakim, Head of New Business Development at European Athletics. “We currently see these demographics walking by our common athletics house. We see DNA as a new entry point, a new door, to our house.”
“I like what they’re doing [with DNA],” said IAAF President Seb Coe, “I like it a lot. It embraces the team ethic. It embraces the fact that you are asking athletes to do a range of activities particularly at a younger grouping. I think it’s an innovative, thoughtful approach to try to ignite even more excitement among young people.'
In Minsk next year, the top 30 athletics nations in Europe are scheduled to compete in DNA. The knock-out tournament will take place from 23-28 June 2019, with four competition days and two rest days. Each team will feature up to 17 athletes and 6 reserves. There will be 33 medals up for grabs in Minsk: gold, silver and bronze for the best team overall, and gold, silver and bronze for the best individual athletes in each of the 10 disciplines.
Next up for DNA on the road to the European Games will be a test event at Dinamo Stadium in Minsk on 26 September. Following presentations to the media and coaches on the sidelines of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships this week, a DNA Head Coaches Workshop is scheduled for 25 October in Lausanne, Switzerland.
For a short video on the DNA concept, <a href='http://dna.run/'>click here</a>.

 A revolutionary new athletics experience is coming soon to a stadium near you. At the European Games Minsk 2019 from 21-30 June, European Athletics and the

Dynamic New Athletics gears up for debut at European Games Minsk 2019

It was fast becoming an historic evening as Greece's Ekaterini Stefanidi once more demonstrated her awesome ability by breaking her own championship record as she won a superb pole vault competition at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
The defending champion does not know how to lose at the major events. She is already the reigning Olympic and world champion and she would not give in here despite facing a classy field.
“I came here with a completely different mentality, as I had never to defend a title before, so it was very stressful. Especially, when there are so many girls in good shape,” she said candidly.
Stefanidi had already sealed the title on countback at 4.80m but there was still more to come from the Greek superstar. She he had fouled on her first two attempts at 4.85m but then twisted and turned with one final decisive push to break the championship mark of 4.81m she had set in Amsterdam 2016.
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Yet another gold medal for <a href='https://twitter.com/KatStefanidi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@KatStefanidi</a> to add to her gleaming and growing collection! 
The Greek superstar defended her European pole vault title with a championship record of 4.85m.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/e6X3fIgwet'>pic.twitter.com/e6X3fIgwet</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027655451217932288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
It was a great night for Greece as they celebrated a one-two with Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou, who is on the return from maternity leave, taking second with a season’s best of 4.80m and Britain's Holly Bradshaw winning bronze with 4.75m.
France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad was as clear a favourite as there is in Berlin and he made no mistake in the 3000m steeplechase final to maintain his amazing record at the European Championships.
He has now won a gold medal at the last five championships, with four titles over the barriers and the other in the 1500m in Zurich 2014 where he was first in the steeplechase but was disqualified for taking his shirt off in the home straight in celebration.
He was not troubled in securing gold again in 8:31.66 from Spain's Fernando Carro in 8:34.16 and Italy's Yohanes Chiappinelli in 8:35.81. Mekhissi will return to the track later this week for the 5000m final.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
France's Mahiedine Mekhissi wins his fifth European outdoor title with gold in the 3000m steeplechase. 
He will return to the track later in the week for the 5000m final at the European Championships! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/5wTVtGtNkH'>pic.twitter.com/5wTVtGtNkH</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027658102638870529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
Herman beats the Germans for the 100m hurdles title
Germany had big hopes in the 100m hurdles but Belarusian Elvira Herman had other ideas as she took the next step in her career in style.
The European U20 champion in 2015 and world U20 champion in 2016, she now has her first senior title after a blistering performance saw her charge through from lane three to win in 12.67 ahead of German duo Pamela Dutkiewicz in 12.72 and Cindy Roleder in 12.77.
“I wanted this gold so much. When I was in the blocks, I do not know why, but I was only thinking about the gold. No silver, no bronze, just gold,” she said.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
2015 European U20 champion 
2016 World U20 champion 
2017 European U23 silver 
2018 European champion 
Belarus' Elvira Herman remarkable ascent through the ranks continues as she upsets the Germans to win the European 100m hurdles title!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/KELQ6245jU'>pic.twitter.com/KELQ6245jU</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027665579824631808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
Herman’s experienced compatriot Alina Talay led the European lists with 12.41 but the former European indoor and outdoor champion ended up getting in a tangle with one of the hurdles and did not finish.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson put the gloss to a superb first day by running a heptathlon championship best for the 200m to lead overnight with 4017 points from Belgium's Olympic and world champion Nafissatou Thiam with Germany's perennial medallist Carolin Schafer in third with 3848.
The British star was in charge going into the evening session with 2193 points from Nafissatou Thiam on 2142 points and Katerina Cachova from the Czech Republic, on 2122 points.
But that changed after the shot put as Thiam achieved an outdoor personal best of 15.35m to move into the lead with 3026 from Johnson-Thompson, who had a season's best of 13.09m which brought her real delight by the way she jumped about as the implement landed.
She was now second with 2926 points from Germany's Carolin Schafer, third with 2843 after a shot put of 14.12m.
Thiam ran 24.81 in the third heat of the 200m but then the stage was left to Johnson-Thompson. She has the edge going into the second day, stormed away from lane with a brilliant run of 22.88 to improve Jessica Ennis-Hill’s eight-year-old championship record of 23.21.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Katarina Johnson-Thompson put together a brilliant first day in the heptathlon at the European Championships capped off with a blistering run in the 200m.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/NLAFVHaY1v'>pic.twitter.com/NLAFVHaY1v</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027637055529144320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>

 It was fast becoming an historic evening as Greece's Ekaterini Stefanidi once more demonstrated her awesome ability by breaking her own championship record as

Stefanidi retains pole vault title with championship record of 4.85m

The incredible story of Karsten Warholm has a new chapter: from world champion in 2017 to European champion in 2018 after a 400m hurdles final as sensational as it could possibly have been here at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Still 22, the Norwegian once more delivered on another glorious night of athletics at the Olympic Stadium as he had too much over the last barrier for Turkey's Yasmani Copello, 31, as the pair went head-to-head in the home straight.
Warholm has become one of the superstars of the sport, with his ability to keep on delivering. He won here in 47.64, breaking his European U23 record by 0.01, with Copello second in a national record of 47.81m and Ireland's Thomas Barr ecstatically taking bronze in 48.31. For the first time in European Championships history, two men broke 48 seconds in the same final and seven men broke 49 seconds.
The sport is fast running out of superlatives for the brilliant Warholm who burst out of lane six, looking to have the race won as he quickly as he could. Copello, two lanes inside him, made sure that would not be the case, saving enough in reserve to launch a challenge with 150m left.
Warholm was in front as they hit the home turn but Copello was edging closer and there was hardly anything between them as the last barrier loomed. But the Norwegian, who began life as a multi-eventer, had more fluency and the superior strength over the final barrier, landing with venom to charge to victory.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Only 22, Norway's Karsten Warholm is now the reigning world and European champion in the 400m hurdles. 
He will attempt to double his tally in tomorrow night's 400m final!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/51tZMCBrut'>pic.twitter.com/51tZMCBrut</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027631145565999105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
'This is fantastic,' said Warholm. 'After my world title, I am European champion now and it sounds like where I should be. It was a tough race but I had enough to give on the last 100m and I am so pleased it went my way.'
And his championships are far from over. He will bid for a double tomorrow night as he runs in the 400m final.
Like Warholm, Turkey's Ramil Guliyev was a champion from London and now too he is a champion in Berlin and with a championship record to his name after a scintillating performance in the 200m final.
Guliyev refused to be beaten, bursting away from the blocks with such power before extending his ascendency in the home straight. He was in command but it was a battle for second as Guliyev won in 19.76, smashing the championship record of 19.85 which Greece's Konstadinos Kederis had set in Munich 2002.
He was only 0.04 adrift of Pietro Mennea’s legendary European record which Guliyev, who reached the world final on this track as a teenager in 2009, has outlined as one of his career goals.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Turkey's Ramil Guliyev shattered the championship record to win the European 200m title in 19.76! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/vowi78ACxe'>pic.twitter.com/vowi78ACxe</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027639893088976898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
“This achievement is very important for the people in my country as athletics is a very important sport. I want to be a positive motivation for all the kids. I was here in 2009 but it was just my first major event, everything was new for me,” he said. “Now, it was different.”
In an incredibly tight finish for second, silver went the way of Britain's Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, sharing the same time of 20.04 with Switzerland's Alex Wilson whose run was a national record. Spain's Bruno Hortelano, the defending champion who has made it back so spectacularly after a car crash in 2016, was fourth in 20.05 - just 0.01 off his recently set Spanish record.
<div> </div>

 The incredible story of Karsten Warholm has a new chapter: from world champion in 2017 to European champion in 2018 after a 400m hurdles final as sensational

World champions Warholm and Guliyev repeat on the track in Berlin

It was 8.51pm, the air was cooling, there was a growing breeze, and the man waiting to throw decided it was time to hot things up once again at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Thomas Rohler, the Olympic champion, urged the big crowd to make even more noise on the night they have been counting down to – this potential battle between the three superstars of German javelin throwing.
The event was in the second round with Rohler's compatriot Andreas Hofmann leading with 87.60m from a few minutes earlier.
Rohler waited, holding the javelin in his left hand, swapping to his right, rocking back and then setting off on his run-up before launching it high and mighty and then watching with glee as it landed at 88.02m.
He punched the air with both hands and the crowd responded. The stage had been set for an evening where the rest had to catch up, and that included world champion Johannes Vetter, the third of the German triumvirate.
After an opening round foul, Vetter then reached 82.59m before a third round 81.51m, a stage of the competition where Hofmann fouled too.
Had gold been settled even by this point? Had one man blown the rest out of the water?
Rohler was next. He had opened with a big throw but had narrowly stepped over the line and now he was in the groove and he went even further than this his previous effort with a brilliant 89.47m.
Time seemed to stand still as the javelin hung in the air, so close to the 90m line – and just to think Rohler had needed the last of his three throws in qualifying to make it through. He was also fourth at the German Championships last month up until the sixth round of the competition.
He was having a night to remember as Hofmann fouled again in round four, as did Vetter, before the Rohler's next effort was 87.58m. Estonia's Magnus Kirt, who had recently beaten Rohler in his hometown of Jena, stayed in third after his opening 85.96m.
Hofmann then had another foul as Vetter achieved 83.27m in a fifth round where Rohler opted out with a view to keeping something back for the last round.
Vetter's final round brought him 80.01m and then it was Hofmann's last go. While he found a brilliant rhythm, it landed at 85.48m and the gold was Rohler's. And, just to provide a fitting finale, his last throw was 87.90m which would have won gold anyway.
Rohler celebrated by taking a leap into the steeplechase water jump, emerging with a big smile before being surrounded by photographers - and Berlino the Bear - as he took in this glorious moment of success as he won from Hofmann and Kirt.
Hofmann joined him for a lap of honour, the pair holding a German flag between them, as the crowd gave them a standing ovation after a competition where the Olympic champion rose again and no-one could stop him.
“This evening put my spirits so high. A European title in the javelin throw mean a lot to me. Andreas and me, we both enjoyed this night. It is amazing,” said Rohler.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Amazing celebrations from <a href='https://twitter.com/thomasroehler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@thomasroehler</a>! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/da5k5lHDOX'>pic.twitter.com/da5k5lHDOX</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027646785731403776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>

 It was 8.51pm, the air was cooling, there was a growing breeze, and the man waiting to throw decided it was time to hot things up once again at the Berlin 2018

Rohler and Hofmann deliver a one-two for Germany in the javelin

The organising committee for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships brought its philosophy – to inspire the future – to life today in Berlin with the unveiling of the visual identity for the 26th and next edition of the continental event.
The presentation showcased the logo that will become the signature of the outdoor European Championships, scheduled from 26-30 August 2020 at the Charléty Stadium in Paris. The logo combines the Eiffel Tower, the iconic symbol of Paris, and an athletics track. Bringing us to the future, the track unfolds from the “Iron Lady’s” feet towards 2020 and beyond, towards this golden flame which, in its cauldron, will illuminate the French capital in 2024 during the Olympic Games.
The logo will be the symbol of the 2020 European Athletics Championships, whose visual identity – festive and dynamic with its bright colors – gives life to the philosophy of the event: to inspire the new generation, young athletes dreaming of participating in the 2024 Olympic Games, as well as sports enthusiasts in general.
André Giraud, President of the French Athletics Federation and President of the Paris 2020 Organiasing Committee said: “While an opportunity to celebrate the athletes after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, above all the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships will open a new cycle for French sport, of which the 2024 Olympic Games will be the highlight. This logo perfectly represents that energy, embracing the values of athletics, that we wish to initiate as of 2020. This unifying energy will be passed on as a legacy, so that it will continue to grow until 2024.”
The idea is to inspire tomorrow by sharing the dreams and emotions of today. “Through its aesthetics and colors, this logo – and the visual identity as a whole - has strong potential and should resonate, particularly among a young public,” added Giraud. “It is part of our desire to open athletics to a broader public. By organising a festival of sport around athletics and uniting generations, we hope to contribute to the development of the first Olympic sport and all of French sport. The village in the heart of Paris will be free, open to everyone and where the medal ceremonies will take place. Together with the half-marathon, they are the symbols of our desire to make athletics shine outside the stadium to gain popular fervor.”
The communications of the organising committee will soon reflect this visual identity, with the aim of mobilising as many people as possible, from members of the French Athletics Federation to families, including all fans of major events. The next steps are scheduled for the beginning of 2019, which will see the official opening of the ticketing of the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships and the launch of the recruitment campaign for volunteers.
Former French athletes provide a strong legacy
In the lead up to Paris 2020, the organising committee will continue to deploy former French athletes (Marie-José Pérec and Eunice Barber will soon be joined by Yohann Diniz) to promote the event. Their role will be essential to consolidate the legacy of the event, including through a programme of actions designed to promote the values of sport and encourage people to practice it.
The organising committee has also made sustainable development one of its priorities. The compactness of the venues (only 5 minutes’ walk between the Charléty Stadium and the Cité Universitaire where the athletes will be accommodated) will allow for a reduction in the carbon footprint of the event. Other eco-responsible initiatives will be carried out to promote public transportation for spectators.
Eco-responsible, inclusive, participative and popular: the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships aim to leave an essential legacy to boost the success of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 2020 European Athletics Championships at a glance
26th edition, the first organised in France since 1938
Competition at Charléty Stadium, capacity 19,000 seats
Athletes will be accommodated at the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris
1,400 athletes representing 51 nations
1,000 media representatives
French Athletics Federation: 315,000 members in France, 4th European federation in number of members
For Media enquiries, contact the Paris 2020 organising committee at:
www.athle2020.paris
media.paris2020@athle.fr

  The organising committee for the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships brought its philosophy – to inspire the future – to life today in Berlin with

Look of Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships unveiled in Berlin

As Arthur Abele was soaking up the adulation from the home crowd as Germany celebrated their first gold medal at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships on Wednesday evening, the music of David Bowie's 'Heroes' was booming out at the Olympic Stadium.
And while the classic line 'We could be heroes, just for one day' was apt on this one particular night, Abele will surely now be a German sporting hero for the rest of his days.
At 32 and the oldest competitor in the field, he is the European decathlon champion after a competition packed with drama from the first morning when France's world champion Kevin Mayer pulled out after three fouls in the long jump.
Mayer commands so much respect among his competitors that Abele had even said after Ratingen in June - when the Frenchman had set a slew of personal best - that Berlin is all about second and third place.
But the roller-coaster ride for so many in this 10-event competition was nothing compared to the journey that Abele has been on both this year and in previous summers.
This was surely his last chance to bank a major gold medal and the raw emotional which poured out as he crossed the line and realised the achievement was a coming together of an extraordinary pursuit to never give in, to know he could make it.
He celebrated by wearing a cardboard crown with the words 'King of 2018' on it. As it was pointed out to him as he chatted after this success, someone in the crowd would have made that before they came here.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Turn the sound on and have the tissues at the ready! 
Arthur Abele claims an emotional gold medal in the decathlon at the European Championships in front of 50,000 cheering spectators in Berlin.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/ujnwJteD2w'>pic.twitter.com/ujnwJteD2w</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027292373464887296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
That was the confidence which had been oozing from Abele for those watching from home and he did not let them down by winning with 8431 points from Authorised Neutral Athlete Ilya Shkurenyov with 8321.
But few could have predicted that outcome on the morning back in February when he woke up in shock because the left side of his face had been struck with fascia palsy.
The one-side facial paralysis had developed because he had an infection over his jaw and his left ear and suddenly competing, let alone winning gold, looked a long way off.
'I woke up, I was paralysed on the left side of my face and I said 'Oh my goodness, what has happened?',' revealed Abele. 'I went to hospital and they said you have to stop training, you have to take some medicine and see how long it takes to get healthy. It was about six weeks and I could not train until March.'
The outcome was a return to the target of gold in front of his own fans.
And from the improbable came the triumph for a man who is surprisingly softly-spoken given the explosion of sporting power he has to unleash.
He had moved into the lead after the penultimate event - the javelin - before finishing eighth in the 1500m, and going on a lap of honour which will take some beating this week.
'I have been waiting a long time for this medal,' said Abele, whose previous best success was silver in the heptathlon at the 2015 European Indoor Championships in Prague.
'At the Olympics in Rio (in 2016) I could not manage the decathlon, I had problems on the second day and in 2015 I ripped my Achilles. These are things I can never forget and now it is my turn. These two days were so magical, I am so happy
'I have had a lot of injuries years ago but I have so much power in my training, my family my coach and the whole crowd around me who said 'Arthur, go ahead, you can make it'.'
And make he did.
Abele had finished fifth at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich and 15th in Rio. Despite a few blips along the way, Abele remained in position to challenge for top-spot due to the strength in his final two events.
'The pole vault had its ups and down, and I was a bit nervous and shaky,' said Abele. 'But I knew the javelin and the 1500m are my disciplines, so I said 'Come on, now it is your time'. I used the crowd and I made it happen. I won the gold medal and it is amazing.'
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
'Now, it's my time!' 
Arthur Abele talks about some of the injuries he's had to overcome in his career before striking gold in Berlin. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/XK58pWkb3p'>pic.twitter.com/XK58pWkb3p</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027334948590632961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<div> </div>

 As Arthur Abele was soaking up the adulation from the home crowd as Germany celebrated their first gold medal at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics

Abele battles back from adversity to land maiden decathlon title 

World and Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium and Great Britain’s world indoor pentathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson shared high jump honours in the second event of the heptathlon.
Both athletes cleared 1.91m in a competition that promises to be one of the highlights of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Thiam, who has jumped 2.01m this year, put her hands over her face and fell back into the landing mat after a third failure at 1.94, but the 25-year-old Brit – who holds the national record of 1.98m – was unable to capitalise on the fleeting opportunity.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Katarina Johnson-Thompson has a slender lead over world and Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam after two events in the heptathlon.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/wkqVFhoFDs'>pic.twitter.com/wkqVFhoFDs</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027526315979751424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
Going into this evening’s third event - the shot put - Johnson-Thompson leads with 2193 points, 51 points clear of Thiam and 71 ahead of Katerina Cachova of the Czech Republic.
The 23-year-old Belgian had found herself in 14th position after the opening 100m hurdles, where she finished last in a heat won by Germany’s Louisa Grauvogel in 12.97 to take the overall first round lead with 1129 points.
A time of 13.69 – 0.35 off the personal best she had set in Gotzis last year – left her with 1023 points. Schafer and Johnson-Thompson ran 13.33 and 13.34 respectively to earn third and fourth place in the same heat and on the initial overall standings.
Hussong threatens championship record in javelin qualifying
Home thrower Christin Hussong rose to the occasion in javelin qualifying by progressing automatically with a personal best of 67.29m that was only 18 centimetres off the championship record set by Greece’s Mirela Manjani in Munich 2002.
Reigning champion Tatsiana Khaladovich from Belarus also made it through automatically but only with her third throw of 61.21m. Her best mark prior to that effort of 59.08m would not have sufficed to make it out of qualifying.
Serbia’s defending women’s long jump champion Ivana Spanovic was top qualifier for Saturday’s final as she reached 6.84m with her third attempt.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Reigning European indoor and outdoor champion Ivana Spanovic led the two pools of long jump qualifying with her third attempt of 6.84m.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/hKo4g8s2lF'>pic.twitter.com/hKo4g8s2lF</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027488467234775040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
Britain’s Shara Proctor was second overall with 6.75m. Third place went to Germany’s Malaika Mihambo, who reached 6.71 to finish a centimetre ahead of second Briton Lorraine Ugen, leader of this season’s world list with 7.05m. 
The “Forza Daisy” flag was waving in earnest as Italy’s Daisy Osakue, only cleared to compete last Friday after being the victim of an alleged egg-throwing attack which left her with impaired vision, moved through to Saturday’s discus final with an automatic qualifying mark of 58.73m.
Throwing in the second group, Croatia’s reigning four-time champion Sandra Perkovic required a single throw of 64.54m to progress as top qualifier, with her main rival, home thrower Nadine Muller, second overall with 60.64m. Perkovic will be looking for an unprecedented fifth successive title in the final.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
An easy passage into the discus final for Sandra Perkovic. 
The reigning four-time European champion led the two pools of qualifying with 64.54m.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/5xBR5fYSgQ'>pic.twitter.com/5xBR5fYSgQ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027499239377719296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
France’s world 800m champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, seeking to add another European medal to the bronze he earned in 2012, teetered on the brink of an early exit. Boxed in on the second lap, he stumbled halfway down the back straight but just kept his feet before taking the third automatic qualifying spot in 1:48.14.
By contrast Poland’s Adam Kszczot ran a model race to win his heat in the day’s fastest time of 1:46.31, ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2015 world bronze medallist Amel Tuka, third fastest overall with 1:46.47.
Italy’s Paolo Dal Molin and Hassane Fofana headed the qualifiers in the 110m hurdles, recording personal bests of 13.40 and 13.50 respectively to join the seeded talents awaiting them in the semi-finals.

 World and Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium and Great Britain’s world indoor pentathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson shared high jump

KJT makes strong start in heptathlon; Hussong nears championship javelin record

Norway's Filip Ingebrigtsen would not have expected to be punching the air, smiling for the cameras, posing with his muscles clenched after the first round of the 1500m at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Those celebrations are normally reserved for the aftermath of a final. But that was the scenario which played out early this afternoon as he made it home in third from the second heat after a dramatic race which saw him fall with just 700 metres left.
The reaction at the finish was all about the relief of making it through, crossing the line after making a surge up in the inside lane to finish in 3:40.88 as Poland's Marcin Lewandowski won in 3:40.74 and Great Britain's Charlie Da'Vall Grice took second in 3:40.80.
But having sat near the back of the field as they entered the penultimate lap, it was not long before Ingebrigtsen found himself on the floor as bunching saw three runners fall in front of him, leaving him no way of escaping the tumble.
Luckily for him, the lead group was not too far away - and not running at a particularly fast pace - by the time he picked himself, surging his way back into fourth by the bell and making sure the defence of his crown did not end here.
It was always going to be a memorable occasion for the Ingebrigtsen family, being the first time all three brothers – Henrik, Filip and Jakob – had run together at a major championship and one of them really did not want it to end in despair.
But it was the youngest of them all, 17-year-old Jakob, who looked the more confident of them all as he followed Filip's race and ran impressively, leading at the bell and qualifying in second in 3:40.81 behind Britain's Jake Wightman in 3:40.73.
Jakob is not 18 until 19 September and the European U20 3000m steeplechase and 5000m champion has created another landmark by now becoming the youngest male athlete ever to qualify for a track final in European Championships history.
'It's all about training, working really hard and this is what we are training for,' said Jakob as he looked ahead to Friday night's final with his brothers.
Henrik, the 2012 European champion, made it though after finishing third in the first heat, where the last lap was run in 52.52. In a frenetic finish, he ran 3:49.28 behind Britain's Chris O'Hare, who won in 3:49.06, with Germany's Homiyu Tesfaye second in 3:49.28. But the closing pace was too hot for Czech star Jakub Holusa who was fifth in 3:49.82. He did not progress.
Rohler also survives a scare in the javelin
Olympic javelin champion Thomas Rohler gave the home nation – and himself – a scare this afternoon before qualifying for the final of the men's javelin, the most anticipated event of the championships.
With the amazing way the German athletes have been dominating the discipline in recent seasons, it could be a clean sweep.
But after Andreas Hofmann had made no mistake by qualifying with his opening throw in Group A when he reached 82.36m, it was then down to his teammates Rohler and world champion Johannes Vetter in Group B an hour later.
Vetter had no problem, with the best throw of qualifying with 87.39m from his opener, but then Rohler fouled on his first attempt before hitting a distance of 78.95m on his second throw. The automatic qualifying mark was 82.00m.
Now the pressure was on, even more so with his fellow Germans through, with just one attempt to go and he then delivered in style. With a fluent run-up, Rohler achieved a distance of 85.47m and when he puffed out his cheeks as the spear landed, this second best mark in qualifying told the whole story of relief.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
It will be the hottest ticket of the European Championships! 
Andreas Hofmann, Johannes Vetter and Thomas Rohler all qualified for tomorrow night's javelin final.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/wfMYZLdxGU'>pic.twitter.com/wfMYZLdxGU</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027185015040434178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch, the world silver medallist, also progressed with 80.28m while it was a good qualifying event for Poland. Marcin Krukowski was the best from Group A with 84.35m and European U20 champion Cyprian Mrzyglod broke his personal best to go through with 83.85m in Group B.
Estonia’s Magnus Kirt, who could very well upset the Germans in the final, also impressed with 83.15m on his first attempt in qualifying.
Ndama leads 100m hurdles heats with 12.88 PB
The first women's event of the day was the opening round of the 100m hurdles and though the leading stars of the event had an automatic berth into tomorrow's semifinals, one name really made an impression.
A year on from winning European U20 gold, France's Solene Ndama, 19, took herself into a new sphere as she broke 13 seconds for the first time to be the quickest qualifier from the three heats.
When she won gold in Grosseto, she triumphed in 13.15 and Ndama arrived here with a personal best from the summer of 13.01. That stands at 12.88 now as she soared away from the field in heat two with Greece's Elisavet Pesiridou second in 13.10 and Hungary's Greta Kerekes third in 13.23.
It was a good morning for France as Ndama's teammate Rouguy Diallo broke her triple jump PB of 14.27m to reach the final with 14.31m, as she shared top spot in qualifying with Germany's European indoor champion Kristin Gierisch.
Britain's Naomi Ogbeta made it through with a national U23 record of 14.15m but Ukrainian veteran Olha Saladukha did not make it through, reaching a best of 14.04m to miss out.
In the opening round of the men's 200m, Italy's Eseosa Desalu was the fastest to progress in 20.39. In the women's 400m, Great Britain's Laviai Nielsen, in 51.67, and Belgium's Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo, in 51.69, both broke their lifetime bests in winning their respective heats.

 Norway's Filip Ingebrigtsen would not have expected to be punching the air, smiling for the cameras, posing with his muscles clenched after the first round of

Filip Ingebrigtsen survives a scare in the 1500m heats

A 4-day Young Leaders Forum will start tomorrow on the sidelines of the 2018 Berlin European Athletics Championships to give active young professionals in sport a chance to network, develop work and life skills, and apply best practices in their own communities upon returning home. 
The participants of the 9-12 August forum are young leaders from the European Athletics’ 51 Member Federations. They will take part in plenary sessions and breakout sessions on topics such as anti-doping, competition, gender equity, networking, health and wellbeing, inclusion, leadership programmes, personal development, project management, youth advocacy, influencing and policymaking.
Organised by young leaders themselves, the forum promises to maximise sharing and emphasize collaboration. Daily team challenges have been included to the agenda to keep things lively and fun, while European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Seb Coe will be on hand to speak to the participants. 
The speeches and other parts of the forum will be streamed live on Facebook <a href='https://www.facebook.com/AthleticsCommunity'>here</a>. Tune in to Facebook at 9.00am (Berlin time) on 9 August to see European Athletics President Hansen provide the welcome address at the Forum and at 4.00pm the same day to watch IAAF President Coe give his thoughts on the Young Leader Forum and athletics in general.
The sessions have been developed to inspire the delegates and motivate them to try new things in their athletics communities, as well as encourage active dialogue. 
The Young Leaders’ mission is to promote volunteer work and projects in athletics in order to help members develop themselves and make valuable contributions to sport and their local communities. 
The community is driven by its members with support from European Athletics, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the Member Federations of European Athletics. 
The aim is to use modern communications and social media tools to encourage volunteering and grassroots projects that promote athletics and help to prepare the sport’s next generation of leaders.

 A 4-day Young Leaders Forum will start tomorrow on the sidelines of the 2018 Berlin European Athletics Championships to give active young professionals in

Inspiring the next generation of athletics professionals

Final round flourishes from Lithuania’s world discus champion Andrius Gudzius and Polish shot putter Paulina Guba turned silver to gold tonight in an evening session of fluctuating drama at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
A large majority of the spectators were doubtless hoping fervently for a winning final flourish by their own hero Robert Harting, the 33-year-old making his final appearance for Germany who won the world title in this stadium nine years ago and added Olympic gold at London 2012.
When Harting produced a fourth round effort of 64.33m – and a deep bellow of achievement from the surrounding fans – it lifted him into silver medal position. But such was the volatility of this event that he ended in sixth place.
Gudzius himself produced a significant fourth round throw of 67.66m that consolidated his lead, but was swiftly usurped by an effort of 68.23m by Sweden’s Daniel Stahl. Another fourth round throw of 65.14 by Austria’s Lukas Weisshaidinger also proved significant as it pushed Harting off the last international podium he would ever have a chance of inhabiting.
There was a final twist to come, as Gudzius reclaimed his lead with 68.46m, with Stahl throwing big on his final response, but fouling in the process.
“To be honest, I really expected to do this in these championships but it was hard,” said Gudzius. “I must say I'm really impressed with the German fans. It is evident they really value athletics, and - in particular - the German athletes. I'm always excited to come back here to Berlin to compete.”
Stahl commented: “It was a beautiful competition and I got silver so I am proud of myself.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
2017 World Championships 
2018 European Championships 
Lithuania's Andrius Gudzius left it late but the world champion added to his title haul with a sixth-round throw of 68.46m to beat Sweden's Daniel Stahl.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/PZdVmSgzLu'>pic.twitter.com/PZdVmSgzLu</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027299324483592197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
As this humdinger of a contest played out, another seemingly simpler one was taking place just across the in-field as Germany’s 2015 world shot put champion Christina Schwanitz took a big lead with her first throw of 19.19m and advanced stolidly towards what would have been a fourth consecutive European title with follow-ups of 19.08m and 18.86m.
Guba hadn’t managed anything better than 19.02m after five rounds, but she threw out to 19.33m on her last go. Bronze went to Aliona Dubitskaya of Belarus with 18.81m.
“I am shocked,” said Guba. “I am sorry if I made the local fans upset but I surprised even myself. I just wanted to win and it is my first medal from a big competition. I am the European champion - I cannot believe it.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Poland's current gold medal count in Berlin after day two: 
Paulina Guba won Poland's third gold medal with this clutch sixth round effort to dash Christina Schwanitz's hopes of a fourth title in the shot put.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/G9tOGdfaKZ'>pic.twitter.com/G9tOGdfaKZ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027290855726632960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
Another field event briefly promised gold for the hosts as Fabian Heinle took a second round lead with 8.13m. A round later he was back in second place by merit of having a lesser second effort than Ukraine’s Serhii Nykyforov, who matched his leading effort.
Greece’s European U20 champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, 20, then rose above this close contest with what proved to be a winning fifth round effort of 8.25m. But Heinle turned bronze back into silver with a final effort that matched his second round exactly, giving him two stronger efforts than those of his Ukrainian opponent.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Greece's first gold medal in Berlin came courtesy of 20-year-old Miltiadis Tentoglou in the long jump. 
The European U20 champion from last year is now already the European senior champion!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/6gZm6jnDLU'>pic.twitter.com/6gZm6jnDLU</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027287967818309632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
The women’s 10,000m title went to the 29-year-old Israeli athlete who leads this year’s European lists - Lonah Chemtai Salpeter - who finished almost 50 metres clear of the dogged challenge of Susan Krumins from the Netherlands, clocking 31:43.29.
Krumins, who tracked Chemtai doggedly after they had broken clear over the final seven laps, staggered home almost bent double with effort, to take silver in 31:52.55, with bronze going to Sweden’s Meraf Bahta in 32:19.34.
Turkey’s defending champion Yasemin Can led for much of the race but fell away drastically in the closing laps to fifth in 32:34.34. Early leader Ancuta Bobocel from Romania was a non-finisher.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
On a warm and humid evening in the Olympic Stadium, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter defied the conditions to win the European 10,000m title for Israel.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/w780vWiGkY'>pic.twitter.com/w780vWiGkY</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027311175938306048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
Salpeter’s tale of a transfer of allegiance is atypical. Born in Kenya, she moved to Israel in 2008 as a nanny for the children of Kenya’s Ambassador to Israel. There she met running coach and national steeplechaser Dan Salpeter, whom she married in 2014 and with whom she has a son, Roy.
She was granted Israeli citizenship in March 2016, eight years after she had begun living in her new country, and a few days before the cut-off for Rio 2016 qualification.

 Final round flourishes from Lithuania’s world discus champion Andrius Gudzius and Polish shot putter Paulina Guba turned silver to gold tonight in an evening

Dramatic victories for Gudzius and Guba in the throws

At the end of a night when several other Germans might have delivered the hosts’ first gold of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships, 32-year-old Arthur Abele, a battle-scarred veteran of the decathlon, narrowly did.
Even in the moment of victory, as he laboured home eighth in the event’s concluding 1500m, raising his weary arms to mark a job done well enough, he was bumped over the line by the staggering finisher behind him.
Hands on his knees, he couldn’t immediately respond as Berlino the Bear appeared in front of him to drape a German flag over his shoulders and pop a cardboard crown on his head.
But it was a royally deserved reward for the man who has battle through more than his share of injuries, including recently a torn hamstring, and whose previous career high point was second place in the 2015 European Indoor Championships in Prague.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Turn the sound on and have the tissues at the ready! 
Arthur Abele claims an emotional gold medal in the decathlon at the European Championships in front of 50,000 cheering spectators in Berlin.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/ujnwJteD2w'>pic.twitter.com/ujnwJteD2w</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027292373464887296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
And so he had a stadium to himself, full of home spectators whose hopes of gold had been tantalised and then disappointed until this crowning moment. A dream of a result in an event that, at its outset, had looked set to mark yet another stage on the royal progress of France’s Kevin Mayer.
The world champion’s brainstorm in the second event, where he failed to register a single legal mark having opened the day with a competition-leading personal best of 10.64 in the 100 metres, immediately threw the competition open.
And the withdrawal through injury later on the first day of Belgium’s defending champion Thomas Van Der Plaetsen only increased the intriguing possibilities.
The final action saw Abele defend, and even slightly increase his overall lead to a margin of 110 points as he finished with 8431, with Authorised Neutral Athlete Ilya Shkurenyov taking silver with 8321. Bronze went to the fast-finishing Vitali Zhuk of Belarus, who recorded 8290 to beat Germany’s European U20 champion Niklas Kaul by 70 points.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Top-eight standings in the European Championships decathlon: 
Abele 8431 
Ã¢&#151;Â» Shkurenyov 8321 
Zhuk 8290 
Kaul 8220 
Duckworth 8160 
Roe 8131 
Braun 8105 
Dolezal 8067<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/n7N7qjTahW'>pic.twitter.com/n7N7qjTahW</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1027285725191000064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
Britain’s overnight leader Tim Duckworth faded out of contention in the last two events after a standout opening eight events.
Brought up in the United States by British parents, the 22-year-old won the US collegiate title earlier this year with a score that only Daley Thompson and Dean Macey have bettered in a British vest.
But his first day was always likely to be better than his second, - and so it proved, as, after coming home 17th of the 18 finishers in the 1500m, he slipped from silver to fifth place, sportingly seeking out the winner and offering him a hug of which Berlino would have been proud.
Abele had begun the day in silver medal position - 95 points behind Duckworth - although the Brit’s lead was trimmed to 18 points after the first event of the day when the German won the 110m hurdles in 13.94, the fastest of the field.
The discus saw events turning round as Abele moved ahead on 6042 points, with Duckworth dropping to silver on 5989 and Sweden’s Fredrik Samuelsson moving into third place on 5862.
Duckworth battled back into the overall lead with his eighth event, however, taking third place in the pole vault with an effort of 5.10m to total 6930. Shkurenyov moved up to second on 6860 thanks to his winning effort of 5.30, with Abele, who cleared 4.60, dropping to third on 6832.
The German needed something good in the penultimate event of the javelin – and he produced it, winning with 68.10m to go into the final event in gold medal position on 7692 points, 102 clear of Duckworth and 107 ahead of Shkurenyov. 
<div> </div>

 At the end of a night when several other Germans might have delivered the hosts’ first gold of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships, 32-year-old

Perseverance pays off for Abele who lands European decathlon title

It was a big night for British sprinting – and an even bigger night for huge Polish throwers as they won two gold medals and two silver medals on the first full day of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
The men’s hammer title went, as expected, to the Pole who leads this year’s European lists with 81.85m - Wojciech Nowicki - whose best of 80.12m on the night proved too much for compatriot Pawel Fajdek.
The 29-year-old three-time world champion and defending European champion had to settle for silver with a best of 78.69m.
And then, for all the massive efforts of home athlete David Storl to earn a fourth consecutive European title, they blitzed the men’s shot put as Michal Haratyk took gold with 21.72m and his training partner Konrad Bukowiecki showed his massive competitiveness as - despite suffering from a lingering finger injury and a twisted ankle - he produced an outdoor personal best of 21.66m to take silver.
Storl, who hardly needed to exhort the crowd in the vast Olympic Stadium to offer vocal support, produced Berlin’s first big, full-throated roar of the championships as his opening throw smashed into the turf at 21.41m, just short of the season’s best of 21.62m he set last month.
Up went the arms, the right fist pumped. It was an arresting effort from the 28-year-old policeman.
But the Poles responded immediately.
Haratyk, who led the 2018 European lists coming into the Championships with the national record of 22.08m he threw in June, produced a strangulated noise inside this arena as his second round effort registered the mark that would prove to be the winning one.
And then Bukowiecki, whom Haratyk had said after qualifying was the opponent he feared most in the final, stepped up to the mark to deliver his own hammer blow in the shot put.
So a nation with a proud tradition of throwing had its hopes trimmed and confined on the night. “That’s why we are the best,” Bukowiecki said. “We do everything to be a great throwing team, the greatest. Two golds and two silvers. That’s a good day for Polish throwers. But there are more medals to come from us, although sadly not in the discus.”
The last was a mention of the failure of Poland’s 2015 world champion Piotr Malachowski to register a scoring throw in discus qualifying today.
That said, the Poles are a fearsome force – as women’s world hammer champion Anita Wlodarczyk will no doubt seek to underline later this week.
Bukowiecki himself was competing here in less than 100 percent condition. He demonstrated part of the problem – the middle finger of his throwing hand, still mottled and bruised. “I crushed a bone at the base of the finger while throwing,” he said, adding with a broad grin: “And then my friend shut his car door on it.
“I also twisted my ankle four days before the competition.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
It was Poland all the way in the hammer and the shot put! 
Michal Haratyk and Konrad Bukowiecki took a Polish one-two with reigning three-time champion David Storl having to settle for bronze.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/00uNihkazJ'>pic.twitter.com/00uNihkazJ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026954597896732672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a> </blockquote>
If ever a demonstration of the essential spirit of Polish throwing was needed, here it was. Haratyk said: “Poland is always strong in the throws. We have a great tradition and I know I am a part of that.”
He added: “Today, it was a really good day for the Polish athletics. I am very glad for Konrad but until the sixth attempts, I felt in danger. I knew all these guys are very strong and are able to throw further. I was lucky this time. It was not easy but I am satisfied with my attempts and the distance.
“I think the level of the Polish athletics is very high and I hope we will top the medal table again. I will cheer for all my teammates now.”
Bukowiecki added: “It is not a shame to lose with this guy. Michal is very strong and I am glad we managed to top the podium together. For me, this result is great - it is my PB outdoors and my third best throw ever. The season is going well, I managed to throw over 21m already five times this year. So the consistency is good and I can focus for the next goal.
“Of course, the stadium was cheering mostly for David Storl but when we got to the circle, they also started to support us. That was good. But Germany understands and appreciates the throws.”
Germany understood the Polish quality – but would still have loved to have seen a German win. This competition was on a very high level,” said Storl. “But I was missing the last bit of luck. The luck one need to slap one out. I am really looking forward to receive my medal tomorrow. Not everything came together totally today.
“After the World Championships in 2009, I knew what atmosphere and which great support to expect. I tried to animate the audience. I totally enjoyed everything. After my first attempt, I concentrated on my technique and tried to be faster. I am definitely happy with this medal, it is my fourth medal at the European Championships.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Our second Polish 1-2 of the night! 
Michal Haratyk wins the European shot put title with 21.72m ahead of Konrad Bukowiecki with 21.66m. 
A very good night for the Poles!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/GfhuSzE88o'>pic.twitter.com/GfhuSzE88o</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026918334615506945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>

 It was a big night for British sprinting – and an even bigger night for huge Polish throwers as they won two gold medals and two silver medals on the first

A big night for huge Polish throwers in Berlin

European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen will join a panel of experts on Saturday at the Berlin Olympic Stadium for a discussion on how national and international associations are fighting back against doping in sport.
 
The session, set up by the Berlin 2018 Organising Committee, will take place from 4.00pm to 6.00pm on August 11 in a hall at the East Gate entrance to the stadium.
 
Some of the questions to be addressed include: What are the national and international associations doing to combat doping? What are the different perspectives? What can politics do? What measures is the National Anti-Doping Agency of Germany (NADA) taking to combat this problem?
 
“This is an extremely important topic for all sports, not just athletics, as it directly affects the integrity of our competitions,” said President Hansen. “Here in Berlin for the European Championships, we are doing our utmost to deter cheating. This includes conducting doping tests on one third of the athletes who are participating here, both pre competition and in competition, and enacting educational campaigns to warn athletes, coaches and other members of the entourage about the dangers of doping and its consequences. To ensure a clean playing field, a concerted effort by interests from many backgrounds is required.”
 
Joining President Hansen on the panel are eminent guests from politics, sports, anti-doping bodies and the media. They include Prof. Dr. Winfried Bausback, Minister of State at the Department of Justice; Dagmar Freitag, Chairwoman of the Sports Committee of the German Bundestag; Dr. Lars Mortsiefer, NADA Management Board; Hajo Seppelt, journalist, ARD; and Silke Kassner, DOSB Athletes Spokeswoman.
 
The discussion will be hosted and moderated by Dr. Clemens Prokop, President of the Berlin 2018 Organising Committee.
 
European Athletics is committed to keeping athletes healthy and adheres to a zero-tolerance policy with respect to doping. In addition to in-competition testing and working closely with the Athletes Intelligence Unit to share intelligence and perform target testing, European Athletics has developed the <a style='color: purple;' href='https://www.irunclean.org/'>I Run Clean</a> e-learning platform, which is now available in 25 languages, and will make completion of the programme mandatory for all athletes participating in future European championship events.

 European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen will join a panel of experts on Saturday at the Berlin Olympic Stadium for a discussion on how national and

President Hansen to join panel of experts for anti-doping discussion

After having her preparations for last season’s home World Championships severely undermined by a freak training accident that left her with a broken foot, this 22-year-old history graduate from King’s College, London, who seems to have electricity running through her both on and off the track, has resumed pursuit of her ambitions with intensity.
And the next goals are the women’s 200m which starts on Friday, followed by Sunday’s 4x100m final.
That will bring her back into competition with the powerful Dutch athlete whose defence of the women’s 100m title ended with bronze in a time of 10.99 last night: Dafne Schippers.
Until this race. Schippers had beaten the Brit in every major championship final they had contested since the 2014 European Championships in Zurich up to last year’s World Championships in London.
Now the 200m re-match between the Dutch two-time world champion and rising British talent is looking even more of a fascinating prospect. Not that Asher-Smith is thinking Schippers will be her only competition.
“I’m going to let myself enjoy the emotional high but then refocus,” she said in the aftermath of her 100m win.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Dina Asher-Smith: European 100m champion in a British record of 10.85!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/qQrv23Y95b'>pic.twitter.com/qQrv23Y95b</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026922609387155456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
“For the 200 I’m going to take it like another championship. It’s a completely clean slate because I’m only one third of the way there. You never know what those girls are going to bring, some of them haven’t run the 100m, so you’re just going to have to wait and see.”
Schippers, meanwhile, appeared to be taking things in her usual steady fashion as she reflected upon her bronze medal.
“A medal counts so I am happy for it,” she said. “And this was also my best race of the season so I am glad. The medal is always OK. Coming as the defending champion, I did not feel the pressure. All the girls are very strong and I think the level of the sprints in Europe is rising.”
Asher-Smith’s time matched that run by Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou in winning the opening IAAF Diamond League meeting of the season in Doha.
It is clear as she talks – as swiftly as she runs – that behind the vivacity there lies a thoughtful and highly competitive character.
“For me, I’ve worked out over the years, I have to be chilled to run well,” she said.
“Some people they have to be really serious, really committed and focused, some people have to be like nervous and kind of scared, but for me I just have to be happy.
“I have to be in a good mood. So I’m listening to my favourite music, having a bit of a dance, chilled out. I found out from London last year, just trial and error, that a happy and relaxed Dina is a fast Dina.”
When it was put to her that the 200m - in which she finished fourth at last year’s World Championships - may turn out to be her best event, she responded: “Maybe. We’ll have to wait and see! I know I’ve got things to work on in the 200, I haven’t run as many this year as the 100, because I wanted to work on the 100 and get my confidence over that distance this year – 10.85 I did that! Very happy about that!
“But now I’m going to go and see what I can do over the 200.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
.<a href='https://twitter.com/dinaashersmith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@dinaashersmith</a> stormed to the European 100m title in Berlin in a British record and equal world lead of 10.85. 
We caught up with an elated champion after the race!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/ygmHK9lFAi'>pic.twitter.com/ygmHK9lFAi</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026952672908386304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>

 After having her preparations for last season’s home World Championships severely undermined by a freak training accident that left her with a broken foot,

“A happy Dina is a fast Dina' - Asher-Smith sets sights on 200m and 4x100m

In an explosion of speed during the race - and in the space of 20 minutes in real time - Great Britain celebrated gold in both 100m races at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships on Tuesday (7).
Dina Asher-Smith, the defending 200m champion, first won in 10.85, equalling the world lead, and then teammate Zharnel Hughes broke the championship record time of 9.97 which Jimmy Vicaut had set in the semi-finals, winning gold in 9.95.
The Asher-Smith story remains remarkable, six years on from the-then teenager carrying the athletes' kits as a volunteer at the Olympic Games in London. Her victory means she bridges a gap of 56 years since a British woman last won this title, that being Dorothy Hyman in Belgrade in 1962.
Now 22, Asher-Smith looked superb in the semifinals as she won in 10.93 and then went even quicker in the final. There was equal excitement for the host nation as Germany's Gina Luckenkemper won silver in 10.98 with defending champion Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands third in 10.99.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Dina Asher-Smith: European 100m champion in a British record of 10.85!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/qQrv23Y95b'>pic.twitter.com/qQrv23Y95b</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026922609387155456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
'I came here to be European Champion, so I am happy to have achieved that,' said Asher-Smith. 'Europe is definitely the place to be sprinting, these girls are fast. I want to thank the fans across Europe for all the support. One race down, let's see what happens next in the 200m.'
Hughes now has an individual gold to his name this year after the frustration of being disqualified after winning the 200m at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April.
On the track where Usain Bolt broke the world record in 2009, it looked like Frenchman Vicaut would be the man to beat.
But he seemed to pull up as he crossed the line and it proved a decisive moment. Due to a hamstring injury, he was missing from the final in which Hughes had enough power to triumph and lead a British one-two as Reece Prescod took silver with 9.96 and Turkey's Jak Ali Harvey bronze in 10.01.
Hughes said: 'This was my main focus of the whole season and I am glad I made these fans happy as they were cheering for us a lot. This is what I really wanted and worked for it. After the Commonwealth Games, this victory is very important for me.'
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
A championship record to close the night!<a href='https://twitter.com/zharnel_hughes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@zharnel_hughes</a> completed a British double in the 100m at the European Championships, winning in 9.95 by 0.01 ahead of teammate Reece Prescod.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/Mbm4qDDVBN'>pic.twitter.com/Mbm4qDDVBN</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026929675300417536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
Amdouni outsprints challengers for 10,000m title
But the first gold medal on the track at the European Championships went to France as Morhad Amdouni won the 10,000m gold after a thrilling final lap tear up.
In a race which had seen Turkey's defending champion Polat Kemboi Arikan and Germany's European leader Richard Ringer drop out, a group of five broke away with 400m left.
When they hit the home turn, Amdouni - who had been second behind Ringer on the lists and second to Ringer at the European 10,000m Cup - moved out into the third lane and threw down the gauntlet to the rest.
They could not catch his last-ditch burst of speed and it was enough for victory in 28:11.22 from Belgium's Bashir Abdi in 28:11.76 and Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa in 28:12.15.
'I am so happy,' said Amdouni. 'I would like to thank my wife, my coach and the French team. I will focus on the 5km. I ran at the World championships in 2009 here, too. But without success. And now, nine years later, I come back to win this European title.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
A scintillating sprint finish...and then a hug from Berlino the Bear! 
France's Morhad Amdouni wins the first track title of the European Championships in Berlin with gold in the 10,000m in 28:11.22.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/yWhhqtfXcY'>pic.twitter.com/yWhhqtfXcY</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026911728431497216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
Following the dramatic morning session of the decathlon which had seen France's world champion Kevin Mayer pull out after his three fouls in the long jump, Martin Roe from Norway had led with 2673 points from Arthur Abele from Germany on 2636 and Karl Robert Saluri from Estonia on 2629.
But now, just days after the legendary double Olympic champion Daley Thompson turned 60, there is a Brit at the top again.
When Tom Duckworth, 22, won the NCAA Decathlon with 8336, he moved to third on the British all-time lists behind Thompson and Dean Macey and he took the lead in this competition in Berlin with one of the greatest high jumps seen in a European Championships decathlon.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Tim Duckworth (<a href='https://twitter.com/timmahduck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@timmahduck</a>) was the star of the first day of the decathlon. 
The Brit leads the decathlon standings after five events thanks in no small part to this excellent 2.17m clearance in the high jump.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/wMGivoKu9O'>pic.twitter.com/wMGivoKu9O</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026936020204441601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
Duckworth's outdoor personal best was 2.13m but he raised that to 2.17m to lead with 3559 from Roe with 3440 and Sweden's Fredrik Samuelsson with 3398.
Though he was seventh and last in the final heat of the 400m in 49.87, Duckworth still remained in charge at the end of the first day, leading by 95 points with 4380 from Abele with 4285 and Roe with 4282.
Norway's Karsten Warholm was in a different class as he eased into the final of the 400m hurdles.
A year on from his sensational performance in winning the world crown in London, he took command of his semifinal from the first stride. Although the outcome was close, it was only because he was slowing down in the home straight.
'This must be the coolest stadium I have run in,' said Warholm. He won in 48.67 from Poland's Patryk Dobek in 48.75.

 In an explosion of speed during the race - and in the space of 20 minutes in real time - Great Britain celebrated gold in both 100m races at the Berlin 2018

Asher-Smith and Hughes soar to a British sprint double in Berlin 

Poland had a night to remember in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on Tuesday as their men won European gold and silver in both the hammer and the shot put.
On the first evening of finals at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships, Wojciech Nowicki triumphed in the hammer from the defending champion Pawel Fajdek and then two hours later Michal Haratyk won the shot put from Konrad Bukowiecki.
Finally the wait is over for a gold medal for Nowicki – at the age of 29 – as he turned four major bronze medals into the greatest moment of his hammer career.
Nowicki has finished third at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships but he arrived here as the European leader with a best of 81.85m and though he did not reach that far tonight, he was the only man to hit the 80m mark.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Poland topped the medal table at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam. Will they do the same in Berlin? 
Wojciech Nowicki opened Poland's account with gold in the men's hammer ahead of compatriot and reigning champion Pawel Fajdek.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/wEruZRAAjB'>pic.twitter.com/wEruZRAAjB</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026910251956748288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a> </blockquote>
That came as early as round two after his opener of 77.19m in a competition where Fajdek put down his own mark with his first throw of 78.69m. It proved to be his best but then Nowicki landed the hammer at 80.00m exactly in round two before going even further - to 80.12m - ahead of a 79.00m and 78.81m in the two of his last three efforts.
But at the end, the two Poles shared a smile and a celebration on another glorious evening for the country in the event. Hungary's European U23 champion Bence Halasz won bronze with 77.36m while in fifth, Norway's Elvind Henriksen broke the national record with a third round 76.86m.
'Wojciech is my good friend and he was the champion today,' said Fajdek.
There was great expectation from the home crowd that David Storl would retain his shot put crown and celebrate gold again for Germany.
And from the way it started, the excitement rose as Storl took a first round lead with 21.41m.
But after beginning with 20.94m, Haratyk, who was second behind Storl in Amsterdam two years ago, then launched the winning effort with a second round 21.72m. That effort was not surpassed.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Our second Polish 1-2 of the night! 
Michal Haratyk wins the European shot put title with 21.72m ahead of Konrad Bukowiecki with 21.66m. 
A very good night for the Poles!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/GfhuSzE88o'>pic.twitter.com/GfhuSzE88o</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026918334615506945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
Bukowiecki, who has been struggling with a finger injury since his monstrous 22.00m put indoors, put the pressure on. It was his second round throw of 21.66m that brought him silver.
Storl had only one more legal throw - a third round throw of 21.34m - but he still took bronze with Bukowiecki ending with 20.84m and Haratyk, already crowned champion, finished with another excellent throw of 21.66m.
In a high quality competition, Bob Bertemes from Luxembourg was sixth with a national record of 21.00m.
“Today, it was a really good day for the Polish athletics. I am very glad for Konrad but until the sixth attempts, I felt in danger,” said Haratyk, who said after the qualification that he expected Bukowiecki would provide him with the biggest challenge.
“It was not easy but I am satisfied with my attempts and the distance. I think the level of the Polish athletics is very high and I hope we will top the medal table again.”
<div> </div>

 Poland had a night to remember in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on Tuesday as their men won European gold and silver in both the hammer and the shot put. On

Haratyk and Nowicki lead Polish doubles in the throws

When it was announced that Berlin and Glasgow would co-host the 2018 European Championships, the two cities immediately set about to ensure that visitors to the multi-sport event would also get a proper taste of their cultural heritages as well.
Case in point: the Berlin/Glasgow Orchestra Project, which marked the halfway point of the Championships in style tonight with free concerts occurring simultaneously at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin and George Square in Glasgow.
The concerts began at 7.00pm Berlin time, 6.00pm in Glasgow. They featured the Brandenburger Symphoniker in Berlin under the musical direction of Errico Fresis (Berlin University of the Arts), and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland in Glasgow under the musical direction of Paul Daniel (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). The concerts were linked to each other by livestream.
Aleksander Dzembritzki, Secretary of State for Sport at the Berlin Senate Department, had high praise for the collaboration between Berlin and Glasgow and between the sport and cultural activities: “There has never been anything like this: about 4,500 top athletes, 50 nations, 7 of the most important sports in Europe, 2 cities, an extraordinary cultural program - a multi-sport event combined with a party in the heart of our city.”
The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is located at the Breitscheidplatz in the City-West area of the German capital. The Breitscheidplatz is also part of the European Mile that will host the medal ceremonies during the Championships in addition to daily entertainment inside the Generali Arena.
The European Mile also features an innovative cultural project “Mix the City,” which offers fans the opportunity to mix their own beats to a live event. The global project brings together local sounds from Glasgow and Berlin online. The music made by different artists can be combined, enriched with pictures of the cities, and then sent as a video to the world to reach even beyond the borders of the European Championships. For more information, <a href='https://www.mixthecity.com/berlin-glasgow?lang=en'>click here</a>.

 When it was announced that Berlin and Glasgow would co-host the 2018 European Championships, the two cities immediately set about to ensure that visitors to

Berlin and Glasgow find harmony with Orchestra Project

Matej Toth’s plan to add a European 50km race walk gold to his world and Olympic titles fell short in blazing heat at the Breitschiedplatz but he ended up with the next best thing as he followed home Ukraine’s Maryan Zakalnytskyy who won the first title of the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships in 3:46:32.
The 35-year-old Slovakian added a second silver medal to the one he had won at these championships four years earlier behind Yohann Diniz as he finished in 3:47:27 with bronze going to Belarus' Dzimitry Dziubin in a personal best of 3:47:59 - a remarkable feat with the temperatures rising to over 30C.
The first women’s 50km race walk to be held at the European Championships – following its introduction at last year’s IAAF World Championships – went to the athlete who had won that debut event in London, 38-year-old Ines Henriques of Portugal, in 4:09:21.
Alina Tsviliy took silver in a Ukrainian record of 4:12:44, with bronze going to Spain’s Julia Takacs, who clocked 4:15:22.
Toth looked on course for another triumph as he led by almost half-a-minute at 28km before Zakalnytskyy broke from the chasing group to close the gap, overtaking the Slovakian shortly before the 32km mark, which he passed in 2:26.15, four seconds ahead of the fading Slovak.
By 40km Toth had dropped out of the medal positions altogether as the pursuit of the 23-year-old Ukrainian had been taken up by Dziubin and Norway’s Havard Haukenes.
But as exhaustion hit the Norwegian he fell back, eventually staggering home fourth in 3:48:35 and into the arms of one of his team officials, allowing the experienced Toth to move back into a podium position.
The global champion pushed on in search of silver, and at the bell he was on Dziubin’s shoulder, overtaking him shortly afterwards. But the Ukrainian was a final target too far.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Our first European champion in Berlin is Maryan Zakalnytskyy! 
The Ukrainian won the men's 50km race walk title in 3:46:32 ahead of Olympic champion Matej Toth (3:47:27) and Belarus' Dzmitry Dziubin (3:47:59).<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/C1IJDvotZJ'>pic.twitter.com/C1IJDvotZJ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026781081209647104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
For Zakalnytskyy, who finished 27th at the World Championships in London last year, it was a second medal of the year. He had helped Ukraine win silver at the IAAF World Team Championships in Taicang by finishing fourth in the 50km but this is the biggest moment of his career so far.
'This victory is not mine, it belongs first of all to my coaches and all the people who believed in me before this event,' said the winner graciously. 'My training results were not so good before the championships so I had many doubts if I can make it today and whether we were going the right direction in our preparation towards the championships. But my coach prepared me mentally for this and he made me believe I can go for a medal.'
Silver medallist Dziubin said: “Coming to this championships, I believed I can finish sixth or eighth so I did not even think about any medal. It is hard to even find words to describe the feelings now. I feel exhausted but delighted at the same time. 
“The key moment came on the 43km but I just kept walking and followed the instructions of my coach. The big help at this hot crazy weather came from the crowds and fans supporting all the way around the course. It was amazing and it gave us the energy to continue.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
The world champion is now the European champion! 
Ines Henriques wins the first ever staging of the 50km race walk at the European Championships in 4:09:21. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheMoment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#TheMoment</a> <a href='https://t.co/fFELibPhrc'>pic.twitter.com/fFELibPhrc</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026783073973817344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
Sixteen years after making her first European Championship appearance – she was 15th in the 20km race walk in Munich – Henriques has her first major continental title.
The only difficulty she appeared to encounter all morning was in handling the overly large Portuguese flag that had been handed to her as she approached the finish line. 
At one point as she stood in celebration, the flag flapped right over her head, but she thrust it back again, emerging from her nation’s colours with a fully-throated roar of triumph.
'During the first 20K of the race, I was feeling very relaxed but as the temperatures started increasing, by the time I reached 30K, I started struggling a bit. However, I knew I had a considerable advantage over the athletes behind me so I didn't worry so much about finishing with a faster time,' said Henriques.
'Had the temperatures not been so hot today, I could have aimed for a better time, but I´m very pleased I am able to add the European title to the world title from last year.'

 Matej Toth’s plan to add a European 50km race walk gold to his world and Olympic titles fell short in blazing heat at the Breitschiedplatz but he ended up

Zakalnytskyy and Henriques defy conditions to win 50km race walk titles

The golden European ambitions of two global champions fell to earth in the Olympic Stadium this morning at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
France’s world decathlon champion Kevin Mayer failed to register a legal long jump in his second discipline and home athlete Christoph Harting, the Rio 2016 discus champion, also failed to set a legal mark in his qualifying competition.
It could have been worse. At least Harting’s elder brother Robert was able to ensure he will have his last moment in the sun at the stadium where he won the world title in 2009.
The 33-year-old London 2012 champion, who was seventh farthest qualifier for tomorrow’s final with 63.29 metres, has said Berlin will mark his final championship appearance.
But there was no hiding the pain for his younger brother, or the shattered French athlete.
As the realisation of what he had – or rather, hadn’t done – sank in, Mayer dropped to his haunches, covering his face from the inquisitive TV camera in front of him. His day had started in ideal fashion as he led the 100m standings with a personal best of 10.64. The sun was shining. He was bumping his fist against his chest. It seemed like it was going to be his day…
But then three ambitious leaps, all landing him well clear of the leading mark, left three tell-tall marks on the board which invalidated them.
All the preparation, the mini-triathlon at the Paris IAAF Diamond League meeting yielding two personal bests, mixing it with the big beasts in the mainstream shot put and 110m hurdles in the Monaco Diamond League meeting - all gone to naught.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
It's been a morning of shocks on the first morning session of the European Championships in Berlin. 
Kevin Mayer crashed out with three fouls in the long jump and Christoph Harting recorded three no-throws in the discus qualifying.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/GvxWc0u0lU'>pic.twitter.com/GvxWc0u0lU</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026779405887201282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
Harting was not the only global discus champion to suffer the dread initials NM next to his name. That also befell Poland’s 2015 world champion and reigning European champion Piotr Malachowski from Poland.
And France’s misery was complete in the decathlon as both Mayer’s compatriots, Romain Martin and Ruben Gado also failed to register a long jump mark. Surely not in sympathy.
Another man with the unwelcome NM experience was home decathlete Matthias Brugger.
Mayer who subsequently abandoned the competition, commented: “This is a black day for me. I do not have an excuse. I am very sorry for those who expected a lot of me, for all my fans. I was in great shape, but today the others were better.
 
“I wanted to show much more than this. This was a big mistake. I took a high risk. But I do not regret the risk. I know that many people were expecting a lot from me and it hurts to disappoint them. 
“I do not look at the board any more when I jump. I guess I faulted because of the back wind. I did not think that I could trespass the board three times, to have three invalid attempts. For four years I have always hit the board very well.
“This is really frustrating for me. I am quite disgusted. But this is sport.”
Brugger, however, decided to press on. “Not marking at the long jump is my own fault,” he said. “I have no clue why and how this happened. It is an honour for me to be here and this is why I will finish this decathlon.”
The German duly won the shot put with 15.92m, after which the standings were led by Norway’s Martin Roe, winner of the long jump with 7.61m, who had 2673 points, with Germany’s Arthur Abele second on 2636 and Karl Saluri of Estonia third on 2629.
In the men’s 400m qualifying rounds, Belgian brothers Jonathan and Kevin Borlee topped the lists with 45.19 and 45.29 respectively. Younger brother Dylan also went through with 45.84.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Les freres Borlee dominated the men's 400m heats this morning.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#EC2018</a> <a href='https://t.co/iwVkoWs1vF'>pic.twitter.com/iwVkoWs1vF</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1026774293441662976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
 
 
<div> </div>

 The golden European ambitions of two global champions fell to earth in the Olympic Stadium this morning at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.

European Athletics Championships

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