<h2>European Athletics U23 Championships</h2>
This is a biennial outdoor athletics competition for European athletes in the age group 20-22.
It was introduced in 1997 to provide a transition between U20 - formerly junior - competition and the senior ranks but often also attracts established international competitors.
Held&nbsp; in&nbsp; July and attracting more than 1000 competitors, the&nbsp; four-day&nbsp; event&nbsp; is&nbsp; not&nbsp; confined&nbsp; to&nbsp; the&nbsp; events in the stadium as it can bring the race walking events on the road into the heart of the city.
The most recent edition was held in Tallinn, Estonia in 2021 and the next European Athletics U23 Championships will be in Espoo, Finland between 13-16 July, 2023.

European Athletics U23 Championships

Malikova's incredible anchor leg | Tallinn 2021

Mahuchikh soars over 2.00m | Tallinn 2021

Germany breaks European U23 4x100m record | Tallinn 2021

Battocletti races to 5000m gold | Tallinn 2021

Kokhan completes the set of age-group titles | Tallinn 2021

The European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships in Tallinn were hugely successful and record-breaking championships both on and off the track with record participation numbers and live streaming figures two of the principal indicators of success.
In spite of the challenges caused by the pandemic, a record number of athletes participated in both events. A total of 1161 athletes travelled to the European Athletics U23 Championships from 8-11 July which surpassed the previous record total of 1089 athletes from Gavle 2019.
On a similar theme, 1226 athletes travelled to the European Athletics U20 Championships from 15-18 July. This eclipsed the previous record of 1151 athletes from Grosseto 2017.
European Athletics Interim President Dobromir Karamarinov said: &rdquo;First and foremost I would like to pay tribute to the Estonian Athletic Association and the Local Organising Committee for the amazing job they did in hosting two championships back-to-back. In addition to the scheduled organisation of the European Athletics U20 Championships, they also organised the U23 Championships at very short notice and delivered both competitions to the very highest of standards.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;We were able to provide the ideal stage for competition for these two age categories which are so important for the development of our sport in Europe, and in turn we witnessed some truly top class performances.&rdquo;
There was extensive streaming of both championships through the European Athletics website courtesy of European Athletics&rsquo; long-time partner EBU. 
As well as the main feed, their groundbreaking All Athletics platform also housed individual feeds dedicated to field events across the two championships which are available to watch on demand.
The live streaming figures follow the upward pattern of the Torun 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships with record figures amassed in both events. Over 235,000 unique viewers tuned in for both events, handsomely surpassing the figures for the 2019 European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships at 150,000 and 188,000 unique viewers respectively.&nbsp;
This shows the continued demand for live athletics across the continent and demonstrates that age-group championships are an attractive product to athletics fans as well as being imperative stepping stones in the development of young athletes.
European Athletics CEO Christian Milz said: &ldquo;The European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships in 2021 were not only an organisational feat by delivering two age category events back-to-back, but were also a record in terms of athlete numbers with approximately 1200 travelling athletes per competition proving a new record for both events.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Off the track the events in Tallinn, Estonia also provided new highs with 238,000 unique users and over 900,000 views for the U23 Championships, and 236,000 unique users and 872,000 views for the U20 Championships, for the live stream and video on-demand supplied via the EBU&rsquo;s All Athletics platform.&rdquo;
More than half of European Athletics&rsquo; Member Federations had medals to celebrate in both championships. A total of 27 Member Federations won medals at the European Athletics U23 Championships with that figure rising to 29 for the U20 equivalent.
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While the traditional superpowers of European Athletics dominate the medal table, there were notable firsts for some of the smaller countries in the Estonian capital. 
Andorra won its first ever European medal at the U23 Championships courtesy of bronze from Nahuel Carabana in the 3000m steeplechase and Muhamet Ramadani won Kosovo&rsquo;s first ever European title in athletics with gold in the shot put at the U20 Championships.
Also at the U20 Championships, high jumper Jonathan Kapitolnik won Israel&rsquo;s first ever gold medal at the European Athletics U20 Championships and 16-year-old long jumper Jeremy Zammit became Malta&rsquo;s first ever European U20 finalist in any event.

Record-breaking participation and streaming figures recorded for European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships

With four gold medals on the last day of the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships, Italy topped the medal table in the Estonian capital with six gold medals and 13 medals in total.
The Germans, who excelled in the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x100m on the final day of competition which was briefly delayed by a power outage in the Kadriorg Stadium, finished a close second on the medal table. They also won six gold medals but one fewer silver medal with 12 medals overall.
In terms of medals won, Spain enjoyed a hugely successful four days with 15 medals in total - including three gold medals - while France won 17 medals overall, including a gold medal in a hotly disputed men&rsquo;s 4x400m in which the initial winners, the Netherlands, were disqualified for obstruction on the third leg.
The gold rush for the Italians on the final day began in the morning session with Andrea Dallavalle producing the only 17 metre-plus jump of the triple jump final. Dallavalle sailed out to 17.05m in the third round to surpass the second round lifetime best set by France&rsquo;s Enzo Hodebar who landed at 16.99m, aided by a just about legal wind of 1.9 m/s.
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Dallavalle is one of a handful of athletes who will now turn his focus to the Tokyo Olympics and he will do so after landing his first major title having won silver or bronze medals at three age-group championships prior to Tallinn.
&ldquo;Getting a gold medal was almost a taboo, because I always get silver or bronze. It was a tough competition today, I can't deny it - the French jumpers really made me sweat,&rdquo; said Dallavalle who has extended his lifetime best to 17.35m this season.&nbsp;
The Italians added three more gold medals to their tally in three successive track finals in the evening session. Gaia Sabbatini went through the gears on the last lap of the 1500m final, producing a final lap of 59.83 to win the title in 4:13.98 while a late charge from her teammate Marta Zenoni brought her into silver medal position in 4:14.50.
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Simone Barontini followed suit in the men&rsquo;s 800m final in 1:46.20 before two-time European U20 cross country champion Nadia Battocletti turned the tables on Slovenia&rsquo;s Klara Lukan - who defeated the Italian for the European U20 5000m title two years prior in Boras - with a third gold medal in a hand-timed 15:37.4.
Germany also enjoyed a brilliant final day in Tallinn which was capped by gold medals in both 4x100m relay finals.
The German team had already set a championship record of 43.24 in the heats of the women&rsquo;s 4x100m but their quartet which was led off by individual 100m winner Lilly Kaden surpassed that time in the final, stopping the clock at 43.05 ahead of Spain (43.74) and France (44.15).
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Their male counterparts didn&rsquo;t perform brilliantly in the individual events but they showed equally slick baton passing as a collective to win the men&rsquo;s 4x100m in 38.70 to eclipse not only the championship record but also the European U23 record of 38.77 set by a British quartet at the 2013 edition of the championships. Spain came away with yet another silver medal in 39.00 with Ukraine taking the bronze in 39.45.
Two years after Niklas Kaul won the decathlon title in Gavle, his teammate Andreas Bechmann followed suit with a lifetime best score of 8142 points.
Bechmann only recorded a valid mark on his third attempt in the long jump and the German also cut it fine in the pole vault on the second day, needing all three attempts to go clear at his opening height of 4.80m.
Bechmann was also struggling with a foot injury which particularly affected his high jump but the 21-year-old was fully vindicated in his decision to see out the competition.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Despite the fact that I was thinking about quitting in some moments, I am glad I managed it until the end and that I even won it. I tried my best in every event and just continued step by step,&rdquo; he said.
Three individual lifetime bests took Bechmann to the title in a lifetime best ahead of 8142 points ahead of Sven Roosen from the Netherlands (8056 points) and Norway&rsquo;s Markus Rooth (7967 points), the bronze medallist at the European U20 Championships in 2019.
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There were also some notable performances further down the results list. An astonishing 5.60m performance in the pole vault - a height not even recorded by a decathlete at senior level at either the World Championships or European Championships - propelled France&rsquo;s Baptiste Thiery up to fifth overall with 7915 points while Fran Bonafacic finished sixth with a Croatian record of 7760 points to break the national record held by Josko Vlasic, the father of Blanka, since 1983.
In the 3000m steeplechase, the rangy Istvan Palkovits strode away for victory in an unchallenged 8:34.05 ahead of Portugal's Etson Barros in 8:38.00. There was also a historic medal for Nahuel Carabana who picked up Andorra's first ever medal in European U23 Championships history with bronze in 8:39.17.&nbsp;
"Before the race I was really, really nervous," admitted Carabana. "Of course I felt the pressure of being one of the favourites but lately we have been working on that. It's the first time I feel I am among the best in Europe and I managed to perform well during the race."
Hungary also won the women's long jump final courtesy of Petra Farkas whose fourth round effort of 6.73m bested Germany's Merle Homeier who took the initiative in the first round with a lifetime best of 6.69m.
Full results <a href="https://tallinn21-u23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
For the 13th edition of the European Athletics U23 Championships, no less that 1161 athletes travelled Tallinn, 72 more than the previous record which was set two years in Gavle.

Italy tops the medal table in Tallinn with a final day gold rush

Ukraine&rsquo;s Yaroslava Mahuchikh amassed a faultless card to win gold in the high jump on the third day of the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships on Saturday (9) evening.
A first-time clearance at 1.89m would have given Mahuchikh the title on countback ahead of Sweden&rsquo;s Maja Nilsson and Slovenia&rsquo;s Lia Apostolovski but the Ukrainian went even higher, clearing 1.95m on her first attempt before soaring over a championship record of 2.00m also on the first time of asking.
At only 19, Mahuchikh becomes the first athlete to have won individual titles at all age groups. After winning European U18 and U20 titles in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019, Mahuchikh graduated to gold on her senior debut at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships and this title in Tallinn duly completes the set.
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Mahuchikh wasn&rsquo;t initially planning to compete against her U23 counterparts but the Ukrainian was fully vindicated in her decision to add this championship to her itinerary on the road to her first Olympic Games in Tokyo.
&ldquo;Tallinn is my beloved city so I really wanted to compete here. I was here for a training camp in the winter. In May, we decided not to come here at this championships because of the Olympic preparation but later on, when we realised I have only two competitions before that I really wanted to come. It was a good and nice evening at the stadium - all heights with the first attempt,&rdquo; said Mahuchikh.
And her goal at the Olympic Games? &ldquo;In Tokyo, I want to jump more than 2.05m, 2.07m,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I want to jump the world record.&rdquo;
Reigning champion Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia was another of the standout names at these championships in the discus and he successfully defended his title, extending the championship record which he broke in the qualifying round.
Ceh added more than one metre to Robert Harting&rsquo;s championship record with 65.59m in the qualifying round and the Slovenian put the mark even further out of sight of any prospective aspirants in years to come with 67.46m in the third round.
&ldquo;It was a great competition and the first throw was already 67 metres. I tried to do more but I was a little too fast and couldn't handle it. I'm happy with the championship record, happy with the results, happy with the competition,&rdquo; summed up Ceh who has also extended his European U23 record to 70.35m this year.
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Ceh, who is also headed to the Olympic Games, was operating on a different plane to the rest of his rivals. The reigning champion won by more than six metres from Belarus&rsquo; Yauheni Bahutski (61.21m) while European U18 and U20 champion Yasiel Brayan Sotero from Spain added another medal to his haul with bronze (58.07m).
Another notable result in the field events came from pole vaulter Ethan Cormont who cleared 5.80m to claim the title.&nbsp;
Cormont needed three attempts to get over 5.70m but the French champion vaulted clear of his rivals with unmatched clearances at 5.75m and 5.80m, both of which he achieved on his first attempts. &ldquo;Stopping at 5.80m - which is a new PB - was a smart choice because with the Olympics coming up, I need to be stronger,&rdquo; he said.
Greece&rsquo;s Emmanouil Karalis won his second successive silver medal with a 5.65m clearance while Norway&rsquo;s Sondre Guttormsen and arguable pre-competition favourite Ersu Sasma from Turkey took a share of the bronze medal at 5.60m.&nbsp;
Full results <a href="https://tallinn21-u23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule-date=2021-07-10.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Mahuchikh clears a championship record of 2.00m for high jump gold in Tallinn

As well as two championship records being set in the field events, two championship records also fell on the track on the third day of the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships on Saturday (10).
In the men&rsquo;s 400m, reigning world U20 champion Jonathan Sacoor looked back to his best with a smooth passage through the semifinals and while he ran his fastest time in two years in the final, the Belgian couldn&rsquo;t quite arrest the strong finish on his outside from Switzerland&rsquo;s Ricky Petrucciani.&nbsp;
A bronze medallist at U20 level two years ago, Petrucciani decimated his previous lifetime best of 45.69. He stopped the clock at 45.02 to break Frenchman Leslie Djhone&rsquo;s previous record of 45.04 and he only missed the long-standing Swiss record by 0.03 to beat Sacoor (45.17) and European U20 champion Edoardo Scotti from Italy (45.68).
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The championship record in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles also unexpectedly fell as Slovakia&rsquo;s Emma Zapletalova dominated the final from the gun, striding clear in the middle of the echelon before crossing the finish-line in 54.28. She broke Romanian Angela Morosanu&rsquo;s previous mark of 54.50 from 2007 and slashed almost one second from her Slovakian record.
&ldquo;When I was coming to the start, I felt I can do something big and that I am ready to smash my personal best,&rdquo; said Zapletalova, who is headed to the Olympic Games later this month. &ldquo;But this time is a bit shocking for me. The title is just great and I cannot believe it was going so smoothly.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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The times behind the Slovakian were excellent as Sara Gallego produced another significant Spanish performance in Tallinn with a national record of 55.20, one of 13 medals won by the Spaniards thus far. Former European U20 champion Yasmin Giger came away with a bronze medal and a Swiss U23 record of 55.25.
The precocious Alessandro Sibilio put on a masterful display over the last two barriers in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles final to win the first gold medal of the third afternoon session.&nbsp;
Sibilio was no higher than third as the final bend began to unfold but the Italian is renowned for being a strong finisher and he glided over the last two barriers to win the title in a lifetime best and national U23 record of 48.42.
His margin was such that Sibilio even gestured to some of his team members and supporters who were watching from the stands. Had he run through the line, Sibilio might have even eclipsed the championship record of 48.37 which is held by a certain Karsten Warholm from Norway.
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Sibilio will undoubtedly feature in Italy&rsquo;s excellent 4x400m team tomorrow - they won the world U20 title in Tampere, Finland in 2018 - before he will turn his focus to the Olympic Games.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Now I'm going to Tokyo and I want to enjoy it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I'm too happy for now, but the semifinal in Tokyo would be the dream or even the final with the best.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
There were excellent times in the wake of Sibilio. The top five athletes all set lifetime bests with Germany&rsquo;s Emil Agyekum breaking new ground to win silver in 48.96 while Ramsey Angela from the Netherlands set his second lifetime best of the championships to win bronze in 49.07.
There was further success on the track for both Italy and Switzerland. Dalia Kaddari glided to victory in the women&rsquo;s 200m final in 22.64 - just 0.07 shy of the championship record and 0.08 shy of the Italian record - while William Reais from Switzerland closed out the track programme with gold in the 200m in 20.47 ahead of Spaniards Jesus Gomez (20.60) and Pol Retamal (20.76).
One of the closest races of the championships was the 100m hurdles final with Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skrzyszowska defeating Cyrena Samba-Mayela off the final barrier for the title in a lifetime best of 12.77. Samba-Mayela hit some of the hurdles in the latter stages but was still rewarded with a silver medal in 12.80.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I did not have a perfect heat and did not feel it was technically good in the semifinal but I felt well prepared before the final and it all went well. But I hope I can go even faster in Tokyo,&rdquo; said Skrzyszowska, who took an unusual 100m/100m hurdles double at the European Athletics Team Championships Super League in Silesia in late May.She added: &ldquo;I also like the 100m so if the schedule is different and the flat 100m is first in the schedule, I would maybe even try for a double. Maybe at the next championships.&rdquo;
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Other notable results included Spain&rsquo;s Asier Martinez winning the 110m hurdles title in 13.34 into a strong headwind of 1.6 m/s, Lada Vondrova leading a Czech one-two in the women&rsquo;s 400m final ahead of Barbora Malikova - 51.19 to 51.23 - and Great Britain&rsquo;s Isabelle Boffey following up European U18 and U20 titles with U23 gold in the 800m in 2:01.80.
Full results <a href="https://tallinn21-u23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule-date=2021-07-10.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
&nbsp;

Two championship records tumble on the track in Tallinn

Ukraine&rsquo;s Mykhaylo Kokhan became the first athlete to win individual European U18, U20 and U23 titles with gold in the hammer on the second day of the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships on Friday (9).
And if he wishes to do so, the 20-year-old Kokhan is eligible to return in two years&rsquo; time to defend his title in Espoo, Finland where he could have another crack at the long-standing championship record of 80.88m set by France&rsquo;s Nicolas Figere which dates back to 2001.
Kokhan set a lifetime best of 80.78m only four days ago - the longest ever throw by a 20-year-old - to embellish his title prospects, although the Ukrainian downplayed his prospects of breaking the 80 metre-line for the second time in a week after the qualifying round.
And while Kokhan couldn&rsquo;t indeed produce quite the same calibre of performance in today&rsquo;s final, all four of his valid efforts would have been sufficient to win yet another major age-group title.
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Kokhan produced his best throw of 77.88m in the third round and in a repeat of the 2019 European U20 Championships in Boras where Kokhan broke the European U20 record with the six kilogram implement twice, Greece&rsquo;s Hristos Frantzeskakis won the silver medal behind Kokhan with 75.23m.
Both athletes will be making their first Olympic appearances in Tokyo in just a few weeks&rsquo; time. On his upcoming Olympic debut, Kokhan said: &ldquo;My expectations for the Olympics are to show a good result, not any less than that - I hope! I would like to reach the final and then see how far I can throw.&rdquo;
Turkish race walker Meryem Bekmez also completed the same treble with an unopposed gold medal in the 20km race walk in 1:33:08.
Like Kokhan with the heavier implement in the hammer, Bekmez has made similarly seamless progress through the distance in the race walking events. Bekmez won the 5000m race walk at the inaugural European Athletics U18 Championships in Tbilisi in 2016 before winning U20 10,000m race walk gold three years later in Boras.
Reigning champion and teammate Ayse Tekdal was a distant fifth in 1:37:43 while the expected challenge from neutral athlete Elvira Khasanova failed to materialise as the Russian was disqualified in the tenth kilometre.
Simon Ehammer and Jorinde Van Klinken also followed up their gold medals from the 2019 European Athletics U20 Championships in Boras with titles in Tallinn, albeit in different disciplines.
The gold medallist in the decathlon two years ago, Ehammer won the individual long jump title in Tallinn with his fifth round jump of 8.10m, only five centimetres shy of his national U23 record.
&ldquo;I had an injury after Torun, so I had to take a break for a few months to physically recover. As the injury lasted longer than expected, we decided to focus on the long jump,&rdquo; said Ehammer who was on course for a heptathlon medal in Torun before no-heighting in the pole vault.
&ldquo;This means a lot more than just a gold medal. I missed a medal in Torun, then, I had some misfortunes after that, I didn't make it to Tokyo so this now feels so much more - it's really good.&rdquo;
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Van Klinken won the U20 shot put title in Boras two years ago but the Dutchwoman prevailed in her primary event, the discus, in Tallinn. Even though some of the final was held in steady rain, the world leader at 70.22m produced four throws in excess of the 60 metre-line with her winning effort of 63.02m coming in the second round.&nbsp; &nbsp;
A silver medallist two years ago at the age of 19, Tugba Danismaz came away with the gold medal in the triple jump in Tallinn.
Danismaz produced a national record of 14.09m on the occasion to win the title ahead of European U20 champion Spiridoula Karidi from Greece who led the qualifying round.
Karidi couldn&rsquo;t quite replicate her 14.06m performance yesterday with 13.95m but the 20-year-old who lives from Corfu will be eligible to compete at the next edition in 2023 by virtue of her 2001 birthdate.
Full results <a href="https://tallinn21-u23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Kokhan and Bekmez complete the set of European age-group titles in Tallinn

Adrianna Sulek took the lead in the heptathlon after the high jump and the Pole went on to capture the title with 6305 points, the third highest score in the heptathlon at the European Athletics U23 Championships.
After struggling to hit the take-off board, Sulek was limited to a 6.03m performance in the long jump which blew her off championship record pace but the world U20 bronze medallist and overnight leader closed out her campaign with two strong performances in the afternoon to take her score in excess of the 6300 point-mark.
Sulek set a season&rsquo;s best of 40.89m in the javelin before an extravagant final flourish in the 800m took her to the individual victory in 2:12.79 and more importantly the gold medal.
Her score of 6305 points has only been surpassed at this event by championship record-holder Aiga Grabuste from Latvia who scored 6396 points in 2009 and by Switzerland&rsquo;s Caroline Agnou who won this title in 2017 with 6330 points.
&ldquo;Only two weeks ago, I ended the cooperation with my coach and I came here alone with the help of some other Polish coaches. It was like a big test before Tokyo here. I do not know what is going to happen there but now I am confident I can do well," said Sulek.
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Behind Sulek, Spain&rsquo;s Claudia Conte overhauled Great Britain&rsquo;s Holly Mills for the silver medal on the second day. A renowned second day performer, Conte pulled out a throw of 47.04m in the javelin to Mills&rsquo; 37.38m to leapfrog the Brit and that is how the medal positions stayed in the last event.
In a high quality competition, the top six finishers all broke the 6000 points-barrier despite the varying conditions across the two days and the seven events.
Tomorrow morning sees the decathletes take to the track with the 100m to begin proceedings at 10.00am local time.
The 100m titles were also decided at the conclusion of the second day of competition in the Estonian capital.
Jeremiah Azu pulled up injured and crumpled to the track when he was on course for 100m gold at the European U20 Championships in Boras two years ago but the Brit richly made amends with a confident piece of sprinting.
Azu dominated the final out of the blocks and he could even afford to gesture at the clock and showboat across the finish-line, winning in 10.25 ahead of reigning champion Henrik Larsson from Sweden in 10.36 on a damp track in the Kadriorg Stadium.
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&ldquo;I can't find the proper words. It has been so hard. It is a very emotional moment for me. It was so difficult to get back after the injury. I feel absolutely stunned,&rdquo; said Azu after winning Great Britain&rsquo;s first gold medal of the championships.
Germany&rsquo;s Lilly Kaden set a lifetime best of 11.28 in the 100m semifinal and she produced a performance which was intrinsically even better in the final. Kaden was particularly strong in the last quarter of the race and she came away with the title in 11.36 into a 1.3 m/s headwind ahead of fellow semifinal winners Rani Rosius from Belgium (11.43) and Brit Kristal Awuah (11.44).&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is like my dream came true,&rdquo; said Kaden. &ldquo;Everything went well today and I am so excited to win. The time is not important to me, the gold medal is the main thing. I think I deserve a nice small celebration today with some good dinner, cake, and then I will get ready for the relay.&rdquo;
Full results <a href="https://tallinn21-u23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Sulek captures European U23 heptathlon title with 6305 points

After a no-throw on his first attempt, Slovenia&rsquo;s Kristjan Ceh made no such mistake with his second throw in discus qualifying on the second session of the first day of the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships.
Sporting his trademark glasses and baseball cap, Ceh launched the discus not only in excess of the automatic qualifying line of 59.00m but also further than Robert Harting&rsquo;s long-standing championship record of 64.50m with 65.59m.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am always a bit nervous before each competition. It is stressful. I was in a bit of a hurry and the first attempt did not go technically well. I had to get relaxed before the second throw and it went well. I feel 100 percent ready,&rdquo; said Ceh.
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Other automatic qualifiers were Belarus&rsquo; Yauheni Bahutski (62.77m) and reigning European U18 and U20 champion Yasiel Brayan Sotero from Spain (59.86m) while Martynas Alekna from Lithuania qualified on distance with 57.16m.
Martynas is the son of the legendary discus thrower Virgilijus and his younger brother Mykolas is the big favourite for the gold medal at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn which begin next Thursday.
Poland&rsquo;s Adrianna Sulek amassed a brilliant first day in the heptathlon and she is on course to challenge the championship record of 6396 points held by Latvia&rsquo;s Aiga Grabuste.
After beginning her campaign with 13.43 in the 100m hurdles and then 1.84m in the high jump to top the standings, the 2018 world U20 bronze medallist produced a season&rsquo;s best of 13.16m in the shot put before winning her second event of the day in the 200m with 23.69.
Those efforts take her overall score up to 3838 points ahead of Great Britain&rsquo;s Holly Mills who atoned for an underpar high jump with 13.62m in the shot and then 24.06 in the 200m to bring her tally up to 3688 points.
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Gold medals for Menacho and Karpuk on day one in Tallinn
Eduardo Menacho was only ranked eighth on paper based on lifetime bests for the men&rsquo;s 10,000m final but the Spaniard overturned the formbook to win the gold medal with an unmatched last kilometre of 2:41.27.
Menacho caught the long-time leader and arguable pre-competition favourite Pierre Bordeau from France - whose lifetime best was almost one minute faster at 28:36.32 to 29:20.82 - with three laps to go to win by a clear margin in 29:14.92.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still in disbelief; this is all I ever wanted from the start of the season,&rdquo; said the emotional Spaniard who celebrated with his teammates who lined the circumference of the Kadriorg Stadium.
He added: &ldquo;Some people told me it was a crazy thought, that it wouldn&rsquo;t be possible but I think I managed to do it as a result of really hard work throughout the year. Little by little I was showing signs of some progress which really paid off here today.&rdquo;&nbsp;
While Bordeau was swallowed up by the pack and eventually drifted back to finish eighth in 29:38.39, the French still came away with a brace of medals. Florian Le Pallec and Valentin Gondouin broke away from the chasers to win silver and bronze respectively in 29:23.82 and 29:24.40.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1413174259967578115"]
In the first field event final of the programme, Belarus&rsquo; Dzmitry Karpuk dominated the men&rsquo;s shot put final. He was the only thrower to surpass the 20 metre-line, a feat he achieved with four of his six throws.
His winning effort came in the first round with 20.33m although he wasn&rsquo;t completely satisfied with his performance. &ldquo;My feelings are mixed because I really wanted to achieve a personal best. But on the other hand, I won and this is my first big European medal. The result should have been better but this is life,&rdquo; he said philosophically.
In the triple jump, European U20 triple jump champion Spiridoula Karidi led the two pools of qualifying. The ebullient Greek bounded out to 14.04m on her second attempt to record the only 14 metre-plus jump of the competition.
Fellow European U20 champion Simon Ehammer also impressed in the long jump qualifying with a season&rsquo;s best of 7.95m but the Swiss decathlete was narrowly eclipsed by Spain&rsquo;s Jaime Guerra who led the two pools with 7.96m.
On the track, Great Britain&rsquo;s Jeremiah Azu qualified fastest for the men&rsquo;s 100m final with a lifetime best of 10.19 while Belgium&rsquo;s Rani Rosius was propelled to a 11.16 clocking in the women&rsquo;s 100m final thanks in part to a 3.0 m/s tailwind.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1413193951583080453"]
Full results can be found <a href="https://tallinn21-u23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Ceh surpasses Harting’s championship record in discus qualifying in Tallinn

In a prolonged first session at the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships due to the inclement conditions causing the action to be delayed by one hour, the outstanding field eventers navigated their way through to the finals in their respective field events.
World silver medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh needed an unscheduled second attempt at 1.82m but the Ukrainian soared over the bar to qualify for Saturday&rsquo;s final alongside the likes of world U20 champion Karyna Demidik from Belarus and Sweden&rsquo;s Maja Nilsson, one of only two athletes to clear 1.82m on their first attempts.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1413060710117134336"]
The women&rsquo;s discus throwers were the first athletes in action this morning at 9.45am. Like Mahuchikh, Jorinde Van Klinken needed two attempts to qualify for the discus final but the world leader made no mistake with her second round throw of 61.97m, the only 60 metre-plus throw across the two pools.
&ldquo;My first throw went straight off, it was a technical mistake but my sister - who is coaching me here today - told me to do some drills before the second throw which was way better than the first one,&rdquo; said Van Klinken who has improved enormously to 70.22m this year.
Reigning champion Marija Tolj from Croatia also surpassed the automatic qualifying line of 55 metres with 57.76m but world and European U18 and U20 champion Alexandra Emilianov from Moldova surprisingly qualified on distance with her only valid throw of 53.51m.
By contrast Mykhaylo Kokhan qualified for the men&rsquo;s hammer final with his first throw of 74.07m. The precocious Ukrainian arrives fresh from setting a world age-20 best of 80.78m earlier this week although he has downplayed his chances of challenging the long-standing championship record of 80.88m.
&ldquo;For the final I&rsquo;m not sure I will be throwing over 80 metres but I will do my best. I have strong competition from other athletes who are able to throw as far as me,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
The men&rsquo;s pole vault was one of the events to be postponed due to the inclement conditions but nearly all of the main contenders navigated their way through to the final in spite of the delayed start and the far from ideal conditions on offer in the Kadriorg Stadium.&nbsp;
Norwegians Sondre Guttormsen and Pal Haugen Lillefosse both progressed without recording a failure but Guttormsen&rsquo;s younger brother Simen bowed out at his opening height of 5.20m.&nbsp;
Frenchmen Thibaut Collet and Ethan Cormant also progressed safely along with Turkey&rsquo;s arguable pre-competition favourite Ersu Sasma and Greece&rsquo;s Emmanouil Karalis, the silver medallist in Gavle two years ago.
Sulek leads heptathlon standings after two events
After two strong events, Poland&rsquo;s Adrianna Sulek leads the heptathlon standings after the completion of the 100m hurdles and high jump.
The world U20 bronze medallist opened her account with a lifetime best of 13.43 in the 100m hurdles in steady rain before clearing 1.84m in the high jump. Sulek had a close third attempt at 1.87m which would have represented her second individual lifetime best of the competition but the Pole still tops the standings with 2089 points ahead of Spain&rsquo;s Claudia Conte on 2019 points.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1413110314330169350"]
Great Britain&rsquo;s Holly Mills was the fastest in the 100m hurdles with 13.40 but a substandard 1.72m high jump - compared to her lifetime best of 1.85m - saw her drop back to third after two events with 1944 points with Latvia Kristine Blazevica fourth with 1916 points.
Another Pole impressed in the heats of the women&rsquo;s 100m and Klaudia Adamek will be looking to follow in the footsteps of her compatriot Ewa Swoboda who won this title in 2017 and 2019. Adamek cruised to a lifetime best of 11.30 to qualify fastest for the semifinals which conclude the programme this evening at 8.35pm local time.
Full results can be found <a href="https://tallinn21-u23results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Star names safely progress in the first session in Tallinn

The outstanding Ukrainian duo of Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Myhaylo Kokhan have been two of the most illustrious athletes at age-group level in recent seasons and both of them will be looking to complete the set of major titles at the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships from 8-11 July.
The event will be streamed live in its entirety through the European Athletics website and on the All Athletics platform <a href="https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/event/40/european-athletics-u23-european-championships" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Live results can be found <a href="https://liveresults.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Biographical entry lists are also available: <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/dd9205e7-47f5-496c-a3e1-a30bcb06c2eb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Men</a> | <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/b2f24f2b-7748-488c-9822-c58b765f78e7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women</a>.
And should either of them falter in their bid for gold medals in Tallinn, both athletes are eligible to compete at the next edition of the championships which was recently awarded to Espoo, Finland in 2023.&nbsp;
Mahuchikh and Kokhan have matched each other through the age-group ranks going all the way back to the 2017 World U18 Championships in Nairobi where they won titles in the high jump and hammer at the age of 15 and 16 respectively.
They repeated one year later at both the European Athletics U18 Championships in Gyor, Hungary and the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires before striking gold again at junior level at the 2019 European Athletics U20 Championships in Boras, Sweden.
Two years later, both athletes begin not only as the favourites in their respective events but they could also update the record books at the Kadriorg Stadium especially with favourable conditions forecast during the championships.
The championship record in the high jump stands at 1.98m to four athletes, including the great Blanka Vlasic from Croatia, a height which is comfortably within Mahuchikh&rsquo;s repertoire. The teenager became the third highest jumper indoors in history with a 2.06m clearance in Banska Bystrica and she arrives fresh from setting a world lead of 2.03m in the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday, just one centimetre shy of her outdoor lifetime best set at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.
"I hope in this competition I will jump high and improve my personal best," said Mahuchikh, who won silver at those championships at the age of 18, at the pre-event press conference.&nbsp;
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/CRB7-5ZJ_1g"]
Mahuchikh&rsquo;s closest competitor is likely to be Belarus&rsquo; Karyna Demidik, who won the 2018 world U20 title in Tampere under her maiden name of Taranda. Like her Ukrainian rival, Demidik has also scaled the two metre-barrier in her career and jointly holds her national record with a 2.00m clearance.
For Kokhan, the long-standing championship record of 80.88m set by France&rsquo;s Nicolas Figere in 2001 appears to be a slightly tougher assignment but he almost matched that mark in his most recent competition in Szekesfehervar on Monday (15) evening.&nbsp;
His winning mark of 80.78m represented a world age-20 best and sufficed for victory ahead of the all-conquering Polish pair of Pawel Fajdek and Wojciech Nowicki who have won every major title in the hammer this side of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Kokhan could soon challenge this Polish hegemony in the major events if he continues his heady ascent through the ranks. He won the European U18 title in Gyor with a world U18 best of 87.82m with the 5kg implement - the longest throw ever recorded in the hammer across all age-groups - before winning gold in Boras at U20 level with a European U20 record of 84.73m with the 6kg implement. He went on to finish fifth at the World Championships aged 18 in an event which typically favours older and stronger competitors.
Ceh and Van Klinken poised to rewrite the record books in the discus
The championship records in the discus look similarly vulnerable even if reigning champion Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia and Jorinde van Klinken from the Netherlands don&rsquo;t quite produce their very best form in the Kadriorg Stadium.
The colossal Ceh, who towers over his contemporaries at 2.08m tall, joined the prestigious 70 metre-plus club in the discus by extending his European U23 record to 70.35m in Kuortane last June - a performance which very nearly defeated world champion Daniel Stahl until the Swede responded in the sixth round with a throw 20 centimetres in excess of Ceh.
On his rapid rise over the last eighteen months, Ceh said at the press conference: "Coronavirus made it a bit difficult to train and competitions were cancelled but I think on the bright side, covid gave us much more time to change things that we didn&rsquo;t have time for. It gave me a lot of time to make changes in the technique so I wasn&rsquo;t complaining."&nbsp;
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/CRBTE6FDHsN"]
The championship record in the men&rsquo;s discus has stood to Germany&rsquo;s Robert Harting at 64.50m since the 2005 but this performance could very possibly be ameliorated. Ceh has thrown further than this mark in nine of his ten competitions in 2021.
Van Klinken has a similar cushion to Ceh in terms of her advantage on the championship record. Her lifetime best and world lead of 70.22m puts her almost six metres ahead of the championship record of 64.40m held by Ukraine&rsquo;s Kataryna Karsak since 2007 and the Dutchwoman has surpassed the 64 metre-line in her last five competitions.
The women&rsquo;s discus line-up is one of the highest quality of the event. Croatia&rsquo;s Marija Tolj will be defending her title in Tallinn while the precocious Alexandra Emilianov from Moldova has a second chance to add the European U23 title to her world U18 and U20 and European U18 and U20 titles after winning silver behind Tolj in 2019.
The American-based Emilianov is also in excellent form, recently improving her lifetime best to 64.40m in Kyiv which also surpassed the Olympic standard for Tokyo 2020. She will follow in her father Ivan's footsteps as he represented Moldova in the shot put at four Olympic Games.
Aside from Ceh and Tolj, Sweden&rsquo;s Henrik Larsson and Great Britain&rsquo;s Shemar Boldiszar will be defending their European U23 titles in the men&rsquo;s 100m and 200m respectively. Larsson won the 100m title on home soil in Gavle two years ago at the age of 19 while Boldiszar upset his more experienced rivals for victory in the 200m.
Other athletes who could potentially complete the set of major age-group titles include Great Britain's Isabelle Boffey and Delia Sclabas from Switzerland who have both entered the 800m. Having won the U18 heptathlon title in 2016 and U20 heptathlon in 2017, Ukraine's Alina Shukh is seeking individual success in the javelin while Turkish race walker Meryem Bekmez could also win her third age-group title in the 20km race walk.
The entry-list also includes one reigning European champion in Belgium's Jonathan Sacoor who triumphed in the 4x400m at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships. Sacoor has entered both the individual 400m as well as the 4x400m at these championships.

Mahuchikh and Kokhan to target a full set of age-group titles in Tallinn

Ukrainian hammer thrower Mykhaylo Kokhan continued his prodigious progress when he won at the 11th Istvan Gyulai Memorial meeting in Szekesfehervar, Hungary with a personal best of 80.78m on Monday.
Not only did Kokhan go over 80 metres for the first time in his life at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, his big throw coming in the fourth round, he set a world age-20 best for the event and beat a host of illustrious names.
Behind him was the reigning European champion, Poland&rsquo;s Wojciech Nowicki, who finished second with 80.58m, with fellow Pole and four-time world champion Pawel Fajdek third with 78.78m.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;Eighty metres was my goal for this competition and I&rsquo;m pleased that I did it,&rdquo; reflected Kokhan. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to beat Pawel and Wojciech, but they&rsquo;re probably in heavy training at the moment.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Kokhan&rsquo;s effort was also the best by a European U23 thrower since 2004. He has been on an upward trajectory ever since he took the world U18 title in 2017.
The following year he set a world U18 best of 87.82m with the 5kg implement when winning the European U18 title and in 2019 he won the European U20 title with a continental record of 84.73m before finishing an astonishing fifth at the World Athletics Championships later that summer at the age of 18.
His next competition will be later this week at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, with the hammer throw qualifying on Thursday and final on Friday.
All eyes will be on whether Kokhan can improve further and beat the long-standing championship record of 80.88m which has stood to France&rsquo;s Nicolas Figere since the 2001 edition in Amsterdam.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/GyulaiMemorial/status/1412101930650935298"]
Poland&rsquo;s world record holder and two-time defending Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk continued her return to form after surgery.
She threw 74.76m in third round in Szekesfehervar to secure her second successive win. Three women threw over 74 metres in a close and exciting competition with French record-holder Alexandra Tavernier reaching 74.69m with her last throw and Poland&rsquo;s Malwina Kopron finishing third with 74.02m.
Belgium&rsquo;s Cynthia Bolingo improved the Belgian 400m record for the third time in five weeks when she ran 50.29m at the Meeting Stanislas in Nancy, France.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1412138371904851976"]
The time at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting is also the best by a European in 2021 and the fastest by a European since Christine Ohuruogu in 2013. Second was Authorised Neutral Athlete and European U20 champion Polina Miller who clocked a personal best of 50.76.
Reigning European indoor champion Wilhelm Belocian got a home win in the 110 m hurdles with 13.16 (-0.6), just 0.01 shy of his personal best and European-lead set when winning the French national title last month.
Greece&rsquo;s Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou cleared a season&rsquo;s best of 4.70m to win the pole vault and provide the other meeting highlight.

Kokhan throws over 80 metres; Bolingo runs European leading 400m in 50.29

The medals for the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships have been officially unveiled with one week to go until the U23 event kicks off proceedings on 8 July.&nbsp;
The medals feature a panorama of Tallinn and a stadium curve which denotes the Kadriorg Stadium. A total of 88 sets of medals will be awarded during both championships where more than 2000 athletes from all over Europe will compete in Tallinn.
The designer of the medal Jarmo Jaaku said the design symbolises the launch of young athletes to the top and introduces the venue of the competition as well as the host city. &ldquo;The medal is shaped like a balloon and features the recognisable panorama of Tallinn and the stadium curve,&rdquo; he said.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/CQv7UhFro_t"]
2008 Olympic discus champion Gerd Kanter, who was a member of the medal design jury, said: &ldquo;The Tallinn 2021 medal represents Tallinn beautifully. It is a dignified medal worth striving for. I wish the Estonian and all other teams a lot of success and invite everybody to cheer for the potential medal winners at Kadriorg Stadium.&rdquo;
The official anthem of the championships has also been released. Popular Estonian DJ Andres K&otilde;pper, also known as NO&Euml;P, wrote the official anthem which will be played at Kadriorg Stadium during both the European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kg4oJHmJZx4" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
NO&Euml;P said: &ldquo;The desire was to write something that would be motivating and uplifting. Before I got to this song, I tried many ideas, but many of them seemed too emotional. &ldquo;I Get Up&rdquo; is also emotional, but it&rsquo;s just right,&rdquo; commented NO&Euml;P.
Taavi Esperk, the head organiser of the European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships, said: &ldquo;We are pleased to introduce NO&Euml;P also to foreign sports audiences both on site and via TV live feed,&rdquo; said Esperk.
The final entry-list for the European Athletics U23 Championships can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/dcdf944a-89ea-4786-b3b9-ba9f20a5a8c9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. All sessions will be streamed live with English-language commentary through the European Athletics website.&nbsp;

Medals and official anthem for Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships launched

Five champions from the last European Athletics U23 Championships are among the final entries for the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships, which will be held in the Estonian capital from 8-11 July.
A full list of entries is now available and can be seen <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/dcdf944a-89ea-4786-b3b9-ba9f20a5a8c9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and are available to download.
Sweden&rsquo;s Henrik Larsson and Great Britain&rsquo;s Shemar Boldiszar, who flew to the 100m and 200m titles two year ago in the Swedish city of Gavle are still eligible to defend their crowns so too are both 2019 discus winners, Slovenia&rsquo;s Kristjan Ceh and Croatia&rsquo;s Marija Tolj.
Ceh will start as the overwhelming favourite for his event having twice broken the European U23 record &ndash; and also the unofficial world best &ndash; this year, including throwing a massive 70.35m in Kourtane, Finland. He stands second on the 2021 world list and will go to the Tokyo Olympic Games later in July as a prospect to get a rare athletics medal for his country at 'the Greatest Show on Earth'.
Certainly, the long-standing European U23 championship record of 64.50m, which belongs to none other than the future Olympic, world and European champion Robert Harting, must be under threat as Ceh has thrown over that distance in seven out of his eight competitions this year.
By contrast, Tolj may have her work cut out despite improving to 63.39m this year as she will face the the Netherlands&rsquo; prodigious Jorinde van Klinken, who threw a world-leading 70.22m last month and the 2019 European U20 shot put champion has further than 64 metres in her last five meeting.
The fifth 2019 winner to bid to retain her title will be Turkey&rsquo;s Ayse Tekdal in the 20km race walk, who finished fifth in last month&rsquo;s European Race Walk Team Championships.
The list of entries contains a plethora of talent with many 2019 European U20 champions &ndash; and even a few from 2017 &ndash; moving up an age group and looking to add to their medal collection.
Notably among this group is Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who is still only 19.
Mahuchikh took the 2021 European indoor title, to follow on from her 2019 World Athletics Championships silver medal, and leads this year&rsquo;s European lists having jumped 2.06m indoors and 2.00m outdoors this year.
She could well be another athlete to improve on a championship record in Tallinn as the women's high jump standard currently stands at 1.98m to four different jumpers.
Jake Heyward leads the European 1500m list by more than two seconds after his run of 3:33.99 last month, and the British runner will be out to add another gold medal to the one he won at the 2017 European U20s.
The women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles could also be one of the highlights of the four days of competition in Tallinn.
Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skrzyszowska, the 2019 European U20 100m hurdles silver medallist, was an impressive double winner at the recent European Athletics Team Championships when she also won the 100m without the barriers.
In Tallinn, she will just focus on the hurdles but will face the in-form Frenchwoman Cyrena Samba-Mayela who won the French title on Sunday and leads the European U23 list with her time of 12.75 in Angers.

Heyward, Ceh, Skrzyszowska and Mahuchikh among the European Athletics U23 Championships entries

A limited number of tickets are on sale for the European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships which take place in back-to-back weeks in the Kadriorg Stadium in Tallinn, Estonia.
The European Athletics U23 Championships take place from 8-11 July and the European Athletics U20 Championships will be held the following week from 15-18 July.
Up to 1000 spectators can enter the stadium per competition session which are split into morning and evening sessions. The ticket price for one session is 15 euros.
There are 1000 full-day tickets for Sunday's competition which are priced at 30 euros. Tickets for both events can be purchased on Piletilevi.
<a href="https://www.piletilevi.ee/eng/tickets/sport/kergejoustik/u23-euroopa-meistrivoistlused-kergejoustikus-european-athletics-u23-championships-74479/">European Athletics U23 Championships</a>
<a href="https://www.piletilevi.ee/eng/tickets/sport/kergejoustik/u20-euroopa-meistrivoistlused-kergejoustikus-european-athletics-u20-championships-74480/">European Athletics U20 Championships</a>
Before buying your tickets, spectators are kindly asked to read the information regarding ticketing on Piletilevi carefully.
Children up to the age of 12 can enter the competition free of charge based on a 0-ticket purchased from Piletilevi.
Spectators do not have to take the COVID-19 test or prove their vaccination or immunity but the organisers have the right to make changes to the safety rules before and during the competition, taking into account the virus prevention rules in force.&nbsp;
Foreign spectators are allowed to attend the event if they meet the entry requirements set by the Estonian Government. These can be found <a href="https://vm.ee/en/information-countries-and-self-isolation-requirements-passengers">here</a>.&nbsp;
For more information on tickets, please e-mail <a href="mailto:info@piletilevi.ee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">info@piletilevi.ee</a>.

Tickets on sale for European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships

Media accreditation is now open for the European Athletics U23 Championships (8-11 July) and for European Athletics U20 Championships (15-18 July), both taking place in Tallinn, Estonia.&nbsp;
Medical and sanitary protocol&nbsp;
European Athletics continues to proceed with a thorough risk assessment and evaluation of the situation in coordination with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the national/local authorities to ensure that the European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia can take place in a safe environment.&nbsp;
A Sanitary and Medical Clearance Protocol will be in place for the Championships which can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/fc1983a5-f194-45ec-b552-5ac3ab178ae3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
All accredited members of the media are kindly instructed to follow the sanitary and medical rules and procedures which will be designed to ensure the safe staging of the event. Violation of these rules and procedures may result in sanctions such as the revocation of the accreditation issued. &nbsp;
The sanitary procedures for this event may be changed in accordance with the development of the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Estonia and in whole Europe.&nbsp;
In order to ensure the safe staging of the championships, the&nbsp;number of on-site media will be reduced&nbsp;in order to comply with the prevailing health and safety protocols.&nbsp;&nbsp;
All accredited media must perform one test to detect SARS CoV2 genetic material (RT-PCR) in a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab.&nbsp;The swab shall be collected maximum 48&nbsp;hours&nbsp;before&nbsp;arrival&nbsp;to Tallinn.&nbsp;The result must be negative, and the English analysis report will have to be uploaded into the Registration System before arrival in Tallinn.&nbsp;&nbsp;
After arrival in Tallinn, additional PCR tests will be conducted every 72 hours.&nbsp;
Please&nbsp;note&nbsp;that&nbsp;being&nbsp;vaccinated will not exempt anyone from following the measures.&nbsp;
Closer to the event media representatives will receive an e-mail asking them to upload their relevant medical information into the system. Please note these pages are&nbsp;not&nbsp;currently&nbsp;online.&nbsp;
The rules for testing may change before the event and will be communicated promptly.
For any further queries relating to the safety and sanitary rules, please e-mail event@european-athletics.org.&nbsp;&nbsp;
On-site media&nbsp;
Prospective applicants are invited to apply for media accreditation by following one of the four links below and completing the form.&nbsp;
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsU23U20Championships2021/e/cp/g/100560/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Digital Press (on-site)&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsU23U20Championships2021/e/cp/g/100420/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Photographer</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsU23U20Championships2021/e/cp/g/100550/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Written Press (on-site)&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsU23U20Championships2021/e/cp/g/100450/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Non-rights holder (on-site)</a>
In addition, Non-rights holders who will be working remotely can apply for accredition via the following link.&nbsp;
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsU23U20Championships2021/e/lk/g/100690/k/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Non-rights holders (remote)</a>
Accommodation&nbsp;
It is mandatory for all accredited members of the media on-site to stay at the designated hotel - Hotel Oru.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Hotel Oru&nbsp;</li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Narva maantee 120 Tallinn, Estonia&nbsp;</li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Website: <a href="https://oruhotel.ee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://oruhotel.ee/</a><a href="https://oruhotel.ee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;</a></li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">Single room price: 115 eur&nbsp;</li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Twin room price: 130 eur&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Prices per room, per night (including breakfast, internet and taxes).&nbsp;
The deadline to apply for accreditation with accommodation is Tuesday 29 June. After that, accommodation cannot be guaranteed. &nbsp;
For any cancellations made until Tuesday 29 June, no cancellation fee will be charged.&nbsp;
For any cancellation made from Wednesday 30 June onwards, 100% of your total accommodation cost will be charged as a cancellation fee, unless the room is resold.&nbsp;
For any enquiries on accommodation, please e-mail Kadi M&ouml;ller at kadi@ekjl.ee.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Arrivals and departures&nbsp;
Transportation will be provided to the official hotel from the&nbsp;Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport&nbsp;
All arrival and departure times must be entered to the system at least 72 hours in advance to ensure transportation from and to the airport. No other modes of transportation are allowed due to Covid-restrictions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
On-site transportation&nbsp;&nbsp;
Transportation will be provided on-site to/from the official venues with regular media shuttles. The timetable will be communicated in due time.&nbsp;

Media accreditation opens for European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships

The European Athletics U23 Championships is now due to take place in Tallinn, Estonia from 8-11 July.
The biennial championships were initially due to be held on the same dates in Bergen, Norway before they were forced to withdraw owing to ongoing restrictions relating to coronavirus.
This means the Estonian capital will be staging two age-group championships this summer in back-to-back weeks. One week after the European Athletics U23 Championships, the Kadriorg Stadium will also host the European Athletics U20 Championships between 15-18 July.
Tallinn last staged the European Athletics U23 Championships in 2015 when notable champions included reigning European senior champions Nafissatou Thiam (high jump), Christin Hussong (javelin) and Malaika Mihambo (long jump).
The staging of the championships is still dependent on the successful signing of the hosting agreement which should happen in the coming weeks.&nbsp;

Tallinn confirmed as new host city of European Athletics U23 Championships

European Athletics has been informed by Norwegian Athletics that despite intensive discussions with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Health, it was unable to obtain an exemption from the strict entry quarantine rules in place due to Covid-19, and therefore that the European Athletics U23 Championships planned for 8-11 July will not take place in Bergen, Norway.&nbsp;
Despite a review earlier this week by the Norwegian government on their policy,&nbsp;it was not deemed possible to grant an exemption for this&nbsp;event, nor was it possible to receive a definitive answer as to when the quarantine requirements in Norway&nbsp;might be lifted. In these circumstances&nbsp;the only option was&nbsp;therefore&nbsp;to cancel&nbsp;the&nbsp;European U23 Championships&nbsp;in Norway.&nbsp;
In the coming days European Athletics will investigate the possibility of finding a new host for the European Athletics U23 Championships at a date later in the summer, most probably after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.&nbsp;
European Athletics Interim President Dobromir Karamarinov said: &ldquo;We understand that this was a difficult decision to make, one&nbsp;which is only due to the current health situation and&nbsp;strict&nbsp;quarantine&nbsp;rules&nbsp;in Norway. We thank&nbsp;Norwegian Athletics and the LOC&nbsp;for all&nbsp;the&nbsp;efforts&nbsp;they&nbsp;have made in trying to obtain an exemption&nbsp;to the&nbsp;quarantine, but most of all&nbsp;we&nbsp;thank&nbsp;them&nbsp;for continuing the preparation work during this very difficult period.&nbsp;I am however very confident that we will be able to find a new host for this age category event which is so important for the athletes at this stage of their career.&rdquo;&nbsp;
LOC&nbsp;President, and member of the Norwegian Athletics Board,&nbsp;Ragnfrid Llano said:&nbsp;&ldquo;It is a sad decision to take, but due to the circumstances we had no other choice than to cancel it. We have had a good dialogue with European&nbsp;Athletics&nbsp;all the way, and we have&nbsp;started&nbsp;talking about the possibility to be host for the 2025&nbsp;European Athletics U23 Championships&nbsp;since we were forced to cancel this year.&nbsp;These plans are also supported by the&nbsp;Councillor&nbsp;of&nbsp;City of Bergen, Roger Valhammer&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Mayor of&nbsp;County of Vestland, Jon Askeland&rdquo;.&nbsp;

European Athletics U23 Championships will not take place in Bergen

“I want to be world class in every event” is quite an ambition for a young heptathlete. But for Kate O’Connor, the first Irishwoman to score over 6000 points in the heptathlon, she is well on her way to achieving that goal. 
O'Connor won silver in the heptathlon in a thrilling contest against Spain's Maria Vicente at the Boras 2019 European Athletics U20 Championships with her landmark national record of 6093 points. At 18, O’Connor was already an old hand at the age-group championships, guided until that point by her father and coach Michael O’Connor. But as she descended from the podium in Boras with her first international medal, some big changes were waiting. 
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As the end of the summer approached, O’Connor had the opportunity of a US college scholarship in Texas. Instead she decided to move to Sheffield where she joined the training group led by Toni Minichiello, whose partnership with Olympic, European and three-time world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill is one of the most famous in athletics.
“It was definitely the right decision,” she explained. “I’ve noticed a big step up in my training and I’ve never pushed myself so hard in running sessions. But this is the level I’ve got to move up to, to compete with the best in the world. And it’s different being coached by someone who’s not my dad. With Toni, it’s at the track only, and then I go back to normal life as soon as training’s over.”
Normal life was interrupted, however, as coronavirus restrictions started to bite across the continent in the first few months of 2020, and O’Connor returned home to Ireland to train during lockdown. “I was running around trying to get equipment, but luckily I had my dad there. He’s coached me since I was young, so we found a place that I could train. We got some gym equipment and I have my own javelin and shots, so I could go into the field and throw. I also have three hurdles. The grass was a bit uneven for hurdling, but my dad kept telling me it was good for my ankles!” she said.
Growing up and competing in Ireland was where O’Connor first discovered combined events. “When I started athletics,” she said, “I always did three really random events: the long jump, the javelin and the 800m. Looking back on it now it just screams multi events, but at the time I just did those three events because I was good at them. My shot put and my hurdles were absolutely atrocious – I’ve seen old videos and my arms are all over the place!”
But she got on top of all of the disciplines first in the pentathlon, followed by the heptathlon, and her performances took her to first international competition at the Tbilisi 2016 European Athletics U18 competition when O’Connor was just 15 and the youngest athlete in the field. 
“That was a crazy experience,” she remembered. “There was an earthquake and one day we drove past an enormous crack in the road. But it was really cool, and I definitely learned so much. I wasn’t really competitive, but I remember watching and learning from the other girls. I also learned to deal with competing in the heat, managing what food I eat when it’s so different from what I’m used to, and even getting used to the cameras being around you all the time.”
Next up were the European Athletics U20 Championships in Grosseto in 2017 when O’Connor finished eighth followed by the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast April 2018 when she represented Northern Ireland. “I was so uptight the whole competition,” she recalled on her major senior debut. “I don’t know whether it was the massive crowd, but it got to the javelin and I thought: I could have enjoyed this so much more if I had just been more relaxed. Leaving that competition, I vowed to myself that from now on, you’re just going to relax, enjoy it, take it all in, and do the best that you can. And if it doesn’t go well, it doesn’t go well.” 
And true to her word, O’Connor put that experience into practice at her second European Athletics U20 Championships, this time in Boras. Faced with stiff competition from Spain’s exceptional world and European U18 champion Maria Vicente and emerging Swiss heptathlete Annik Kalin, O’Connor relaxed into each event. Or at least she did once the hurdles were out of the way. 
“I’m always really nervous before the hurdles,” she confesses. “Imagine I fall and then the whole heptathlon is over! But once I got through that, the high jump competition was one of the best times I’ve ever had competing. Then for the rest of the event, well, I just enjoyed it so much. I love looking back on the videos of my 1.81m high jump and my 52.92m javelin. I can still feel how I felt at that time.”
 [INSTAGRAM ID='https://www.instagram.com/p/B5QJizMBwfN/']
O’Connor’s personal bests in the high jump and 200m followed by another lifetime best and Northern Irish record in the javelin helped her secure not only the silver medal but a piece of domestic history by becoming the first Irish athlete to exceed the 6000 points-barrier. Together with her runner-up finish at the Multistars meeting in Lana, Italy, the 2019 campaign represented a breakthrough season, and one which loaded the hopes of a nation onto her shoulders for the future. 
“The compliments are all really nice, but I don’t let it weigh me down. I would love to compete at the Olympics, and do well, but I just go out there and try to do the best that I can.”
As she moves up to the next age group – she turns 20 this year – Kate has her sights set on the European Athletics U23 championships in Bergen, Norway which begin on 8 July 2021. But before they were cancelled, she had been aiming for the European Championships in Paris in August. 
“I already had the qualifying standard for Paris and I really wanted to go over 6000 again and push my score up. But the U23s are a really big competition for me. I only have one chance in the age group, and I would love to medal. But the competition is going to be really stiff, with the likes of [world U20 champions] Niamh Emerson and Sarah Lagger there. It’s so competitive and everyone is pushing each other on,” said O’Connor who is also likely to cross paths again with both Vicente and Kalin as well. 
O’Connor’s mighty javelin is something she has in common with the reigning European U23 champion, Switzerland’s Geraldine Ruckstuhl. Both competed in the individual event during the 2019 season, including at the European Throwing Cup in Samorin, Slovakia last March, and the European Athletics Team Championships in August with Ruckstuhl competing for Switzerland in the Super League and O’Connor in the First League for Ireland.
“I love competing in the javelin,” said O'Connor. “I think to myself: I’m the heptathlete, I do six other events as well, and I’m up there competing with all the javelin girls! If you look at the likes of Nafi Thiam and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, their high jump is mad. And they’re up competing with the best in the world. But who knows if I’ll ever just do javelin because I really love the heptathlon. 
“It’s so fun and it makes training so interesting. It will take time, but I can see month on month, year on year the improvements in my events, especially now that my training has stepped up. Being world class in every event is one of my goals – because being world class in every event is what you have to do to get a medal in heptathlon.”
Gabriella Pieraccini for European Athletics 
<div> </div>

 “I want to be world class in every event” is quite an ambition for a young heptathlete. But for Kate O’Connor, the first Irishwoman to score over 6000

Kate O’Connor: “Being world class in every event is one of my goals”

A little more than a month ago in the Swedish town of Gavle, 21-year-old Jemma Reekie made history in becoming the first British athlete to win two individual gold medals at the European Athletics U23 Championships by storming to victories - with a fair degree of ease - in both the 800m and 1500m. 
Guided by Andy Young in Glasgow and a training partner of five-time European champion Laura Muir and emerging Canadian Gabriela Debues-Stafford, Reekie negotiated four races in as many days to capture the continental middle distance double. 
“The European under-23 champs were a huge target of mine this year - I love championship racing and it was exciting to race in my age group,” she said. “People asked ‘what if you risk too much and leave with nothing?.’ I kept quiet and thought ‘but what if I win both - how amazing would that be?’ Only Andy and myself know what I’m capable of - I knew he wouldn’t let me do it if he didn’t think I could. 
“I just tried to stay out of trouble in the heats and stay relaxed. I recovered well mentally as well - I was sharing a room with one of my great friends Ellie Baker, who came second in the 800m - we both were able to shut off from racing and relax, laugh and watch plenty of TV together. 
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“For the finals, I knew from the second I walked on to that track I wasn’t going to be satisfied with anything but two golds. During the 800m, I ran my race plan completely different but I managed not to panic - I crossed the line in disbelief. 
“I was looking forward to the 1500m the most so I was really excited to get racing - I ran my race exactly to plan and it worked out. The girls made it tough but I was so happy to cross the line first again. It was so special to have Andy there watching, I was so delighted to be the first ever British athlete to have done that as well. I honestly still can’t believe I won both - I am so so happy.” 
Olympic 1500m standard already ticked off
Revealing that she skipped the post-event party and simply celebrated with ice cream and then brunch with her siblings back home, Reekie has enjoyed an impressive turn in form over the past two seasons. 
With 2017 undoubtedly her breakthrough campaign and a year that “shaped her to be the athlete she is” - she boasted improvements of three and twelve seconds respectively over 800m and 1500m, in addition to capturing that first international medal in Grosseto where she won gold at the European U20 Championships over 1500m. 
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Reekie then went onto register no less than 13 personal bests in 2018 and qualified for the European Championships in Berlin where she donned a British in the 1500m alongside training partner Muir and two-time Olympic finalist Laura Weightman. 
She began 2019 well during the indoor season with another flurry of lifetime bests and a title at the British Championships in Birmingham, but Reekie struggled at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in her hometown of Glasgow, failing to progress beyond the first round after suffering from the tail-end of an untimely cold. 
However, outdoors - and prior to her title-winning performances in Gavle - she clocked a fine 2:01.45 800m and 4:05.82 1500m lifetime best in the build-up. Instead of resting on her laurels after Gavle, the double European U23 champion went on to record an impressive four-second 1500m personal best with 4:02.09 for seventh place at the IAAF Diamond League in London, less than a week after her gold medal-winning exploits. 
 “The London Stadium is amazing to say the least - every time I walk on the track, I feel so happy and ready to give it my best. My body was a bit tired when I raced but I’m satisfied with 4:02 and ecstatic to have ran the Olympic qualifying standard,” she said.
Feeling ‘limitless’ 
Having joined Young’s squad in 2015, Reekie is quick to praise the impact both her coach and training companions have had on her young career: “The group we have is large and can be as many as 16 of us - we train together three times a week and we believe nothing is impossible; we just all want to do what nobody has done before - Andy makes it feel limitless,” she explained. 
“Running on the circuit has been a great learning curve and experience - it hasn’t phased me racing them because I line up against the best in the world [referring to Muir] in every session - you can’t get much better.” 
Continuing on the subject of her illustrious training partner, who is five years her senior, Reekie revealed: “Laura and myself have became great friends throughout the years - we spend a lot of time together from being on camp to catching up in between training. I think watching Laura train and work so hard, it just rubbed off on me. I don’t know any different now, I just want it so bad.” 
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With two gold medals from Gavle and the Olympic standard ticked off, Reekie will contest the British Championships in Birmingham later this month with the goal of gaining selection to join Muir at the IAAF World Championships in Doha in September. 
And if Doha arrives too soon for her first senior championship, 2020 represents an opportunity to make her Olympic debut. “Tokyo is a big aim of mine,' she said. 'I would absolutely love to be there. It would be a dream come true, I just have to keep doing what I am doing, working hard and anything can happen.
“I can be hard on myself but when I look back at what I’ve achieved at 21, I am like 'wow!' I sometimes have to take a minute and appreciate what I have done because I’m someone that is always looking to better myself straight away. If you had told me a couple years ago where I am now, I don’t think I’d believe it!”

 A little more than a month ago in the Swedish town of Gavle, 21-year-old Jemma Reekie made history in becoming the first British athlete to win two individual

‘Limitless’ Reekie plots senior success after double gold in Gavle

The Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships were highlighted by five championship records across the four days of competition at the Gunder Hagg Stadium.
One of the outstanding performances came from German decathlete Niklas Kaul who set an outright European lead of 8572 points to break the championship record. Kaul, 21, now has major honours at U18, U20 and U23 level to his credit and few would bet against the German being a very significant factor at major senior championships over the next decade.
Kaul put himself into a virtually unassailable position after setting a championship best of 77.36m - one of the best ever javelins recorded in any combined events competition - to leapfrog the long-time leader Johannes Erm from Estonia. 
Kaul set his best ever day one score of 4208 points to put himself in a strong position to challenge for the title and he put together a remarkable second day, topping the standings individually in the last three events - pole vault (4.80m), javelin (77.36m) and 1500m (4:17.63) - to demonstrate his exceptional all-round ability.
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While Kaul is making seamless progression through the age-group ranks, Belarusian Elvira Herman added the European U23 title to an already impressive list of senior accolades. Herman made the most of the good conditions to conclude her age-group career with a championship record of 12.70 in the 100m hurdles, eclipsing Noemi Zbaren’s record by 0.01.
Herman was one of three European senior champions from Berlin 2018 in action. Miltiadis Tentoglou won his fourth major title with a European lead and outdoor lifetime best of 8.32m in the long jump - one of four jumps in excess of the 8.20m mark. Unfortunately Jonathan Sacoor, who was part of Belgium’s gold medal-winning team in the 4x400m relay, didn’t even get to run after the Belgian quartet dropped the baton in heavy traffic on the second leg of the final.
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The Poles enjoyed another stellar championships with six gold medals to finish second on the medal table. Konrad Bukowiecki and Ewa Swoboda successfully defended their titles as anticipated and Cyprian Mrzyglod added to their tally with a championship record of 84.97m to move from silver to gold in the sixth round of the javelin.
The Germans topped the medal table with nine gold medals, including six on the final day of competition. Their medal haul included gold from Alina Reh who won the 10,000m gun-to-gape in 31:39.34 to eclipse the championship record but her front running exploits came up just short in the 5000m against a rival who had also won a gold medal in a championship record earlier in the week.
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Twenty four hours after winning the 3000m steeplechase title for the second time in a championship record of 9:27.31, Moller tracked Reh all the way in the 5000m, launching an impeccable sprint finish to win her second gold medal of the championships - this time in a national record of 15:07.70.
Double gold was a theme throughout the championships. Jemma Reekie came away with a 800/1500m double while Jimmy Gressier won gold medals in both the 5000m and 10,000m, adding to his title haul which includes four gold medals - two individual and two team titles - at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek also made an important contribution to the Polish title haul, winning gold in the 400m in a 52.34 PB before running down the British team in the 4x400m relay to win her second gold medal of the championships in 3:32.56.
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In total, 30 countries won medals across the four days and 41 participating nations had at least one athlete place inside the top eight in a final.
If you missed anything, you can watch on-demand highlights and interviews from the four days of competition courtesy of EBU <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/event/30/european-athletics-u23-championships-gavle/calendar' target='_blank'>here</a>.
Championship records 
Elvira Herman (BLR) 12.70 - 100m hurdles 
Alina Reh (GER) 31:39.34 - 10,000m 
Anna Emilie Moller (DEN) 9:27.31 - 3000m steeplechase 
Cyprian Mrzyglod (POL) 84.97m - Javelin 
Niklas Kaul (GER) 8572 points - Decathlon
European senior leads 
Elvira Herman (BLR) 12.70 - 100m hurdles 
Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) 8.32m - Long jump 
Niklas Kaul (GER) 8572 points - Decathlon
European U23 leads 
Fabrisio Saidy (FRA) 45.79 - 400m 
Wilfried Happio (FRA) 49.03 - 400m hurdles 
German 4x400m relay team (GER) - 3:03.92 
Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) 8.32m - Long jump 
Necati Er (TUR) 17.37m - Triple jump 
Kristjan Ceh (SLO) 63.82m - Discus 
Niklas Kaul (GER) 8572 points - Decathlon 
Vasiliy Mizinov (ANA) 1:21:29 - 20km race walk 
Elvira Herman (BLR) 12.70 - 100m hurdles 
German 4x100m relay team (GER) - 43.45 
Polish 4x400m relay team (POL) - 3:32.56 
Angelica Moser (SUI) 4.56m - Pole vault 
Marija Tolj (CRO) 62.76m - Discus

 The Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships were highlighted by five championship records across the four days of competition at the Gunder Hagg

Five championship records set at the European Athletics U23 Championships

Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie and Denmark’s Anna Emilie Moller completed track doubles on the final day of competition at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships.
Reekie has raced on each of the four days of the championships but the Brit defied her tired legs to produce a sprightly last lap of 59.6 to complete the 800/1500m double and add to her European U20 1500m title from Grosseto two years ago.
The Brit didn’t face any significant opposition on the last lap, maintaining her position and utilising her impressive closing pace to win her second gold medal of the championships in 4:22.81 ahead of Belgium’s Elise Vanderelst (4:23.50) and Italy’s Marta Zenoni (4:23.96). 
“I am happy with the win and the race was a really tough one because of how sore my body was after all the races I've ran during these four days,” said Reekie. “My legs were really hurting, but I knew I couldn't stop; I had to keep going.” 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
.<a href='https://twitter.com/JemmaReekie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@JemmaReekie</a> does the middle distance double in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>! <a href='https://t.co/h9wsNEdq6G'>pic.twitter.com/h9wsNEdq6G</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150431318368501761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
Twenty four hours after winning the 3000m steeplechase title for the second time, Denmark’s Anna Emilie Moller was also back on the track and came away with her second gold medal in the 5000m. After a gun-to-tape win in the 3000m steeplechase yesterday, Moller applied different tactics this time, shadowing Germany’s 10,000m winner Alina Reh all the way until the final 200 metres. 
After setting a championship record of 9:27.31 to win the 3000m steeplechase, Moller sprinted to victory in the 5000m in a Danish record of 15:07.70 ahead of Reh's 15:11.25. “I only saw this is a bonus event after my last medal and to be honest I feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment,” said Moller.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Two gold medals in 24 hours for Denmark's Anna Emilie Moller! 
After retaining her 3000m steeplechase title yesterday, Moller outsprints European U23 10,000m champion Alina Reh to win the 5000m.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/3jmhldOBVM'>pic.twitter.com/3jmhldOBVM</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150449883289137153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
Vasiliy Mizinov produced an incredible final kilometre in the men’s 20km race walk to reel in the fading and ailing long-time leader Salih Korkmaz from Turkey. 
Walking at a pace far in excess of his national record of 1:21:37, Korkmaz still led by 58 seconds with two kilometres remaining but he was beginning to feel the effects of these exertions, keeling over - and almost stopping altogether at times - with stomach cramps on the penultimate circuit.
Korkmaz was in clear discomfort but he still had a cushion of 33 seconds as he embarked on his final loop of the course in downtown Gavle. Surely this would be sufficient? 
The leader regained some of his form and composure but Mizinov was on the charge. The European bronze medallist was pumping his arms and legs furiously, getting ever closer to the leader before forcing his way past a flagging Korkmaz with the finish-line in view. Mizinov produced a final kilometre of 3:46 compared to Korkmaz’s 4:22 to win by three seconds in 1:21:29.
“Many competitors started too quickly and don't think too much about the finish, so I was hoping that Korkmaz would get tired and he did. I started much slower than the others but it paid off in the end,” said Mizinov.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
What a finish to the men's 20km race walk! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/jYh8L9GKGE'>pic.twitter.com/jYh8L9GKGE</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150401906520547333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
Continuing the theme of gun-to-tape wins in women’s distance events in Gavle, Turkey’s Ayse Tekdal led nearly every step of a slightly less eventful women’s 20km race walk. 
Tekdal began ambitiously and was on course for a sub-1:30 clocking in the early stages and even though her kilometre splits began to drop in the latter stages, the Turk still won by more than one minute.
And theme of excellent Turkish performances continued into the triple jump. Necati Er had never broken the 17-metre line prior to arriving in Gavle but the 22-year-old led qualifying with a Turkish record of 17.05m. 
A repeat of that mark would have sufficed for gold but he replaced his national record from qualifying with a phenomenal 17.37m in the second round to beat reigning champion Nazim Babayev from Azerbaijan with 17.03m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
17.37m for Turkey's Necati Er in the triple jump! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/U8iZ7aXiSk'>pic.twitter.com/U8iZ7aXiSk</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150451017340858369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
The track action kicked off with a dramatic finish in the women’s 400m hurdles with Belgium’s Paulien Couckuyt producing a strong run off the final barrier to overhaul the Italian pre-race favourite Linda Olivieri whose legs gave way just when she was on the cusp of gold.
Couckuyt was rewarded with not only the gold medal but also a lifetime best of 56.17, winning by 0.05 from Olivieri who fell across the finish-line in a heap. The Italian still came away with the silver medal on her 21st birthday in 56.22.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
A thrilling finish to begin the track programme on the final day of competition in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>! 
Belgium's Paulien Couckuyt pulls out a great run off the final barrier to win the 400m hurdles. <a href='https://t.co/eKz39TCHyZ'>pic.twitter.com/eKz39TCHyZ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150421985303912450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
And the track programme closed with another come-from-behind victory for Poland in the women’s 4x400m as individual 400m winner Natalia Kaczmarek clawed back a fifteen metre deficit on Great Britain’s Hannah Williams to bring the baton home in 3:32.56.
Full results <a href='https://www.european-athletics.org/competitions/european-athletics-u23-championships/2019/schedules-results/' target='_blank'>here</a>.

 Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie and Denmark’s Anna Emilie Moller completed track doubles on the final day of competition at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics

Reekie completes the middle distance double in Gävle

Johannes Erm described his first day in the decathlon as perfect but the Estonian trudged away from the arena after a “pretty mediocre” pole vault which put Germany’s eventual winner Niklas Kaul very much back in the fray with two events remaining.
Erm’s advantage after the pole vault was still in excess of 200 points but he was dearly hoping to clear something higher than the 4.70m he managed today with the knowledge that Kaul is an excellent performer in both the javelin and 1500m.
“It was pretty mediocre,” assessed Erm on the final day of competition at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships. “It could have been better.”
Kaul finished day one with his best ever total of 4208 points and the reigning European U20 champion performed above expectations in the discus with a lifetime best of 47.35m and in the pole vault, equalling his outdoor lifetime best of 4.80m before a truly special performance in the javelin.
Erm kept his gold medal hopes intact by setting a two metre-plus lifetime best of 58.73m in the second round of the javelin but then they were all but dashed by a moment of sheer magnificence from the German. Kaul produced a scintillating effort in the second round which hit the turf at 77.36m - a championship best and a lifetime best of nearly five metres.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
77.36m for Niklas Kaul in the decathlon javelin! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/ofUTDo9CmT'>pic.twitter.com/ofUTDo9CmT</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150408923645693952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
Erm gamely responded with his second lifetime best of his series with 59.60m but Kaul had closed the gap altogether and headed into the 1500m - another particularly strong event for the German - with a cushion of 17 points. 
Erm hadn’t given up on the gold medal and led Kaul for the first 300 metres but the German was to forge an inevitable path to the gold medal, opening up a gap of 80 metres on Erm in three laps. His time of 4:17.63 was the second fastest of his career to round off the greatest decathlon of his career thus far.
Kaul’s score of 8572 points broke Belarusian Andrei Krauchanka’s championship record of 8492 points which dates all the way back to Debrecen, Hungary in 2007. His score was also an outright European lead and will prove more than sufficient to make the German team for his first IAAF World Championships in Doha which begin in late September.
Kaul, who was fourth at the European Championships in Berlin last summer as a late replacement for the injured Kai Kazmirek, also moves to fourth on the European all-time U23 list behind Krauchanka (8617 points), Daley Thompson (8648 points) and Kaul’s compatriot Frank Busemann (8706 points). 
“The last three years, I've had an elbow injury so it's great to finally be able to throw well,” said Kaul. “In the 1500m, I could relax a bit but I'd looked at what the championship record was before the competition and I thought I could maybe break it, I'm so happy it all came together.” 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
'The technique was just on point and I hit it well. It was perfect.' 
Niklas Kaul reflects on winning gold in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> and that incredible performance in the javelin. <a href='https://t.co/SMKFkwjuWV'>pic.twitter.com/SMKFkwjuWV</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150490085835644929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
Contesting his third decathlon of the season after a long and gruelling US collegiate season which culminated with the NCAA title last month, Erm still came away with a lifetime best and Estonian U23 record of 8445 points thanks to three lifetime bests - and a championship best of 7.97m in the long jump - across the two days.
Kaul’s teammate Manuel Eitel, who set a championship best of 10.42 to open proceedings in the 100m, overcome a troublesome hamstring to come away with bronze and a total of 8067 points.
“I'm lucky that these days are over; one of my hamstrings wasn't feeling so well during the competition,' said Eitel. 'It's been the toughest decathlon I've ever done because of the problems I had with the hamstring.
Kaul provided one of six German gold medals on the final day of competition at the Gunder Hagg Stadium. As expected, their sprint teams won both the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay finals in 39.22 and 43.45 respectively before Michael Sanders anchored the Germans to a less anticipated win in the 4x400m relay in 3:03.92, holding off Great Britain (3:04.59) and France (3:05.36) who had individual medallists Cameron Chalmers and Fabrisio Saidy on anchor.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Double gold for Germany in the 4x100m relay in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>! 
Individual bronze medallist Lisa Nippgen anchored Germany to the title in 43.45 ahead of France and Poland. <a href='https://t.co/mfMA91N2ZJ'>pic.twitter.com/mfMA91N2ZJ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150459534252662785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
Annika Fuchs extended her lifetime best to 63.68m to win the javelin title ahead of Turkey’s Eda Tugsuz with 61.03m and Frederick Ruppert won the 3000m steeplechase title in 8:44.49 with the hosts winning a bronze courtesy of Simon Sundstrom in 8:45.82.
The Germans just missed out on the title in the men's discus as Slovenia's Kristjan Ceh threw 62.78m and 63.82m in the fifth and sixth round ahead of initial leader Clemens Prufer who set the standard in the first round with 62.15m.
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<div><article data-articleid='1288052'><section>Full results <a href='https://www.european-athletics.org/competitions/european-athletics-u23-championships/2019/schedules-results/' target='_blank'>here</a>. 
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 Johannes Erm described his first day in the decathlon as perfect but the Estonian trudged away from the arena after a “pretty mediocre” pole vault which

Kaul scores a championship record of 8572 points to win the decathlon

The decathlon began with championship bests in both the 100m and the long jump on the third morning of competition at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships.
Fresh from setting a lifetime best of 20.79 in the 200m last week, Manuel Eitel took advantage of a 1.9 m/s tailwind to stop the clock at 10.42 - his second fastest time in a decathlon - ahead of Artem Makarenko (10.70) and France’s Makenson Gletty (10.73).
American-based Estonian Johannes Erm began his day with a lifetime best of 10.73 to finish fourth in the same heat as Eitel before flirting with the eight metre-line in the long jump, reaching out to a championship best of 7.97m which was only one centimetre shy of his lifetime best.
This took Erm, who studies engineering at the University of Georgia, into a 100-plus point lead after two events. He was also in near lifetime best form in the shot put with 14.66m in the second round (his PB stands at 14.69m) which brought his tally to 2744 points to further extend his lead.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Johannes Erm moves into the decathlon lead after this championship best in the long jump. 
Erm 1975 
Eitel 1839 
Gaio 1839 
Siroki 1799 
Besson 1768 
Gletty 1755<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a><a href='https://t.co/xUOOWSY58A'>pic.twitter.com/xUOOWSY58A</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149980103474065408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
Eitel performed solidly in the next two events - 7.13m in the long jump and 14.43m in the shot put - and he is second after three events with 2594 points. Eitel’s teammate Niklas Kaul, the reigning European U20 champion, isn’t the most renowned of first day performers but he climbed up to fifth on the leaderboard with 2500 points courtesy of a lifetime best of 15.19m in the shot put.
Kaul also set a 11.17 PB in the 100m and just missed his long jump PB with 7.26m.
Kpatcha smashes lifetime best in long jump qualifying
Only two athletes achieved the automatic qualifying distance of 6.40m in the long jump. It was not a surprise to see a French athlete at the top of the standings but unexpectedly it was Hilary Kpatcha who achieved the best result across the two pools with a twenty centimetre lifetime best of 6.81m. 
Kpatcha’s teammate Yanis David, who won the NCAA title with a European U23 leading mark of 6.84m, was the most surprising non-qualifier. The reigning champion’s best mark of the day was 5.82m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Previous PB: 6.61m 
New PB: 6.81m 
A huge lifetime best for France's Hilary Kpatcha to qualify directly for the long jump final!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/buUacxwUy1'>pic.twitter.com/buUacxwUy1</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149990113755242496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
By contrast all of the prospective medal contenders qualified for the men’s high jump with 2.16m, including European silver medallist Maksim Nedasekau from Belarus and Greece’s world U20 champion Adonios Merlos.
All of the leading teams qualified safely for the men’s 4x400m final. The two heats were won by Germany (3:05.72) and Italy (3:06.90) respectively while Switzerland set a national U23 record of 3:08.59 to qualify on time. 
Watch the European Athletics U23 Championships live and on-demand at <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' data-auth='NotApplicable'>https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/</a>.

 The decathlon began with championship bests in both the 100m and the long jump on the third morning of competition at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23

Erm establishes decathlon lead after three events in Gävle

Anna Emilie Moller’s margin of ascendency in the 3000m steeplechase final was such the eventual silver medallist had only just cleared the water jump for the final time when the Dane had crossed the finish-line and was on the search for a red and white flag to celebrate with.
The reigning champion led every step of the way and her front running efforts brought her home almost ten seconds inside the championship record with 9:27.31. Her scale of dominance was reminiscent of Alina Reh’s in the 10,000m on the second night of the championships and they are both on the entry-list for tomorrow night’s 5000m final.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
An unstoppable performance from Denmark's Anna Emilie Moller in the 3000m steeplechase! 
Not only did Moller successfully defend her title, she also broke the championship record by nearly 10 seconds. Gun-to-tape as well!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/Xtn5Qt0a4A'>pic.twitter.com/Xtn5Qt0a4A</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150090412578746370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
Moller was one of the few entrants with a lifetime best inside the 10 minute-mark but that didn’t stop the nerves from jangling before the race. 
“It is true I was very confident after winning the qualification race, simply because my PB is much better than the rest of the girls,” said Moller, who also won the European U23 cross country title in December. “I was still nervous coming in to the race, as per usual. Anything can happen! I always go into a race very determined, and very focused, no exception here.”
Ireland’s Eilish Flanagan and Romania’s Claudia Prisecaru took silver and bronze respectively in lifetime bests of 9:51.72 and 9:53.21.
Ukraine’s Yuliya Levchenko also retained her title in the high jump with a first-time clearance at 1.97m - her sixth first-time clearance of the competition - before three attempts at a would-be championship record of 2.00m.
The head-to-head with world U20 champion Karyna Taranda didn’t quite materialise as the Belarusian, who recently cleared 2.00m, had to settle for fourth on countback at 1.92m behind Germany’s Christina Honsel and Finland’s Ella Junnila.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Gold medal: successfully defended in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>! 
Ukraine's Yuliya Levchenko finishes her age-group career with another victory in the high jump with 1.97m. <a href='https://t.co/5qcrpbzkxM'>pic.twitter.com/5qcrpbzkxM</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150104302813372418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
While Taranda led the European U23 list with 2.00m, Honsel’s pre-competition lifetime best outdoors stood at a modest 1.84m but she broke that mark three times and crucially cleared 1.92m on her first attempt.
“I could never have thought of getting a medal before the championships, the other jumpers were really good and it never even cross my mind that I would get a silver medal here today,” she said.
The Poles had another excellent evening in Gavle, winning two more titles to take their overall tally up to four gold medals.
After anticipated victories from Ewa Swoboda in the 100m and Konrad Bukowiecki in the shot put yesterday, Natalia Kaczmarek set a lifetime best of 52.34 in the 400m final to run down Czech favourite Lada Vondrova - who also reached the 400m hurdles final in the same session - before Cyprian Mrzyglod produced an exceptional throw in the sixth round to seal gold in the javelin.
Mrzyglod’s second round throw of 81.74m was eclipsed by just one centimetre by Romania’s Alexandru Novac in the fifth round. The Pole’s fifth round throw of 81.16m fell short of the lead but his sixth attempt of 84.97m not only surpassed Novac’s lead but also broke the championship record of 84.57m which was set by Finland’s Ari Mannio a decade ago. 
“This is an amazing feeling right now, my throw was absolutely fantastic. I feel very good - although I was under a lot of pressure before the last attempt. Novac had just done a massive throw, but I knew I could do even better, so I gave it my all,” said Mrzyglod, who won gold at U20 level in Grosseto in 2017.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Poland's fourth gold medal of <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>! 
European U20 champion Cyprian Mrzyglod pulled out a championship record of 84.97m in the sixth round of the javelin to move from silver to gold! <a href='https://t.co/RobNt0K92m'>pic.twitter.com/RobNt0K92m</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150106310765158407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
Spain won two gold medals in the space of 30 minutes on the third evening session in Gavle. The first gold medal was not widely predicted - if at all predicted - as Alberto Gonzalez defeated resounding favourite and reigning champion Bence Halasz from Hungary in the hammer.
Gonzalez gave a hint of what was in store by throwing 73.29m in heavy rain in yesterday’s qualifying round but the Spaniard pulled out a timely personal best of 74.36m in the fourth round to surpass Halasz’s first round throw of 74.14m.
“I was very aware Bence was throwing well, so I had to up my game to win,” commented Gonzalez. “A new PB is also incredible - I'm very happy.”
Ignacio Fontes then won a typically tactical 1500m final, weaving his way out of a seemingly impossible position with 200 metres remaining to put himself in a position to strike in the home straight. 
The 21-year-old did just that, produced a last lap inside 54 seconds for a clear win in 3:50.38, maintaining Spain’s excellent tradition in the event. Past winners of this title have included Reyes Estevez (1997) and Arturo Casado (2005).
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Spain's second gold medal of the evening! 
.<a href='https://twitter.com/Ignaciofontes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@Ignaciofontes</a> produced a high powered sprint finish to win a tactical 1500m final in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>. <a href='https://t.co/lSC1HJNZYx'>pic.twitter.com/lSC1HJNZYx</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150082075820797952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
“That last lap was crazy! In order to come back from fifth to win I really had to give it all in, especially in the last 300 metres. My coach told me to run for my life all the way to the finish line, and to avoid looking back,” he said.
If Fontes was to glance back, he would have seen a chaotic scramble play out for the minor medals. Less than one-tenth separated the next four finishers with Great Britain’s Piers Copeland making a late dash on the inside to win silver in 3:50.89 by 0.01 from Serbia’s Elzan Bibic who made a brave break with 700 metres remaining.
There was also double gold for Great Britain on the track. Jemma Reekie might be better known for her exploits over 1500m and 3000m but she dropped down to win a tactical 800m in 2:05.19 from teammate Ellie Baker (2:06.33). At the end of the programme, Shemar Boldizsar doubled the British medal haul in the 200m in 20.89. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
.<a href='https://twitter.com/jimmy_gressier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@jimmy_gressier</a> does it again! 
After winning gold in the 10,000m on day one, Gressier kicks to his second gold medal of <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> with a tremendous last lap in the 5000m. <a href='https://t.co/P20HeLvGIq'>pic.twitter.com/P20HeLvGIq</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150111244197793792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
Jimmy Gressier won the 10,000m title on the first day of the championships by surging away with four laps remaining. The outcome was the same two days later in the 5000m but the mercurial Frenchman left it to the last lap on this occasion, unleashing a final circuit of 55.81 to win the title in 14:16.55.
Gressier won his first major title at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in 2017, leading a French one-two in the U23 race ahead of compatriot Hugo Hay. The order was repeated two years later with Hay taking another individual silver in 14:17.00. 
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<div><article data-articleid='1287991'><section>Watch the European Athletics U23 Championships live and on-demand at <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' data-auth='NotApplicable'>https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/</a>.
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 Anna Emilie Moller’s margin of ascendency in the 3000m steeplechase final was such the eventual silver medallist had only just cleared the water jump for the

Moller breaks championship record to retain her 3000m steeplechase title

Estonia’s Johannes Erm described his first day at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships as “perfect” and the overall leaderboard reflects this, sitting overnight with a lead of 250 points over his German rivals Manuel Eitel and Niklas Kaul at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships.
Erm set two lifetime bests in his first five events and he was only a whisker away from his best ever marks in his other three events. He had already established a lead of 150 points after three events and he added another 100 points to his lead after clearing a lifetime best of 2.03m in the high jump before winning the 400m in 47.41 - just 0.01 shy of his lifetime best. He was only one centimetre adrift of his long jump lifetime best with 7.97m and just missed his shot put PB by three centimetres with 14.66m.
“It's been a perfect day and I've had a lot of fun so it was all great, but that 400m was hard. It was my best day one ever,” said Erm. “Now, I will do everything I can to recover - ice bath, massage, compression and a lot of sleep if I can - everything hurts. There are big scores to chase tomorrow.”
Erm might have established a significant lead after five events but Kaul is renowned for his second day prowess as the Estonian only knows too well after winning silver and bronze medals behind the German at both the IAAF World U20 Championships three years ago and the European Athletics U20 Championships the following year.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
What an incredible first day for Estonia's Johannes Erm in the decathlon in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>! 
He concluded his first day with a 47.41 clocking in the 400m, just 0.01 outside his lifetime best. <a href='https://t.co/nZ2YB89wNa'>pic.twitter.com/nZ2YB89wNa</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150095655098097664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
Erm has amassed a total of 4513 points after day one ahead of Eitel (4263 points) and Kaul (4208 points). Kaul’s score represents his best ever first day total and he is expected to make even more of an impact on the leaderboard in the last two events and on his lifetime best which stands at 8336 points from the Gotzis Hypo-Meeting in May.
The Germans are in a fine position to win two medals in the decathlon tomorrow evening but they won’t match their teammates in the women’s shot put which produced a clean sweep. The German triumvirate occupied the first three places in the qualifying round and they did so again tonight, albeit in a different order.
Former world U20 champion Alina Kenzel threw 17.94m in the fifth round to displace Katharina Maisch’s third round throw of 17.64m with current European U20 champion Julia Ritter winning bronze with 17.17m. Nobody else in the field surpassed the 17 metre-line.
The Germans also won gold in the men’s pole vault courtesy of Bo Kanda Lita Baehre who cleared 5.65m on his second attempt to defeat a disappointed Emmanouil Karalis from Greece, the former European U18 champion who had to settle for silver with 5.60m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Another gold medal for Germany! 
Bo Kanda Lita Baehre cleared 5.65m to win the pole vault title in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>. <a href='https://t.co/TI1dHWOMsF'>pic.twitter.com/TI1dHWOMsF</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1150115443379724288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
At 19, Karalis was the youngest athlete competing in the field - and one of the youngest athletes competing at the championships - and he will still be eligible to compete at the next edition of the European U23 Championships in Bergen, Norway in 2021.
“Coming to these championships, my goal was always to get a medal - preferably gold. To be honest, today it was not my day - besides that Bo Kanda Lita Baehre was the golden man,” said Karalis, acknowledging his long-time contemporary. 
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<div><article data-articleid='1287991'><section>Watch the European Athletics U23 Championships live and on-demand at <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' data-auth='NotApplicable'>https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/</a>.
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 Estonia’s Johannes Erm described his first day at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships as “perfect” and the overall leaderboard reflects

Erm leads the decathlon standings after a “perfect” first day

Switzerland’s Geraldine Ruckstuhl overhauled Sophie Weissenberg from Germany to win an enthralling heptathlon on the second day of competition at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships with a season’s best of 6274 points.
Ruckstuhl was fourth overnight and while the heavy rain and cold conditions held back nearly all of the heptathletes in the long jump, Ruckstuhl managed to come away with a season’s best of 5.87m while only two athletes - Weissenberg (6.04m) and Belgium’s Hanne Maudens (6.22m) - surpassed the six metre-line.
Ruckstuhl didn’t squander as many points as others in a rain affected competition and the conditions improved markedly for the javelin which allowed Ruckstuhl to produce three throws in excess of the 54 metre-line: 54.47m, 54.58m and 54.82m. All three throws were in excess of the previous championship best and brought her to within 18 points of Weissenberg who threw close to her lifetime best with 47.92m.
Ruckstuhl was hoping for something even longer in the javelin but she is by far the faster on paper in the 800m and so it played out with the Swiss finishing off an excellent two days with a lifetime best of 2:12.05, bringing her score to 6274 points. 
Weissenberg couldn’t replicate the 2:17.06 she produced in Gotzis in May but she was still safe in silver, crossing the line 2:20.30 to bring her score up to 6175 points. “This might have been one of the toughest 800m races in my life. In the middle of the race I felt that my legs was all sore and that I couldn't run anymore, but it went well,” said Weissenberg who still came away with her first major combined events medal.
Four athletes were still in contention for the bronze and Belgium’s Hanne Maudens ground out a lifetime best by nearly three seconds, running it gun-to-tape in 2:08.79 to ensure bronze with a season’s best of 6093 points ahead of Emma Oosterwegel from the Netherlands (6072 points) and Austria’s Sarah Lagger (6026 points).
There was a second gold medal for Switzerland’s Jason Joseph in the 110m hurdles. Joseph had the close company of combined events specialist Artem Makarenko up until the eighth flight of hurdles but while the Russian clipped a barrier and lost some momentum, Joseph kept his technique to win gold in 13.45. 
“You come as far as these championships and you know everyone is there to hunt you down - for me, there was never any other option than to win the gold medal. I was hungry for it and the pressure on my shoulders actually helps build me up,” said Joseph.
In a frantic dip to the line, Makarenko lost out on the medals completely in fourth (13.65) just behind Poland’s Michal Sierocki in a 13.63 PB with Great Britain’s Cameron Fillery taking bronze in 13.64.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
A second gold medal for Switzerland this evening! 
Jason Joseph dominates the 110m hurdles win in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>, winning in 13.45! <a href='https://t.co/mZBhAGj3xT'>pic.twitter.com/mZBhAGj3xT</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149723660472786945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
Swoboda dominates and Larsson rises to the occasion in the 100m
As expected, the women’s 100m final was a clear-cut affair with the title going to reigning champion Ewa Swoboda whereas the men’s 100m final was won by a whisker by home favourite Henrik Larsson from Sweden.
Swoboda was the fastest in the heats and semifinals and the Pole rocketed out of the blocks in the final, extending her lead all the way to the line, winning in 11.15 by 0.25 from France’s Cynthia Leduc.
“When I run as fast as this, I feel happy and confident so today, I feel very happy. Today was my day and it's a big relief now,” said Swoboda, although her work in Gavle isn’t done just yet. 
“It was a good race and now I will concentrate on the relay - it's a new team but we all get along and we have a good chance to maybe sneak a medal.”
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By contrast, Larsson produced a brilliant last 30 metres to force his way across the finish in first. He was the second youngest entrant in the event but he comes away with the title after winning in a slightly wind-assisted 10.23 ahead of Great Britain’s Oliver Bromby (10.24) and Joris van Gool from the Netherlands (10.27).
“I got a really bad start I but caught up with the rest of the competitors quickly,” said Larsson. “That doesn't matter though, we're running 100 meters, not 60 meters.”
Swoboda's teammate Konrad Bukowiecki also successfully defended his title in the shot put but it took three rounds for the Pole to find his best form. After starting with 19.16m and a no-throw, Bukowiecki moved into the lead with 20.79m in round three before producing his best throw of the competition of 21.51m in the fourth round; just eight centimetres adrift of his championship record from two years ago.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
2017 
2019<a href='https://twitter.com/k_bukowiecki?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@k_bukowiecki</a> does it again, this time with 21.51m to win by one metre. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/JRiq4jrjoH'>pic.twitter.com/JRiq4jrjoH</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149748760303587328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
Alina Reh produced what will almost certainly remain the most dominant performance of the championships in Gavle.
The German beat the championship record in the 10,000m with a gun-to-tape win in 31:39.34. Teammate Miriam Dattke was a completely isolated second in 32:29.45 and there was more than a one minute wait until Jasmijn Lau from the Netherlands crossed the line for bronze in 33:35.66.
Reh’s dominance was such that she had lapped the entire field - with the exception of Dattke, who kept pace for Reh for the first 800 metres - before the halfway point.
Watch the European Athletics U23 Championships live and on-demand at <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' data-auth='NotApplicable'>https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/</a>.

 Switzerland’s Geraldine Ruckstuhl overhauled Sophie Weissenberg from Germany to win an enthralling heptathlon on the second day of competition at the Gavle

Double gold for Switzerland on the second day of competition in Gävle

Gold medallists from the European Championships Elvira Herman and Miltiadis Tentoglou came to the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships with big expectations and they both capped their age-group careers with standout victories on the second day of competition.
The headwind which buffeted the sprinters and sprint hurdlers in the heats yesterday mercifully turned around on a benign Friday (12) evening at the Gunder Hagg Stadium which allowed Herman to come home marginally inside the championship record.
There was a tense wait as the clock initially stopped at 12.72 but it was soon changed to 12.70 - just 0.06 outside her lifetime best but significantly 0.01 inside Noemi Zbaren’s four-year-old championship record.
Herman now has two major championship records to her name after winning the world U20 title in Bydgoszcz, Poland three years ago in a still-standing mark of 12.85.
“It's exciting to run a championship record, I wanted to show that form here,” said Herman. “I've had a very good season and I look forward to competing at home in The Match in Minsk in September.”
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Poland’s Klaudia Siciarz continues her slick progression through the age-group ranks, upgrading her bronze from the 2017 European U20 Championships to a silver medal in Gavle in a lifetime best of 12.82 with France’s Laura Valette winning bronze in 12.97. 
In the long jump, Tentoglou had his best competition since winning gold at the Glasgow 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships. He surpassed his outdoor season’s best of 8.19m with four of his six valid jumps which culminated with an outright European leading mark of 8.32m in the sixth round.
Spain’s Hector Santos put down an early marker with an outright lifetime best of 8.19m to match Tentoglou’s seasons best but he immediately responded with 8.22m before improving to 8.25m in round five and then an outdoor PB of 8.32m with the very last jump of the final.
This was Tentoglou’s fourth major European title since winning at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Grosseto two years ago. While the Greek was pleased to come away with yet another title, he rued that he couldn’t make the most of the good conditions for the final and surpass his overall PB of 8.38m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
European U20 champion 
European outdoor champion 
European indoor champion 
European U23 champion 
Miltiadis Tentoglou does it again in <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a>! He also improved to 8.32m in round six. <a href='https://t.co/AA5cfYn0zj'>pic.twitter.com/AA5cfYn0zj</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149719277383159810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
Lithuania’s Diana Zagainova produced her best effort in the triple jump final in the first round with 13.89m. That mark stood the test of the six rounds but only just as Turkey’s Tugba Danismaz came within four centimetres of Zagainova with a national U23 record with her last jump.
With Norway’s Beatrice Nedberge Llano not competing, the path was clear for Sofiya Palkina in the hammer and the former world U18 champion duly dominated proceedings. She was the only thrower to surpass the 70 metre-line - something which she achieved in the first (70.13m) and third round (71.08m) - to win the title.
Croatia’s Marija Tolj was similarly dominant in the discus final, handing Moldova’s European and world U20 champion Alexandra Emilianov a rare defeat in a major competition. Tolj was in a perilous position after two throws - 49.05m and a foul - but then came a near two metre lifetime best of 62.76m which won the competition by more than five metres from Emilianov’s 57.30m.
Watch the European Athletics U23 Championships live and on-demand at <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' data-auth='NotApplicable'>https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/</a>.
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 Gold medallists from the European Championships Elvira Herman and Miltiadis Tentoglou came to the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships with big

Berlin 2018 champions Herman and Tentoglou add to their title hauls

A tantalising eighteen points separate long-time leader Sophie Weissenberg from Germany and Switzerland’s Geraldine Ruckstuhl going into the final event of the heptathlon while four athletes are still very much in contention for bronze at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships.
Ruckstuhl was fourth after the first day but the former world U18 champion propelled herself into title contention after putting on a one-woman show in javelin. Ruckstuhl eclipsed the championship best with each of her three throws - 54.47m, 54.58m and 54.82m - but the 21-year-old was still not entirely satisfied with her efforts. 
“The long jump was OK, the javelin was good but I know I can throw so much further,” said Ruckstuhl, who holds the Swiss records in both the javelin (58.31m) and heptathlon (6391 points).
Based on past results, Ruckstuhl should overhaul Weissenberg in the 800m. The Swiss has a lifetime best of 2:12.56 compared to the German leader who has already improved her best ever 800m from 2:20:52 to 2:17.06 this season. 
Just 53 points separate third to sixth in the standings: the Netherlands’ Emma Oosterwegel (5146 points), Austria’s Sarah Lagger (5122 points), Belgium’s Hanne Maudens (5111 points) and Poland's Adrianna Sulek (5093 points). Sulek is sixth but the Pole boasts the fastest lifetime best from the pursuing quartet with a 2:10.50 PB. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
And even better from Geraldine Ruckstuhl with her third throw! 
54.47m 
54.58m 
54.82m<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/Sg1d6YeOvm'>pic.twitter.com/Sg1d6YeOvm</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149655746272882688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
The hammer qualifying was delayed due to technical issues with the cage but the experienced Bence Halasz from Hungary wasn’t unduly perturbed. The reigning champion sealed his place in the final with his first throw of 73.49m, the best mark across the two pools.
European U20 champion Julia Ritter from Germany led the shot put qualifying with 17.32m ahead of teammates Katharina Maisch (17.12m) and Alina Kenzel (16.45m). Reigning champion Yuliya Levchenko from Ukraine and Belarus’ world U20 champion Karyna Taranda were also among the automatic qualifiers in the high jump.
The cold and wet conditions could have added an element of unpredictability into proceedings but all of the principal contenders progressed into the semifinals of the 400m hurdles.
The conditions were far from conducive for producing quick times but Hanna Mikhailava set a lifetime best of 58.24 to qualify fastest for the semifinals. She was only one of two athletes across the men’s and women’s heats to come away with a lifetime best.
Switzerland’s European U20 champion Yasmin Giger followed Mikhailava home in 58.50 while European U23 leader Linda Olivieri from Italy also safely progressed, winning heat four in 58.48.
Germany’s Constantin Preis, who has a lifetime best inside the 50 second-barrier, was the only athlete to break the 51 second mark in the men’s 400m hurdles heats in 50.85.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
A big shock in the second heat of the 800m as reigning champion and home favourite Andreas Kramer goes out! 
Spain's Pablo Sanchez-Valladares wins it in a close finish ahead of Ireland's John Fitzsimons.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/yKiz8yqJum'>pic.twitter.com/yKiz8yqJum</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149624313605062656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
By contrast there was a sizeable shock in the heats of the men’s 800m with reigning champion and home favourite Andreas Kramer failing to make it through to the final. 
The European silver medallist has been laid low by a cold - and the inclement weather couldn’t have helped - and faded from first to sixth in the home straight, crossing the finish line in 1:50.17 in a race won by Spain’s Pablo Sanchez-Valladares in 1:49.49. “I feel very disappointed,” said Kramer. “I haven't had the best training before these championships which has affected my performance a lot.”
Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie is still on course for a middle distance double. After making it through the 800m heats yesterday morning, Reekie cruised into the 1500m final in 4:21.35 to finish second behind Portugal’s Salome Afonso in 4:21.16. 
Reekie’s toughest rival should be Belgium’s Elise Vanderelst who produced a last lap of 61.46 to win a tactical second heat in 4:28.54.
Watch the European Athletics U23 Championships live and on-demand at <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' data-auth='NotApplicable'>https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/</a>.
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 A tantalising eighteen points separate long-time leader Sophie Weissenberg from Germany and Switzerland’s Geraldine Ruckstuhl going into the final event of

Thrilling heptathlon climax in store on the second day in Gävle

France’s Jimmy Gressier has showed in the past that he can win in a sprint and he can also win from the front and the two-time European U23 cross country champion made the most decisive of breaks with four laps to go to win the 10,000m final on the first evening of the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships.
Making his 10,000m debut on the track, Gressier was always towards the front and on the inside of a tightly bunched group which included the Israeli trio of Tadesse Getahon, Godadaw Belachew and Bukayaw Malede who controlled the pace through the halfway point in 14:32.52. Meanwhile, Gressier was content to play the waiting game. 
A large group was still in contention past the eight kilometre mark but Gressier’s break with exactly four laps to go proved utterly devastating, opening up an immediate gap on Getahon and the rest of the pursuers. 
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Gressier’s winning margin was such that once again he could afford to showboat in the last 150 metres. The knee slide which turned him into a social media sensation at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships was sensibly avoided but Gressier stretched his arms out and flew down the home straight to win in 28:44.19 ahead of Getahon (28:46.97) and Great Britain’s Emile Cairess (28:50.21).
Gressier, who was racing in flats rather than spikes, covered the second half of the 10,000m in 14:11.67. He also covered the last four laps in 4:17.11 despite easing off in the home straight.
'Although running cross country comes very naturally to me, I am slowly getting used to running on a stadium track, and I feel the 10,000m is the right event for me in the future,' said Gressier. 'I couldn't be happier with this European title, but now I want to focus on the 5 000m on Saturday.'
There was also a significant medal for runner-up Getahon who became Israel’s first ever track medallist in European U23 Championships history.
Weissenberg holds the overnight lead in the heptathlon
Germany’s Sophie Weissenberg had a strong finish to the first day of her heptathlon and she leads overnight with a score of 3675 points and a near 100-point cushion on Poland’s world U20 bronze medallist Adrianna Sulek (3589 points) and Belgium’s Hanne Maudens (3576 points).
Weissenberg moved from third to first in the standings after setting a lifetime best of 14.18m in the shot put before clocking 24.67 on a chilly evening and into a headwind in the 200m. Expect Weissenberg to further her lead in the long jump as she won an individual silver medal in this event at the IAAF World U20 Championships in 2016.
“This has been a very tough competition because of the headwind. The hurdles was really hard to run for example,” said Weissenberg.
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The heptathlon lost France’s Solene Ndama after the high jump and overall leader after two events Maria Huntington from Finland was also forced to withdraw after the shot put due to a hamstring injury.
The star of the shot put was Austria’s former world U20 champion Sarah Lagger who slingshotted herself into medal contention after an indifferent morning with a near one metre lifetime best of 15.23m.
Lagger is fifth after the first day with 3523 points - one place behind her long-time contemporary Geraldine Ruckstuhl from Switzerland with 3575 points. Both of them are noted second day performers as well and Ruckstuhl could make an impact on the top of the leaderboard if she produces a throw close to her national record of 58.31m. 
Title favourites Bukowiecki and Emilianov progress safely
Konrad Bukowiecki goes in search of his second major title in the space of the week and the Pole appears to be on course for a successful defence of his shot put title after he was the only thrower to surpass the 20 metre-line in the qualifying round.
After winning the World University Games title on Monday evening in Naples with a championship record of 21.54m, the reigning champion was pleased to confirm his berth in tomorrow’s final with his first throw of 20.44m.
“I was really looking forward to getting a direct qualification in the first throw and I can't wait for tomorrow. I think I can throw even further in the final. I just came back from the World University Games where I threw over 21.50m and I hope I can do it again here,” he said.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Reigning champion <a href='https://twitter.com/k_bukowiecki?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>@k_bukowiecki</a> exceeded the qualifying distance in the shot put on his first attempt with 20.44m. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/3pvfaABIex'>pic.twitter.com/3pvfaABIex</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149322820188549120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
In his first outdoor competition of the season after injury, Norway’s European U20 champion Marcus Thomsen also handsomely surpassed the automatically qualifying distance of 18.80m by more than one metre with 19.94m. The Swedish medal contender Wictor Pettersson recorded the third best throw of the day with 19.76m.
Another outstanding favourite Alexandra Emilianov from Moldova made easy work of the automatic qualifying mark of 53.00m in discus qualifying. The reigning world U20 champion recorded 55.41m with her first throw but the two pools were led by Croatia’s Marija Tolj with 60.25m.
Belarus’ Aliaksei Katkavets also impressed in the men’s javelin qualifying, improving his national U23 record to 82.46m. Across the two pools, he was the only thrower to surpass the 80m-line but fellow favourites Alexandru Novac from Romania (78.30m) and Poland’s Cyprian Mrzyglod (76.35m) also progressed automatically on their first attempts.
Larsson puts himself in title contention; Swoboda unassailable in the 100m semifinal
Just 0.07 separated the top six fastest qualifiers from the men’s 100m semifinal. Germany’s Marvin Schulte won the first semifinal in 10.49 before home favourite Henrik Larsson almost matched that time with 10.50. “My last medal was at the European U18 Championships in 2016 so I really want to get a medal again,” said Larsson, who holds the Swedish U23 record with 10.20.
By contrast, it would appear that only a false start of a similar mishap will stop reigning champion Ewa Swoboda in the women’s 100m. The Pole was the fastest qualifier in the heats this morning and went even faster in the semifinal with 11.41.
Jemma Reekie will be one of the busiest athletes at the championships and if everything goes to plan, the European U20 1500m champion will be racing on each of the four days of competition in Gavle.
Reekie is attempting a middle distance double and she began her campaign by posting the fastest time in the 800m heats with 2:04.74. She will return to the track tomorrow morning for the heats of the 1500m.
Watch the European Athletics U23 Championships live and on-demand at <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' data-auth='NotApplicable'>https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/</a>.
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 France’s Jimmy Gressier has showed in the past that he can win in a sprint and he can also win from the front and the two-time European U23 cross country

Golden Gressier glides to victory on his 10,000m debut 

A live streaming service for the European Athletics U23 Championships in Gavle, Sweden from 11-14 July will be available on the European Athletics website and via <a href='https://athletics.eurovisionsports.tv/event/30/european-athletics-u23-championships-gavle/calendar/2' target='_blank'>this link</a>.
The live stream will begin on Thursday (11) morning. The stream is provided by European Athletics’ International Partner EBU-Eurovision and will be accompanied by expert English language commentary.
The live streaming service is available to viewers across Europe although blackout restrictions may apply in host nation Sweden. 
In addition to live streaming, European Athletics will be publishing daily news and reports on the website and there will be comprehensive coverage of the championships across all of our social media platforms.
<a href='https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanAthletics/' target='_blank'>Facebook</a>
<a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics'>Twitter</a>
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<a href='https://www.youtube.com/user/EuropeanAthletics'>YouTube</a>

 A live streaming service for the European Athletics U23 Championships in Gavle, Sweden from 11-14 July will be available on the European Athletics website and

How to follow the European U23 Championships

At 19, Henrik Larsson is the second youngest entrant for the men’s 100m at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships but the Swedish teenager was the fastest across the four heats of the 100m this morning.
Times were pegged back across the heats due to strong headwinds but the wind dropped slightly for the third heat. This allowed Larsson to qualify fastest with 10.45 (-1.0) ahead of Brit Dominic Ashwell with 10.46 in the same heat. The semifinals take place 6.30pm local time tonight. 
Not only is Larsson confident of beating sprinters up to two years his senior, the home favourite is also hoping to eclipse the long-standing Swedish senior record of 10.18 in the latter stages of the competition. He currently holds the Swedish U23 record at 10.20.
“The goal for the championship is obviously the gold medal, but I’ve also got my eye on the Swedish record as well, if there’s a good tailwind,” he said.
The competition is wide open in the absence of Italy’s Filippo Tortu but one prospective medal aspirant who didn’t make it through was Joshua Hartmann. The German, who is the joint fastest on paper at these championships with 10.16, was fourth in the first heat in 10.98 against a sizeable headwind. 
The women’s sprinters were also buffeted by a persistent headwind but reigning champion Ewa Swoboda still produced a statement run, powering through a 1.8 m/s headwind to stop the clock at 11.48 - the fastest time of the day by nearly four-tenths.
“Right now I am happy and that’s when I run my best races,” said the European indoor 60m champion.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Ewa Swoboda powered in the 100m semifinals on the first morning at the European U23 Championships. 
She was the fastest qualifier by 0.36. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/IGSrcsq050'>pic.twitter.com/IGSrcsq050</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149280516954304513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
Albania has never won a medal at the European U23 Championships but 20-year-old Franko Burraj could very well put the Balkan nation on the standings in Gavle.
He progressed through the 400m heats with the fastest time of the day at 47.14 ahead of Poland’s Tymoteusz Zimny (47.14) and Italy’s reigning European U20 champion Vladimir Aceti (47.30).
Albania last competed at the European U23 Championships in 2003 and their best performance thus far was a tenth-place finish from hammer thrower Dorian Collaku in 1999. 
Finland’s Maria Huntington has amassed a lead of 64 points after two events of a heptathlon which has veered away from the script.
European indoor pentathlon bronze medallist Solene Ndama, who scored a significant lifetime best of 6292 points in Talence, didn’t record a height in the high jump while reigning European U20 champion Alina Shukh from Ukraine finds herself adrift of the top-10 after two events.
Huntington wasn’t able to fully capitalise on her strong sprint hurdles prowess as a headwind pegged her back to a 13.89 clocking but this was still the second fastest time of the day behind Ndama’s 13.38.
But the Finn performed beyond expectations in the high jump, improving her lifetime best by three centimetres to 1.85m behind Sweden’s Bianca Salming with 1.88m. This brought Huntington’s tally to 2035 points after two events ahead of Poland’s Adrianna Sulek (1971 points) and Germany’s Sophie Weissenberg (1952 points).
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Jumping for joy! 
Finland's Maria Huntington improved her high jump lifetime best by three centimetres in the heptathlon. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gavle2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Gavle2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/S3A5TDviZy'>pic.twitter.com/S3A5TDviZy</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1149271491952951297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
Reigning European indoor and outdoor champion Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece was the first jumper to surpass the automatic qualifying mark of 7.75m. 
Tentoglou hit the sand at 7.80m but the best mark of the day went to Estonia’s former combined events specialist Hans-Christian Hausenberg who recorded a wind-assisted 7.98m.
Former world U18 champion Sofiya Palkina looks on course for the second major title of her career as the European U23 leader topped the two rounds of qualifying with her first throw which hit the turf at 66.84m.
The current European U20 champion Katerina Skypalova only just scraped to the final with her opening throw of 60.11m

 At 19, Henrik Larsson is the second youngest entrant for the men’s 100m at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships but the Swedish teenager was

Home favourite Larsson qualifies fastest for the 100m semifinals

Andreas Kramer emerged from under the radar to win the 800m title in Bydgoszcz two years ago but the reigning champion begins as one of the hosts’ foremost title favourites at the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships from 11-14 July.
“I think I was ninth on paper so I don’t think so many counted on me as a gold medallist then,” reflected Kramer at the official pre-event press conference for the European Athletics U23 Championships on Wednesday (10).
“For me, it was my first great experience to compete at the European Championships and getting great success. When I passed the finish-line, I had my teammates and my family cheering for me so it was something special.”
Kramer’s status has only grown since winning in Bydgoszcz so while the 22-year-old won’t have the luxury of slipping into the competition unnoticed as he did two years ago, he will be able to count on the support of the crowd at the Gunder Hagg Stadium.
Since then, Kramer stepped up to win silver on his European Championships debut in Berlin last summer behind Adam Kszczot. Not only did his front running efforts reward him with the biggest medal of his career thus far and the beating of reigning world champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse in the final, Kramer also equalled his national record of 1:45.03.
A repeat performance would displace Nils Schumann’s long-standing championship record of 1:45.21 from 1999 but this is of secondary importance to Kramer. “Clearly I can do that time but this is a championship so usually it isn’t that fast. We will have to see. I know I can run faster than that time but it’s not something I am really focusing on.
“I am going for the gold medal but I’m up against some good runners who have been to international finals so I know I will face some good competitors who also want to win. It’s going to be tough,” he said.
Kamga enjoys home comforts in her bid for a discus medal
This is very much a home championships for Vanessa Kamga, the third-ranked discus thrower at the European U23 Championships.
“I really enjoyed the pre-camp in Uppsala, which is where I live. Sleeping before my own bed before a championships is quite special and also getting to train at my normal arena,” she said.
The familiarities for Kamga extend beyond just the training camp though. 
“Since I was raised in Gavle, it’s really cool to have a championships here. I don’t know how many people will be supporting me but hopefully all of my classmates are coming and my old teachers will be rooting for me, my neighbours and everyone I have ever met in Gavle will be cheering for me!”
Kamga is ranked third on paper with a recently set national U23 record of 59.06m, corresponding to a one-metre advance on her previous best mark. The 20-year-old credits good training facilities and a good set-up for her improvement this year.
“I’ve stayed healthy, put in hours of training - I haven’t had too many complications. I have great training facilities in Uppsala, a great coach and really positive teammates. I think all of that combined makes for good results,” she said.
Like Kramer and Kamga, Jimmy Gressier is also making his second appearance at the European U23 Championships but his previous showing doesn’t elicit up too many fond memories. 
“I have two gold medals from the cross country but I don’t have a medal on the track. In Bydgoszcz I was disqualified for a lane infringement in the 5000m so this will be a big revenge for me,” said Gressier, the winner of the individual U23 race at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
“I come here with big ambitions and I am looking to win gold medals in both the 5000m and 10,000m. I feel in really good shape and training has gone very well so I have great expectations,” said Gressier, who will be making his 10,000m debut on the track.
Gressier transcended the sport in Tilburg last December when his attempted knee slide celebration went viral on social media and while a repeat of that celebration isn't on the agenda, the Frenchman might have something up his sleeve if he wins.
“I will try to keep up the good way of celebrating! I would rather slide across the ground on my knees and do a football celebration but I can assure you it will be something else,” he grinned.
<div> </div>

 
<div> </div>

 Andreas Kramer emerged from under the radar to win the 800m title in Bydgoszcz two years ago but the reigning champion begins as one of the hosts’ foremost

Kramer focused on titles rather than times in Gävle

At the pre-event press conference for the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships on Wednesday (10) held at the Gävle City Hall, European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen described 2019 as “the year of innovation” but also emphasised the crucial role of the U23 category from a developmental standpoint.
The European U23 Championships was only added to the calendar as recently as 1997 - replacing the European U23 Cup which was staged in 1992 and 1994 - and more than 1100 athletes from 50 nations have officially entered this year’s biennial event which begins tomorrow (11).
For many athletes, the European U23 Championships will represent the pinnacle of their seasons but the event remains a consequential one for athletes who have already made the grade at senior level. Three gold medallist from the European Championships in Berlin are also due to compete. 
“This is - in my view - maybe the most important developmental competition in European Athletics. For us, the European U23 Championships is the most important thing we can do for the athletes. We will see the stars of today - there are eight medallists from Berlin - and we will have a lot of athletes here who will be medal winners at the World Championships and Olympic Games in the future,” said President Hansen.
Hansen also paid tribute to the Local Organising Committee and the municipal authorities for their diligent work in putting on the championships. “I want to thank Gävle and the community around here for the great support for this event. Without the support you are giving there is no chance of organising this event. I want to thank the local organisers as well,” said Hansen.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Great press conference today in Gävle for ECH U23, very good local interest <a href='https://t.co/eyvH375fBv'>pic.twitter.com/eyvH375fBv</a>
— Svein Arne Hansen (@SvenPres) <a href='https://twitter.com/SvenPres/status/1148923622842650624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
Sweden will remain in the spotlight next week when Boras stages the European Athletics U20 Championships from 19-22 July and Gävle 2019 Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairperson Karin Grute Movin elaborated on the theme of development. 
“This is a very special situation because we are working very hard to strengthen athletics. I can say this because we are hosting two European Championships in two weeks,” said Grute Movin, who was elected onto the European Athletics Council in April.
She added: “We are very thankful for the support we have had from the Gävle municipality. We have athletes from all the different Swedish athletics club taking part here.”
Mayor of Gävle Åsa Wiklund LÃ¥ng hopes the host city and the championships themselves will make a lasting impression on the athletes, media representatives and visitors alike. “We are extremely proud to host this championships and I really hope you will feel and experience the great effort we have made to make this a successful and memorable event,” she said. 
<div> </div>

 At the pre-event press conference for the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships on Wednesday (10) held at the Gävle City Hall, European Athletics

President Hansen underlines the importance of the European U23 Championships

The Gästrike Återvinnare recycling centre is testing out a new recycling kit for waste sorting during the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships this summer with its sights firmly set on creating a new record within recycling. 
Different coloured bins with clear signs at eye level written in both Swedish and English will make it easy to know what waste goes where. The recycling kit will also be offered to other events that want to focus on sustainability. The first to test the concept will be the European U23 Championships in Gavle which begin on Thursday (11).
“Most of the waste at the event will be recyclable. We believe in having only a few bins for general waste at a small number of select locations, including one which is manned. In order to motivate visitors to sort their waste properly, there will be numerous recycling bins at several locations around the arena,” said Eva Johansson, Environmental Educator at Gästrike Återvinnare. 
“We will be on-site to coach, inspire and explain the benefits of recycling and the difference it can make. At the end of the day, it’s the visitors themselves that have to do the work,” she added.
In consultation with event management, a preliminary study has been carried out to identify what kinds of waste will be produced and where. Preparations have also been made to ensure a flexible response to any changes on-site.
“We have given ourselves every chance to succeed and believe that our visitors, volunteers, officials and athletes are all ready and willing to help us set a new record in recycling. After all, the work we do for the environment is something that benefits us all,” concluded Johansson. 
Facts: Recycling kit for a sustainable event.
The recycling kit has been developed in consultation with waste coordinators, environmental educators and communicators at Gästrike Återvinnare and Gävle Municipality which has also been awarded a diploma for its environmental preparations ahead of the European U23 Championships in accordance with the Swedish Environmental Base.
You can read more about Gävle Municipality’s sustainability efforts in connection with this event <a href='https://www.gavle2019.com/sustainability'>here</a>.
<div> </div>

 The Gästrike Återvinnare recycling centre is testing out a new recycling kit for waste sorting during the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships

Recycling placed at the centre of sustainability efforts in Gävle

A selection of hi-res photographs from the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships from 11-14 July will be made available to the media courtesy of Getty Images for print and digital platforms only.
There will also be photographs available from the pre-event press conference on Wednesday (10) followed by images from each of the four days of competition. 
The photos will be available to download via <a href='https://www.picdrop.de/gettysport/fvgD5Jjwt1'>this link. </a>
The photos are available free-of-charge but please note you are required to credit European Athletics via Getty Images.

 A selection of hi-res photographs from the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships from 11-14 July will be made available to the media courtesy of

European Athletics U23 Championships photos available for media

A smattering of stars from last summer’s Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships will be in action at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships from 11-14 July which has attracted over 1000 athletes representing 50 nations.
One of the biggest names in action will be 21-year-old Miltiadis Tentoglou who will be looking to complete the set of major European titles in the long jump. The Greek has already made the standard at senior level having won both the European indoor and outdoor titles and he will be looking to cap his career in the age-group ranks with his fourth major title in two years.
Tentoglou’s hot streak in major events goes back to the 2017 European U20 Championships when he won in Grosseto with 8.07m and he begins as the outstanding favourite to win the corresponding title at U23 level. 
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Tentoglou jumped 8.38m to win the European indoor title in Glasgow and a repeat performance in Gavle would put him one centimetre in excess of the championship record held by Eusebio Caceres from Spain. He leads the European U23 outdoor list with 8.19m ahead of Spain’s Hector Santos and Great Britain’s Jacob Fincham-Dukes who have season’s bests of 8.11m and 8.00m respectively.
Herman and Sacoor among the leading track attractions 
Elvira Herman has been similarly prolific in major European competitions since winning the European U20 title in Eskilstuna four years ago and the Belarusian has another chance to improve on the silver medal which she won behind Nadine Visser two years ago in the 100m hurdles.
Herman’s path to the title has been made easier by the fact France’s Solene Ndama will only be contesting the heptathlon in Gavle but the European champion still faces significant opposition from Poland’s Klaudia Siciarz who has improved to 12.87 this season. This performance puts her a very competitive second on the 2019 European U23 list which Herman leads with 12.84.
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A third European champion in action later this week is Belgium’s Jonathan Sacoor. Coached by Jacques Borlee, Sacoor won the individual world U20 400m title in Tampere last summer before joining forces with his esteemed teammates to win the European 4x400m title in Berlin where he produced a 44.7 leg in the final.
Still only 19 - which makes him eligible for the next edition of the championships in Bergen - Sacoor will only contest the 4x400m relay in Gavle. He is the fastest on their roster based on season's bests at 46.22 and with two other sprinters on their team with performances inside the 47 second-barrier, the Belgians could emulate their senior counterparts on the final day of the championships.
Bukowiecki among 10 defending European U23 champions in action
Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki improved the championship record three times at the last European U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, beginning his campaign with 21.26m in the qualifying round before improving to 21.44m and 21.59m in the final.
At his very best, Bukowiecki could handsomely break the record for a fourth time in Gavle as the 22-year-old relieved Germany’s David Storl of his long-standing European outdoor U23 record at the start of June with 21.97m to win in the Rome Diamond League. 
But as good as we know Bukowiecki can be, the Pole has lacked consistency this season. He didn’t make it through qualifying at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow where he was defending his title but Bukowiecki does arrive Gavle in record-breaking form as his throw of 21.54m in Naples on Monday evening surpassed the championship record at the World University Games.
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There will be high expectations on the shoulders of home favourite Wictor Petersson in the shot put. Petersson has won medals on the global stage at both U18 and U20 level and the 21-year-old will be looking to land his first significant European accolade having set a lifetime best of 20.70m earlier this season.
There will also be very high expectations on Andreas Kramer in the 800m, the most high profile Swedish athlete in action at the championships with European pole vault champion Armand Duplantis not competing.
Kramer is the reigning champion in the 800m and he followed up that title with silver on his European Championships debut in Berlin. The 22-year-old has ownership of both the fastest lifetime best (1:45.03) and season’s best (1:45.33) in the field but Mateusz Borkowski from Poland, who only finished three places behind Kramer in Berlin last August, shouldn't be discounted.
Another distance double on the cards for Reh?
Germany topped the medal table in Bydgoszcz two years ago with four gold medals and Alina Reh could match half of this tally single-handedly.
Reh won a 3000/5000m double at the 2015 European U20 Championships in Eskilstuna and she will be bidding for a 5000/10,000m double on Swedish soil once again this week, starting as the overwhelming title favourite in both events.
Only two athletes on the entry-list have come within two minutes of Reh’s lifetime best of 31:19.87 which she set at the German Championships in May when she led from gun-to-tape, lapping the entire field in the process - a scenario which could play out again on the second day of the championships.
The 5000m should be a more competitive affair against reigning European U23 cross country and 3000m steeplechase champion Anna Emilie Moller from Denmark but Reh still leads the European U23 list by a consequential margin with 15:04.10 which she set in Stockholm. Moller clocked 15:22.69 in the same race.
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The German team arrives in Gavle replete with title chances across the programme. There will be particularly keen interest in the progression of decathlete Niklas Kaul who produced one of two world U20 records at the 2017 European U20 Championships in Grosseto.
Kaul, 21, has already set a lifetime best of 8336 points this season and another proportionate performance will further solidify his selection prospects for the IAAF World Championships in Doha which begin in late September.
The final entries for the European Athletics U23 Championships can be found <a href='https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/7569d6b7-8a59-405e-9431-bcb690bee369.pdf' target='_blank'>here</a> and the championships will be streamed live on the European Athletics website.
<div> </div>

 A smattering of stars from last summer’s Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships will be in action at the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23

Berlin 2018 medallists to headline European U23 Championships

A total of 1105 athletes representing 49 Member Federations - along with 14 Authorised Neutral Athletes - have been entered for the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships from 11-14 July.
The entry-list features 10 reigning champions from Bydgoszcz two years ago including Sweden’s Andreas Kramer who will be looking for back-to-back titles in the 800m. The full entry-list can be viewed <a href='https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/47870dcb-7981-466f-a8e0-2e564d354398.pdf' target='_blank'>here</a>.
The nine other reigning champions on the entry-list are: Ewa Swoboda (100m), Finette Agyapong (200m), Anna Emilie Moller (3000m steeplechase), Yuliya Levchenko (high jump), Angelica Moser (pole vault) and Yanis David (long jump) on the women’s side and Nazim Babayev (triple jump), Konrad Bukowiecki (shot put) and Bence Halasz (hammer) on the women’s side.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Final entries for the European U23 Championships in Gavle from 11-14 July, featuring 10 reigning champions. 
100m Swoboda 
200m Agyapong 
SC Moller 
HJ Levchenko 
PV Moser 
LJ David 
800m Kramer 
TJ Babayev 
SP Bukowiecki 
HT Halasz 
: <a href='https://t.co/omkPvgllJW'>https://t.co/omkPvgllJW</a> <a href='https://t.co/qbvejMWMwJ'>pic.twitter.com/qbvejMWMwJ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1145794848869535745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>July 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
Bukowiecki set one of the five championship records on home soil in Bydgoszcz in 2017, winning the shot put with 21.59m. The Pole has since improved his outdoor lifetime best to 21.97m which also surpassed David Storl’s European U23 outdoor record so Bukowiecki could bid farewell to this age-group category by revising his championship record.
Bukowiecki is one of a handful of medal winners from the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships who will be competing in Gavle next month. 
Other standout entrants include European 100m hurdles champion and 2018 Rising Star Elvira Herman from Belarus, European indoor and outdoor champion Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece in the long jump and European silver medallist Maksim Nedasekau in the high jump.
There will be live streaming of the European Athletics U23 Championships on the European Athletics website.
<div> </div>

 A total of 1105 athletes representing 49 Member Federations - along with 14 Authorised Neutral Athletes - have been entered for the Gavle 2019 European

Final entries available for European Athletics U23 Championships

The medals for the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships are now ready and awaiting their owners.
A unique medal clearly reflects the history of the host city in its depiction of the globally recognisable Gavle Goat and elements of the Gunder Hagg Stadium in a compressed format.
The Gavle Goat is a clear and obvious symbol of Gavle and at the same time, it was also important to reflect Gavle’s love of sport and of athletics in particular. 'Designing the medals has been a long and exciting process,' explained Sebastian Ã&#150;sterman, Art Director of the Gavle Municipality.
Ã&#150;sterman developed the design together with his colleague Erik Forsberg, who is a Tourism Officer and a qualified industrial designer. 'Packing such a huge chunk of Gavle’s history into such a compressed format has been a challenge,' added Ã&#150;sterman.
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Forsberg said: 'We looked back over our history and recognised quickly that Gunder Hagg was a huge name within Swedish athletics. The very place where the U23 Championships will take place is none other than the Gunder Hagg Stadium.
'So, with elements from the Gunder Hagg Stadium together with the Gavle Goat, we were able to produce a design that is unique, and which perfectly symbolises Gavle.'
Hagg was the first athlete to break the 14 minute-barrier for 5000m with 13:58.4. The Gavlehov Stadium was renamed in his honour in 2007.

 The medals for the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships are now ready and awaiting their owners. A unique medal clearly reflects the history of the

Medals for the European Athletics U23 Championships unveiled

It has been two decades since Gothenburg hosted the European Athletics U23 Championships but the biennial event will be returning to Swedish soil one month today (11).
Situated approximately 170 kilometres to the north of Stockholm, Gavle will play host to the biennial championships for the first time from 11-14 July with the European Athletics U20 Championships taking place the following week in Boras.
The event was first held in 1997 - replacing the European U23 Cup in 1992 and 1994 - primarily to facilitate the transition from the U20 to the senior ranks but it is conceivable that some of the medal winners will play a significant role at the IAAF World Championships in Doha later this season.
At the last edition of the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Norway’s Karsten Warholm won the 400m hurdles title in a championship record of 48.37 a month before winning the world title in London while Ukraine’s Yuliya Levchenko followed up her European U23 high jump title with silver behind Mariya Lasitskene in London.
Warholm and Levchenko were duly crowned male and female Rising Stars at the Golden Tracks award ceremony the same year and at 21, Levchenko is also eligible to defend her high jump title in Gavle.
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Sweden won two titles in 2017 courtesy of Fanny Roos in the shot put and Andreas Kramer in the 800m. Kramer is also eligible to defend his title in Gavle and he could have his sights on the long-standing championship record of 1:45.21 which was set by the soon-to-be Olympic champion Nils Schumann from Germany in 1999.
Another eligible winner from Bydgoszcz two years ago is Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki. Bukowiecki broke the championship record in the shot put in both qualifying (21.26m) and the final (21.59m) and the 22-year-old recently broke David Storl’s European U23 outdoor record with 21.97m to win the Rome Diamond League on Thursday.
Reigning European indoor and outdoor long jump champion Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece is also confirmed for Gavle while Niklas Kaul, who broke the world U20 decathlon record at the European U20 Championships in Grosseto two years ago, has been named on Germany’s combined events team.
Tickets are available to purchase <a href='https://www.gavle2019.com/tickets'>here</a> and the championships will also be streamed live on the European Athletics website.

 It has been two decades since Gothenburg hosted the European Athletics U23 Championships but the biennial event will be returning to Swedish soil one month

One month to go - European Athletics U23 Championships

Reigning European U20 100m champion Filippo Tortu began his individual season in excellent form, running faster than his Italian 100m record of 9.99 in Rieti on Friday (24).
The wind speed was slightly above the legal limit at 2.4 m/s but Tortu stopped the clock at a nonetheless eye-catching time of 9.97 after clocking 10.08 in the heats. The 20-year-old recovered from a sluggish start in the final to hold off Canada’s Aaron Brown (10.00) with France’s Amaury Golitin third in 10.11.
Tortu’s next race will be the Rome Diamond League on 6 June when he will step up in distance to contest the 200m. Not only will he face reigning world and European champion Ramil Guliyev, he will also face Noah Lyles from the United States - who defeated Tortu for the 100m title at the 2016 World U20 Championships.
Tortu hasn’t raced the curve since the IAAF World Championships in London nearly two years ago but the European 100m finalist is in high spirits after breaking the 10 second-barrier in the 100m on his season’s debut.
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'It's a great sign in view of the 200m of the Golden Gala in two weeks in Rome, I really want to race at the Olympic Stadium,” Tortu told FIDAL after the race.
“I can say that I felt very good in the last few meters, I tried to relax, to use only my feet, raise my knees. Unfortunately there was wind, but here I was racing against one of the strongest sprinters in the world: after the first 50 meters I thought only to be relaxed and the time has come.”
In his first season as a senior, Tortu famously eclipsed Pietro Mennea’s long-standing Italian 100m record with 9.99 in Madrid last season before just missing out on the individual medals at the European Championships in Berlin.
He might not be quite as prolific over 200m but Tortu did make an impact when he raced over half the lap at the Rome Diamond League in 2017. His 20.34 placed him fourth on the European all-time lists which are still headed by Guliyev’s 20.04.

 Reigning European U20 100m champion Filippo Tortu began his individual season in excellent form, running faster than his Italian 100m record of 9.99 in Rieti

Tortu clocks a wind-aided 9.97 100m in Rieti

Written press, non-rights holders and photographers are now invited to apply for accreditation for the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships which takes place on 11-14 July.


The deadline to apply for accreditation with accommodation at one of the official media hotels is 5 June. The deadline to apply for accreditation without accommodation closes on 28 June.
Written press and photographers can apply for accreditation by clicking on <a target='_blank' href='https://arena-bo.european-athletics.org/ArenaEvent/Arena.Domain.Registration.Web/Views/Registration/RegistrationForm.aspx?p1=MzQw'>this link</a> and filling out the form.
Non-rights holders can apply for accreditation by clicking on <a target='_blank' href='https://arena-bo.european-athletics.org/ArenaEvent/Arena.Domain.Registration.Web/Views/Registration/RegistrationForm.aspx?p1=MzQx'>this link</a>.
Transportation


The nearest international airport is Stockholm-Arlanda and transfers to Gavle (approximately 140 kilometres) will be provided if submitted at least 48 hours before arrival.
Upon arrival in Gavle, you are invited to proceed to the Accreditation Centre (located at the Stadium) to collect your accreditation card.
Accommodation
The official media hotels are:
Hotell Alderholmen (***)
Norra Skeppsbron 3C 803 10 Gävle <a target='_blank' href='http://hotellalderholmen.se/'>http://www.hotellalderholmen.se</a>.
Room rates
Single: 1000 SEK 
Double: 1300 SEK Hotell Aveny (**)
Södra Kungsgatan 31 802 51 Gävle <a href='http://hotelaveny.eu/'>http://www.hotelaveny.eu</a>
Room rates
Single: 900 SEK 
Double: 1200 SEK Please note that accommodation is provided on a first-come first-served basis and cannot be guaranteed if applications are made later than 5 June. After the deadline has elapsed you will still be charged for your room unless it is reallocated.
Accreditation Centre
The Main Accreditation Centre is situated at the Gavlehov Stadium Park where you will be able to collect your accreditation card.
The opening times of the Main Accreditation Centre are:
Monday 8 July - 09:00-19:00 
Tuesday 9 July - 09:00-19:00 
Wednesday 10 July - 09:00-19:00 
Thursday 11 July - 10:00-17:00 
Friday 12 July - 10:00-17:00 
Saturday 13 July - 10:00-17:00 
Sunday 14 July - 10:00-17:00 Media Centre
The Media Centre is located at the Gavlevallen, next to Gunder Hägg Stadium.
The opening times of the Media Centre are:
Wednesday 10 July 13:00 - 18:00 
Thursday 11 July 08:00 - 22:00 
Friday 12 July 08:00- 22:00 
Saturday 13 July 08:00- 22:00 
Sunday 14 July 08:00- 22:00

 Written press, non-rights holders and photographers are now invited to apply for accreditation for the Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships which

Media accreditation open for Gavle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships

For most athletes the European Athletics U23 Championships act as a bridge between the U20 and the senior stage but Miltiadis Tentoglou is an already established name in the long jump.
Tentoglou has European indoor and outdoor titles to his credit and the European U23 Championships in Gavle between 11-14 July will represent an opportunity for the Greek to complete the set of major European titles at the age of 21.
“Yes, definitely. I will be there,” said Tentoglou after winning the European indoor title in Glasgow at the start of March with an outright lifetime best and Greek indoor record of 8.38m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Miltiadis Tentoglou bounds out to a world-leading 8.38m in the fifth round of the long jump final! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Glasgow2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Glasgow2019</a> <a href='https://t.co/05J8xZKHfN'>pic.twitter.com/05J8xZKHfN</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1102184314857496576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>March 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
Tentoglou has made a rapid ascent through the ranks and his two senior titles have come within less than two years after winning the European U20 long jump title in Grosseto. He won the European title in Berlin on his debut at the European Championships with 8.25m before following suit at the start of the year in Glasgow.
“It’s even better because I got a good result, 8.38m is a pretty good jump for indoors and I’m pretty happy with that and I knew I can jump well so I came here to prove it,” reflected Tentoglou who moved to equal sixth on the European indoor all-time lists, also surpassing Louis Tsatoumas’ Greek record of 8.23m. 
 
“It’s even longer than my outdoor PB. I knew that I was in shape to jump more than 8.30m for sure - maybe more than 8.35m.”
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Gold for Greece! 
Miltiadis Tentoglou sails out to a world-leading mark and outright lifetime best of 8.38m to win the long jump title at <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Glasgow2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#Glasgow2019</a>. <a href='https://t.co/FxO2N63Qhh'>pic.twitter.com/FxO2N63Qhh</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1102196462262386692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>March 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
Tentoglou looked set to settle for silver for two thirds of the competition but the youngest competitor in the final kept his composure with his fifth round jump, sailing handsomely beyond Thobias Nilsson Montler’s second round lead of 8.17m with 8.38m.
“In the first jumps I wanted to find my rhythm. I did not find the performance I wanted but I was confident and optimistic about the result, I was cool in the competition and I managed to achieve a great result and a great jump,” he said.
The European U23 Championships will also be an important competition on the road to the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar which begin in late September.
Tentoglou exited in qualifying in London two years ago on his World Championships debut and while he has grown in stature since then, he is under no illusion that winning medals on the global stage will not be easy to come by.
“The level of the long jump is very great - Echevarria, Manyonga, Samaai - but if my preparation goes well and I’m healthy, we’ll see,” he said.
Tentoglou is one of a handful of European senior champions who will be eligible to compete at the European U23 Championships this summer along with Armand Duplantis in the pole vault and Elvira Herman in the 100m hurdles. 
<div> </div>

 For most athletes the European Athletics U23 Championships act as a bridge between the U20 and the senior stage but Miltiadis Tentoglou is an already

Tentoglou to target another title at the European U23 Championships  

A limited number of ‘Early Bird’ tickets are now available for the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships which will be staged 11-14 July 2019.
500 special pre-sale tickets are available now at <a href='http://www.gavle2019.com/tickets' target='_blank'>www.gavle2019.com/tickets</a> 
The tickets are available until 13 September.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
EARLY BIRD OFFER! 
Follow next generation athletes in Gävle 2019! 
500 presale tickets available now. Buy yours at <a href='https://t.co/7XC0MuGFbt'>https://t.co/7XC0MuGFbt</a> <a href='https://t.co/rA9wVId36M'>pic.twitter.com/rA9wVId36M</a>
— European Athletics U23 Championships Gävle 2019 (@gavle2019) <a href='https://twitter.com/gavle2019/status/1030017376484581377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
The championships could potentially feature many medallist from the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships and Sweden’s pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis along with his compatriot 800m silver medallist Andreas Kramer.
Other Berlin 2018 medallists who will still be eligible to compete in Gavle include Greek long jump winner Miltiardis Tentoglou, Hungary’s hammer champion Bence Halasz and Belarus’ 100m hurdles gold medallist Elvira Herman.

 A limited number of ‘Early Bird’ tickets are now available for the Gävle 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships which will be staged 11-14 July 2019.

Tickets now available for the 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships

After Bydgoszcz, Poland staged the 2017 edition of the event, the European Athletics U23 Championships will be heading to Gävle, Sweden from 11-14 July.
The European U23 Championships was first staged in Turku, Finland in 1997, replacing the European U23 Cup which was held in 1992 and 1994. The championships has been staged biennially since 1997 and it is designed to facilitate the often difficult transition from the U20 ranks to the senior stage.
Two years after winning the U20 title, Great Britain’s 100m sprinter Ojie Edoburun moved through the age-groups by claiming the gold medal in Bydgoszcz. He articulated the importance of the championships after winning the 100m title.
“It is hard to go just from a youth straight to being a senior. I think there should be even more emphasis on a championship such as this one because it is a transition championship,” he said.
The championships could potentially feature many medallist from the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships including Sweden’s teenage pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis along with his compatriot and 800m silver medallist Andreas Kramer.
Other Berlin 2018 medallists who will be eligible to compete in Gavle include Greek long jump winner and reigning European U20 champion Miltiardis Tentoglou, Hungary’s hammer bronze medallist Bence Halasz and Belarus’ 100m hurdles gold medallist Elvira Herman as well as Poland's Berlin 2018 shot put silver medallist Konrad Bukowiecki, who set two championship record at the last U23 championships in 2017 culminating in a distance of 21.56m 
Another four championship records - including a 400m hurdles championship record by Norway''s' Karsten Warholm as a prelude to winning the world title a month later in London - were set at the 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships and there are high hopes the same standards will be reached in Gavle.
Another athlete to win medals at both championships was Ukraine’s high jumper Yuliya Levchenko who won gold in Bydgoszcz before silver in London. They were both duly anointed male and female Rising Star of 2017 at the Golden Tracks award ceremony in Vilnius, Lithuania in October.
Consequently, it's certainly possible that a few medal winners in Gavle will stand on the podium again at the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019 and the championship will act as a form guide to who might take the prestigious end-of-season continental honours, especially those won by Warholm and Levchenko last year.
A total of 29 Member Federations - along with one Authorised Neutral Athlete - won medals in Bydgoszcz. Germany topped both the medal and placing tables with 18 medals in total, including four titles.
Official website: <a href='https://www.gavle2019.com/'>https://www.gavle2019.com/</a>

 After Bydgoszcz, Poland staged the 2017 edition of the event, the European Athletics U23 Championships will be heading to Gävle, Sweden from 11-14 July. The

Gävle to host the 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships

With his powerful, high thigh lift, Great Britain’s Ojie Edoburun is one of the most recognisable young sprinters in the sport.
When he charged down the home straight at the Bydgoszcz 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships last week, usually at the front of the pack or very close to it, there was no mistaking who was running.
Firstly, last Friday, the North Londoner won 100m gold at the European Athletics U23 Championships and then on Sunday, he anchored Great Britain to 4x100m relay silver.
With the focus of attention for European Athletics shifting from the U23 ranks to U20 as that category stages its biennial continental championships in the Italian city of Grosseto this week, anyone seeking inspiration of their importance and how the link together does not need to look further than the success of Edoburun.
In Eskilstuna in 2015, he won the 100m when the last European Athletics U20 Championships were staged. 
He triumphed there in 10.36 and his next step then was Bydgoszcz two years down the road and what an outcome it was, going through the gears in the second half of the race before winning in 10.14 and immediately setting himself his next target.
“Hopefully I will make the team for Berlin [the Berlin 2018 European Championships] next year and shoot to get the senior gold. That will be three, which will be great,” said the North Londoner.
Berlin, of course, is the stage of next summer’s track and field action as Glasgow stages the aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon as part of the first European Championships.
In the moments after his win in Poland, Edoburun was already looking towards more glory, because that is what happens. Success can breed success as he is finding on this European stage.
“It is a nice double and it is good to follow up the potential I have shown as a junior,” reflected Edoburun. 
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“Now, I want the senior one. I have learned a lot about myself since 2015. Although I won, I didn’t feel I was confident in myself. I ran 10.16 when I was 18 in 2014; hat year after I was just searching for times.
“Last year, being able to go to the Rio Olympics (as part of the 4x100m relay) taught me that I feel I am good enough to be on the world stage and told me to trust my ability more and coming into this season, that is what it has all been about.
“I haven’t had the best start (in races) but I was confident in my finish, and that is what has pulled me through. I feel like I have developed so much this season for when the time is right to move to the seniors.”
Edoburun trains at Lee Valley in a group which includes the likes of leading British senior CJ Ujah and is very level-headed in his approach to the sport and what lies ahead.
He has one more year to go studying for his Sports Science degree at Middlesex University and is heading into the senior ranks of an event which is about to lose its greatest performer and showman, with Usain Bolt retiring at the end of this summer.
Edoburun said: “It is an exciting time because there is now going to be a new guy in the sprints.
“It might be like in the day when there was a random person winning every event, whereas for us the past 10 years you know Bolt is going to win when he steps on the track.
“A lot of young guys across the world have stepped up to the senior ranks. It is motivating because it gives me the belief I can do it as well. Everyone feels that they can be that next guy, but I am in no rush.
“My aim for the season was to be the best version of myself. I have managed to go under my old personal best a few times this year and I have managed to go sub-10 a few times windy. It has been good. 
“I am not rushing my progress. Whenever the time is right for me to step up and be that guy, I am sure I will be ready for it.”
Just as he was in Eskilstuna and just as he was in Bydgoszcz, and just as he hopes to be in Berlin.

 With his powerful, high thigh lift, Great Britain’s Ojie Edoburun is one of the most recognisable young sprinters in the sport. When he charged down the home

Edoburun’s golden progress through the ranks

As the curtain came down in Bydgoszcz on Sunday evening, one thing was certain: the 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships will be remembered for a long time.
And perhaps in Finland as much as anywhere else after the record-breaking exploits of the country’s triple jumper Simo Lipsanen. Who could have imagined history would be in the making when he took to the runway for his fifth jump in the final but within seconds, as he landed at 17.14m, he had smashed the national record of 17.00m which was achieved by Pertti Pousi in June 1968.
That jump was just one of the glorious memories banked from Bydgoszcz, with that competition alone proving golden for Azerbaijan as Nazim Babayev signalled himself on the international stage with victory, becoming the first male athlete from his country to claim gold in championship history.
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As Great Britain’s 100m champion Ojie Edoburun said following up his European U20 success in 2015: “This is why we need these championships. It is hard to go just from a youth straight to being a senior. I think there should be even more emphasis on a championship such as this one because it is a transition championship.”
The level of performance was immense, as was the ability of so many favourites to deliver. Polish shot putter Konrad Bukowiecki was under a great deal of pressure to succeed at home.
His first effort in qualifying on the opening morning on Thursday showed what an event it was going to be for him as he broke the championship record with 21.26m, replacing the old mark of 20.45m set by Germany's David Storl in Ostrava in 2011.
But there was more to come as Bukowiecki won gold in the final with another championship record, this time 21.59m.
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He was not alone in winning gold for his country as Ewa Swoboda maintained her brilliant championship record with 100m glory and then on the final afternoon, the nation’s 4x400m relay team landed a fabulous victory.
Bukowiecki was not alone in rewriting the record books.
Turkey’s Yasemin Can again demonstrated what a force she is over the long distances by winning the 10,000m (31:39:80) and the 5000m (15:01.67) both in championship records to repeat her double from the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam last summer.
And what a few days it was for Slovakia’s Jan Volko, who showed what a world class sprinter he is becoming by winning 100m silver and then 200m gold, the latter in a national and championship record of 20.33 to become the first Slovakian man to land a major sprint title.
Norway's Karsten Warholm put himself through both the rounds, the semifinal and then the final of the 400m flat and 400m hurdles and left Bydgoszcz with gold and silver medals and a championship record.
Having finished second in the 400m, when he tied up in the home straight having run a 400m hurdles race a few hours earlier, he was then bang on the mark in the final over the barriers the following day as he triumphed in a championship record of 48.37.
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And in the roll call of glory, it was Germany who topped the medal table with four golds – Marius Probst and Konstanze Klosterhalfen in the 1500m, Claudine Vita (discus) and the men’s 4x100m relay – to go with their six silver medals and eight bronze medals for a total of 18 from Great Britain and Poland, who were joint second with 10 apiece and the exact record: three gold, four silver and three bronze. 
In total, 23 countries won gold medals in Bydgoszcz along with Klavdiya Afanasyeva in the 20km walk, who was competing as an Authorised Neutral Athlete.
Wherever you looked in Bydgoszcz there were amazing stories but perhaps we should not have been surprised because Spain's Carlos Mayo had set the tone in the first final of the competition, the men’s 10,000m, on Thursday.
With 250 metres to go, Mayo suddenly made his move for home from the shoulder of Germany’s Amanal Petros and crossed the line, going crazy as he triumphed.
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The man who had won a collection of silver and bronze medals was now a champion, at last, at the final step before the senior ranks await full-time.
'It is a dream,' said Mayo. 'I have made that podium in the past but not won the gold. I am so happy.'
He then won 5000m bronze to complete “four days to remember”. He would not be the only one saying that.

 As the curtain came down in Bydgoszcz on Sunday evening, one thing was certain: the 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships will be remembered for a long

Bydgoszcz: a championships to remember

It is not often an Olympic champion appears at the European Athletics U23 Championships but Croatia’s Sara Kolak did not disappoint as she followed Rio javelin gold with Bydgoszcz glory.
Kolak, 22, had a superb series, winning with her second throw of 65.12m, in an important competition in a summer where she will be the favourite at next month's IAAF World Championships in London along with world record-holder Barbora Spotakova from the Czech Republic.
Whether or not being in the field with Kolak was an inspiration, the two women alongside her on the podium were there after throwing personal bests: Latvia's Anete Kocina won silver with 64.47m and Poland's Marcelina Witek won bronze with 63.03m. Turkey's Eda Tugsuz, who was seen as Kolak's biggest threat after throwing 67.21m in May, finished fourth with 62.37m.
'I feel great,' said Kolak. 'It's hard to be a favourite because everyone expects me to win but I am only human. I still cannot believe that I am Olympic champion and now I need to focus on London.'
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Olympic fourth-placer Maria Andrejczyk did not take part due to injury but Poland still won a medal courtesy of Witek, who added nearly two metres to her lifetime best. 'The fans were cheering but I actually did not hear them because I was concentrating on my throws. I was thinking about keeping a good technique and I am really happy,” she said.
Kolak opened with 63.12m ahead of her winning effort. She then had a foul before further throws of 61.22m and 61.02m and then a fine 64.69m - and to show the level she was at, Kolak had more throws over 60 metres - five out of six - than she did in Rio - four out of six, winning with 66.18m.
Babayev's triple triumph on amazing day for Lipsanen
Germany's European champion Max Hess had spoken of the threat that Nazim Babayev posed and how right he was as he won gold in a triple jump competition of the highest class.
Babayev, 19, had jumped further than Hess this year outdoors and he showed his ability with the second best leap by a European this year with 17.18m from the second round. He had only one other legal jump, with 16.74m in the third round, but it did not matter because he had done enough for the title.
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When it came to the final round and the final jump, he seemed to savour all the noise, bowing to the crowd from the sandpit even though it was another foul.
Hess won bronze with 16.68m from the fourth round but what a day it was for Finland's Simo Lipsanen.
He won silver by breaking his country's national record that had, incredibly, stood for 49 years. Lipsanen's fifth round jump saw him land at 17.14m to replace the mark of 17.00m that Pertti Pousi had set in Kuortane, Finland, on June 23 1968.
Sykora continues Czech tradition with decathlon gold
Personal bests were the order of the day as Czech Republic's Jiri Sykora won decathlon gold.
The 2014 World U20 champion took the lead after the opening event of the day - the 110m hurdles - where he ran 14.15, and the discus, where he threw 50.37m, for a score of 5918 from Belarusian Maksim Andraloits (5789) and Sweden's Fredrik Samuelson (5772).
Sykora, 22, stayed in that position as he finished 10th overall in the pole vault with 4.50m as Germany's Torben Blach won the event by going all the way to 5.20m, the only man to pass five metres.
With two disciplines to go, Sykora led with 6678 from Andraloits (6608) and Samuelson (6591) and by the end of the penultimate event, the javelin, Sykora was further in front after blow to the rest. He won it with another lifetime best - this time 63.36m - for 789 points and a total of 7467.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Three years after winning the world U20 decathlon title, Czech Republic's Jiri Sykora claims U23 gold in Bydgoszcz with 8084 points. <a href='https://t.co/nTx6AwpBRj'>pic.twitter.com/nTx6AwpBRj</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886635847377764354'>July 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
Samuelson was second with 7315 after a javelin of 59.10m and Finland's Elmo Savola was third with 7273 after a javelin of 61.89m.
As France's Edgar Chave won the 1500m in 4:29.62, Sykora was way down, finishing 17th in 4:50.30 but he was the champion with 8084 points from Samuelson with 8010 and Savola in a lifetime best of 7956.
Yuliya Levchenko led a Ukrainian one-two in the women's high jump which she won with 1.96m from Iryna Herashchenko with 1.92m. The European indoor bronze medallist had first time clearances at 1.88m, 1.92m, 1.94m and 1.96m before failing at 1.98m with Italy's Erika Furlani third with 1.86m.
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In the men's pole vault, Belgium's Ben Broeders claimed the title after a season's best of 5.60m brought him victory on countback from France's Axel Chapelle with Spain's Adrian Valles taking bronze with 5.50m.
Broeders' clean vaulting brought him gold with his only failures coming when the bar was moved to 5.65m.
Polish relay gold as Britain land spoils too
Hosts Poland had so much to celebrate as the women's 4x400m relay team won gold in 3:29.66 from Germany (3:30.18) and Ukraine (3:30.22).
Aleksandra Gaworska picked the baton up from Mariola Karas with the Poles ahead on the final lap and it never changed, as she held her nerve and break away along the home straight to secure a convincing win.
And there was almost a double triumph for Poland but Britain's Cameron Chalmers was too strong for Dariusz Kowaluk in the men's 4x400m.
Britain, who led for more than the last two laps, won in 3:03.65 with the rest of their quartet being Lee Thompson, Ben Snaith and Sam Hazel, from Poland in 3:04.22 and France in 3:05.24.
<div><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
In the last track final of the championships, <a href='https://twitter.com/CamChalmers400'>@CamChalmers400</a> anchored <a href='https://twitter.com/BritAthletics'>@BritAthletics</a> to victory in the men's 4x400m. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/m7Wwput1MP'>pic.twitter.com/m7Wwput1MP</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886648153184784385'>July 16, 2017</a></blockquote></div>

 It is not often an Olympic champion appears at the European Athletics U23 Championships but Croatia’s Sara Kolak did not disappoint as she followed Rio

Kolak lives up to the billing with javelin gold

Once more, Konstanze Klosterhalfen demonstrated what an incredible talent she is and what an amazing future she has after taking control of the 1500m with just over 800m metres left to win brilliantly.
The German is still only 20 and now she has a gold medal in 2017 to go with the silver medal she won behind Laura Muir at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March.
Klosterhalfen sat with the pack but with just over two laps left, she decided it was her time as she broke away with only Poland's Sofia Ennaoui going in chase after her. Twelve months after winning the bronze medal over 3000m on this track at the World U20 Championships, Klosterhalfen was not going to let anything stop her taking gold this time.
For someone still in the early part of her international career, Klosterhalfen has such an aura and it will now be interesting to see how the German, who has already broken the four minute-barrier at this distance twice this summer, fares at the World Championships in London next month.
Klosterhalfen won in 4:10.30 and it was a Polish silver and bronze as Ennaoui finished second in 4:13.54 and Martyna Galant was third in 4:17.91.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
With a closing 800m split of 2:01, Germany's Konstanze Klosterhalfen dominates the 1500m final. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/vKMImeqgGQ'>pic.twitter.com/vKMImeqgGQ</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886605256821428225'>July 16, 2017</a></blockquote>

'I am so happy,' said Klosterhalfen, who covered the last 800 metres in under 2:02. 'The atmosphere here is great, I love the blue colour of the track but during the race I couldn't look around me because if I did, I could be second. I just ran and wanted to be faster.'
Can does the double again
Yasemin Can obliterated the 5000m championship record as she made it double gold once more at a major European event.
A year on from winning the 5000m and 10,000m titles at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, the Turk added to her 10,000m victory. She took the race on less 30 seconds after the gun fired and she quickly established a lead from a chase pack of three athletes: Germany's Alina Reh, Can's teammate Emine Hatun Tuna and Sweden's Sarah Lahti, who won silver in the 10,000m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
After winning the 10,000m in a championship record, Yasemin Can follows suit with a gun-to-tape win in the 5000m.<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/gnv4kR2GOK'>pic.twitter.com/gnv4kR2GOK</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886624392209252352'>July 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
And while her winning margin wasn’t quite as sizeable as it was in the 10,000m final, Can never ceded her lead and won in 15:01.67 to smash Elvan Abeylegesse's championship record of 15:16.79 which was set on this track in 2003.
Reh, the double European U20 champion in 2015, came through for second in a personal best of 15:10.57 from Lahti in bronze in a season's best of 15:14.17.
Chiappinelli and Kramer take track gold
Italy's European U20 champion Yohanes Chiappinelli came back to the track where he was fifth at last year's World U20s to win a glorious gold in the 3000m steeplechase – and he is only 19.
But age never mattered as Chiappinelli beat his older rivals with a wonderful run to lead an Italian one-two. He triumphed in 8:34.33 from Ahmed Abdelwahed in 8:37.02 with Great Britain's Jamaine Coleman third in 8:40.44.
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In the men's 800m, Sweden's Andreas Kramer led at the bell and he just held on for gold in one of the best finishes of the championships.
Kramer had established a five metre advantage as he looked to pull clear down the home straight but Britain's Daniel Rowden went in pursuit.
They were so close as the line came, with Kramer winning by the smallest of margins, in 1:48.15, from Rowden in 1:48.16, and Germany's Marc Reuther third in 1:48.66.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
0.01! 
What a duel down the home straight between Sweden's Andreas Kramer and Brit Daniel Rowden in the 800m final! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz</a> <a href='https://t.co/CJiy1cvUzc'>pic.twitter.com/CJiy1cvUzc</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886615022910062597'>July 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
Hoffman and Lara lead the sprint for glory
Germany's Daniel Hoffmann dipped just enough to defeat Britain's individual 100m gold medallist Ojie Edoburun and win the 4x100m relay for his nation.
Hoffman was last man in the quartet of Roger Gurski, Kai Kollmann and Philipp Trutenat with the first two teams having the same time of 39.11 with Finland third with 39.70.
Cristina Lara brilliantly held off her rivals in a thrilling home straight battle in the women's 4x100m relay to lead Spain to gold in 43.96 from France in 44.06 and Switzerland in 44.07.
A Spanish team of Paula Sevilla, Ane Petrirena and Lara Gomez handed on to Lara who dug as deep as she could to beat France's Amandine Brossier and Switzerland's Ajla Del Ponte, who ran 43.98 in the heats.
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 Once more, Konstanze Klosterhalfen demonstrated what an incredible talent she is and what an amazing future she has after taking control of the 1500m with just

Klosterhalfen storms to 1500m gold in Bydgoszcz

Karsten Warholm has a gold medal at last to celebrate in his amazing season after a record-breaking performance in the men's 400m hurdles on the final day of the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz this afternoon.
A day after fading into silver in the final stages of the 400m, Warholm, 21, made sure there was going to be no repeat as he led all the way and saved enough to stretch away to triumph in a championship record of 48.37 from Switzerland's Dany Brand, who set a national U23 mark of 49.14, and France's Ludvy Vaillant, third in a personal best of 49.31.
Warholm has broken national records at both the 400m and 400m hurdles this year but it is some ask to go for both titles in one championship over four days. Yet he now has a gold and silver medal to add to his collection, two years on from winning silver in both the 400m and decathlon at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Eskilstuna, Sweden.
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'I am very tired and I am so happy to have the record. I managed to have a pretty good run and empty the tank. The time is even better than I expected. The result will be good to bring to the World Championships but I have to remember there are much better runners there. I need to perform even better,' hs said.
 
Ironically, the record had been set the last time these championships were held in this Zawisza Stadium when Poland's Marek Plawgo ran 48.45.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Karsten Warholm's last four days: 
46.70 400m ht 
50.88 400mH ht 
46.06 400m SF 
49.20 400mH SF 
45.75 400m F (2nd) 
48.37 400mH F (1st, CR) <a href='https://t.co/GVulVGytGY'>pic.twitter.com/GVulVGytGY</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886599811801198592'>July 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
Skagestad leaves it late in the discus
It was great day for Norway as Sven Martin Skagestad opened their medal winning count with gold in the discus in his final season in this age-group bracket.
Skagestad, 22, began as the favourite but not until the fifth round did he stamp his mark on the event with the throw that secured gold, winning with 61.00m. 'It was not so good at first and it's hard to make a good throw when the start is bad,' said Skagestad. 'But I managed a good effort and fortunately I won gold.'
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
With a fifth round throw of 61.00m, Sven Martin Skagestad claims gold for Norway in the discus. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/uBWBd7N39y'>pic.twitter.com/uBWBd7N39y</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886580055874215936'>July 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
Prior to entering the cage, Skagestad was third behind defending champion Alin Alexandru Firfirica from Romania with 60.17m and Germany's Clemens Prufer with 60.08m.
But the story suddenly changed with Skagestad's throw in an event where he had been the man to beat having entered with the leading mark among his rivals this year at 65.20m.
David pulls out lifetime best for long jump gold
When France's Yanis David took to the runway for the final round of the women's long jump, the announcer told the crowd of how we remember her from the World U20 Championships here last year.
It was a fitting introduction and twelve months on, David is the gold medallist in Bydgoszcz again after an amazing finale, jumping a personal best of 6.56m to break her old mark by eight centimetres.
As the score flashed up the distance, she slapped her thighs and jumped about in celebration having stormed down the runway before launching herself with real menace into the sand.
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Before the jump, she was not even in medal contention, with her previous best being 6.43m from round two prior to three fouls. It was some final round as Germany's Anna Buhler, the European U20 silver medallist, went from sixth position to first with 6.50m before David's moment of magic.
Buhler won silver with Ukraine's Maryna Bekh taking bronze with 6.48m – a distance that looked all set for gold before the final round began.
Folorunso turns in a great show
Italy's Ayomide Folorunso progressed from European U20 bronze medallist to U23 champion, having enough in reserve to run down Britain's Jessica Turner in a superb women's 400m hurdles final.
Turner was in lane nine, way on the outside, but she led from the start and as the stagger unwound she was still in front.
But in lane six, Folorunso was quickly alongside her and then stretched away to win in a season's best time of 55.82 with Turner breaking her personal best for silver in 56.08 and Iceland's Arna Stefania Gudmundsdottir taking bronze in a season's best of 56.37.
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At the start of the day, Spain's Diego Garcia put himself back on top of the podium after injury to win the men's 20km walk.
Garcia, 21, triumphed in 1:22:29 from Germany's Karl JunghannÃ&#159; in 1:22:52 and France's Gabriel Bordier in a lifetime best of 1:23:03.
The European U20 10,000m walk champion in 2015, it was another great title for Garcia at this longer distance in a career that had been disrupted. 'Last year I had my knee operated on, I was injured and could not compete. I feel really bad. It was hard for me to get up. But now I am in the place where I wanted to be,' he said.
Competing as an Authorised Neutral Athlete, Klavdiya Afanasyeva won the women's 20km walk by 14 seconds in 1:31:15 from Spain's Maria Perez in 1:31:29 and Lithuania's Zivile Vaiciukeviciute in 1:32:21.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
In the first event of the day, <a href='https://twitter.com/DiegoGCarrera'>@DiegoGCarrera</a> doubled Spain's gold medal tally with gold in the 20km walk! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/mqQpO5fcgv'>pic.twitter.com/mqQpO5fcgv</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886555918648745984'>July 16, 2017</a></blockquote>

 Karsten Warholm has a gold medal at last to celebrate in his amazing season after a record-breaking performance in the men's 400m hurdles on the final day of

Warholm and Skagestad make it a Norwegian double in Bydgoszcz

Twenty-four hours after becoming the first Slovak man to win a major outdoor sprint medal, Jan Volko took that little bit of history into a different stratosphere this evening in Bydgoszcz at the European Athletics U23 Championships.


With a power-packed performance, Volko won 200m gold in 20.33 to break the national record time he had set in the semifinals and eclipse the championship record.
Having run 20.54 in the semis, this was some performance after what had already been the best of his life. France's Gautier Dautremer was second in a personal best of 20.66 with Germany's Roger Gurski third in 20.70.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD! 
Slovakia's Jan Volko wins the European U23 200m title in 20.33, breaking his national record by two-tenths as well. <a href='https://t.co/3PhFTCJYbE'>pic.twitter.com/3PhFTCJYbE</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/886299013451890689'>July 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
Norway's Jonathan Quarcoo was fourth in 20.80, missing out on the medals just a few hours after threatening the championship record with a national U23 record of 20.39 in the semifinal.
Finette Agyapong doubled the British gold medal tally in the 200m by claiming gold in 22.87 - just a fraction outside her lifetime best of 22.86 which she set in the semifinal. Switzerland's Sarah Atcho, who was closing in all the time, was second in a lifetime best of 22.90 with Ukraine's Yana Kachur third in a 23.20 PB.
Eykens has enough in reserve for 800m glory
Belgium's Renee Eykens followed up her European U20 800m glory with an ice-cool performance to win the U23 title in Bydgoszcz as she beat Anita Hinriksdottir again in a sensational finish.
Two years ago in Eskilstuna, Sweden, Hinriksdottir won bronze as Eykens triumphed but in Belgrade in March, the Icelandic runner won her first senior medal with bronze at the European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Hinriksdottir set off looking determined to control the race as much as she could and that is the way it developed, with her in front. As they entered the home straight, she was still there but Eykens, 21, was cutting her back all the time and eventually passed her with 40 metres left to win in 2:04.73 with Hinriksdottir second in 2:05.02
'I had no idea how the race was going to be and for me, the plan was to follow the leading girls. It's an incredible feeling finishing as the first one,” said Eykens.
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Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa also came through late to catch the leaders as he won the 5000m with an amazing sprint down the home straight.
At they hit the final 150 metres, Germany's Amanal Petros was the man in front, although 10,000m champion Carlos Mayo from Spain was on his shoulder as he looked for a second gold at these championships.
Mayo made his move on the final turn as Petros tried to stay in front with Belgium's Simon Debognies coming through too but as they battled it out between themselves, Crippa moved from sixth with 100 metres remaining, passing them all and pointing in celebration as he crossed the line to win in 14:14.28 from Debognies (14:14.71) and Mayo (14:15.07).
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Rivasz-Toth has a record-breaking day
Norbert Rivasz-Toth wrote his way into Hungarian athletics history in Bydgoszcz today and not just by winning the European U23 javelin gold medal a day after Bence Halasz won the hammer title.
With a second round throw of 83.08m, Rivasz-Toth, 21, smashed Gergely Horvath's national senior mark of 81.55m which had stood since 2003.
It was a stunning performance from the 2013 world U18 silver medallist who came into the championships with a personal best of 80.50m from earlier this summer.
The favourite was Greece's Ioannis Kiriazis - his lifetime best from this year is 88.01m - and though he came close in the final round with a fine 81.04m after a slow start to the competition, the gold medal belonged to Rivasz-Toth.
Alyona Shamotina also won Ukraine’s second gold medal of the championships in the hammer with a second round throw of 67.46m in a competition played out to the background of a glorious rainbow over the stadium.
Shamotina had begun with 65.24m before her winning mark in the same round where France's Camille Sainte Luce threw 66.98m for silver with Norway's Beatrice Nedberge Llano claimed bronze with 66.74m in the fourth round.
Moser and Nabokau hit the heights
Switzerland's Angelica Moser had the edge on her Ukrainian rival Maryna Kylypko, clearing 4.55m on her own to win a tremendous pole vault final.
Moser, who won the world U20 title in this stadium twelve months ago, went over at 4.50m at the third time of asking and 4.55m at the first attempt for gold. Kylypko had one failed go at 4.50m and then missed out twice at 4.55m to take silver as Great Britain's Lucy Bryan equalled her personal best of 4.40m for bronze.
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Countback separated the top three in the men's high jump with the medallists all tied on 2.24m. The gold medal went to Belarusian Dzmitry Nabokau, who at the finish pulled off his name tag and waved it in the air to indicate he is the champion.
He triumphed ahead of Italy's Christian Falocchi, who had achieved a lifetime best, and the Ukraine's Viktor Lonskyy while Nabokau’s favoured compatriot Pavel Seliverstau was equal fifth with 2.22m.
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At the end of the first day of the decathlon, it could not be closer as Belarusian Maksim Andraloits and Switzerland's Andri Oberholzer are tied on 4130 points, with Finland's Elmo Savola just one behind.
</div>

 Twenty-four hours after becoming the first Slovak man to win a major outdoor sprint medal, Jan Volko took that little bit of history into a different

Volko breaks championship record in the 200m

Slovenia's Luka Janezic came storming down the home straight to become the European U23 400m champion in Bydgoszcz just as it looked like Karsten Warholm's amazing summer would be rubber-stamped with gold.
Warholm, 21, was the favourite in a season where has broken national records and set European-leading marks at 400m and the 400m hurdles and he took to the blocks just two hours after winning his semifinal in the latter of those events.
In the home straight Warholm was still in front but he was running out of steam and Janezic seized his moment to pass him for a gold in 45.33 from Warholm in 45.75 and Denmark's European U20 champion Benjamin Lobo Vedel in 46.08.
'I am very happy,' said Janezic. 'My coach said that in this competition here I must take gold.'
Warholm will be back – going for 400m hurdles gold tomorrow afternoon – and he said: 'The race was very good and of course I am tired after all the races. I am satisfied. I had strong rivals. Tomorrow my goal is to finish another great race and see where it takes me.'
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Moller turns back clock with steeplechase gold
Anna Emilie Moller justified her favourite tag to win the 3000m steeplechase and bring Denmark its first gold medal at these championships for 20 years.
Not since Rikke Ronholt's 400m hurdles success in Turku in 1997 - a fortnight before Moller was born - has the Danish national anthem played out at this championships but it did today.
Two years ago in Eskilstuna, Moller left the European Athletics U20 Championships with 5000m silver and 3000m bronze but now she has a title after her victory in 9:43.05.
From three laps out, Moller led from Ukraine's Nataliya Strebkova and France's Emma Oudiou and on a warm afternoon in Bydgoszcz, that is the way it stayed. Strebkova had the added bonus of setting a national U23 record as she finished in 9:44.52 with Oudiou third in a season's best of 9:50.30.
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Visser holds off Herman for 100m hurdles gold
They were not drawn side by side but that is the way the women's 100m hurdles final developed between the two favourites with the Netherlands' Nadine Visser just having enough to beat Belarusian youngster Elvira Herman.
Herman, 20, had won the world U20 title on this track last year along with the European U20 crown in Eskilstuna in 2015 but two years her senior, Visser was quickest on times before the race and quicker in it too.
Running from lane seven, Visser was ahead after two barriers but as she was establishing a lead, Herman came charging back. However, Visser held on to win in 12.92 from Herman in 12.95 with Hungary's Luca Kozak in 13.06.
'It was going well until the eighth hurdle and then it became kind of messy,' said Visser, who is primarily a heptathlete. 'But I am happy to finish first.'
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Payen keeps the French flag flying
Ludovic Payen showed the French sprint hurdles production is alive and kicking with a sensational win in the 110m hurdles in a personal best time and a celebration that went on well beyond the finish line.
Payen, who started with a best time of 13.60, was slick over the hurdles as he won in 13.49 from lane five to beat Britain's Khai Riley-Laborde in 13.65 and teammate Dylan Caty in 13.66.
In Amsterdam last year, Dimitri Bascou won the European title for France and now 22, Payen will head into the senior ranks with a big future ahead of him. Caty is only 20 and could return to chase this gold in two years’ time.
Roos leads all the way for shot gold
Sweden's Fanny Roos beat a field of champions to win the shot put gold medal – having led from the opening throw.
Roos was drawn first and her 17.71m would have been enough for victory but she improved on that, with 17.79m and then 17.83m in the second and third round respectively but once her triumph was confirmed, the 22-year-old ended in style with a superb 18.14m.
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Having finished fourth two years ago, Roos was the star of the show in a field including world U20 champion Alina Kenzel from Germany and two-time European U20 champion Emel Dereli from Turkey.
German Kenzel looked set for silver with 17.46m but with her final effort, there was home delight for Poland's Klaudia Kardasz who leapfrogged her with 17.67m to spark wild scenes of celebration.
Turkey's Dereli was fourth with 17.45m and Germany's newly crowned U23 discus champion Claudina Vita, seeking her second gold in less than 24 hours, was fifth with 17.33m.
Latiseva-Cudare makes breakthrough with 400m gold
Latvia's Gunta Latiseva-Cudare is a winner of nine national titles and now she has the biggest title of her career – European U23 400m champion.
Latiseva-Cudare, 22, showed great strength to break down her rivals in the home straight and triumph in 52.00 from Germany's Laura Muller in 52.42 and the Netherlands' Laura De Witte in 52.51.
And Germany's Marius Probst showed how an athlete can develop quickly over time as he went from 11th at the last championships to win 1500m gold this time with a perfectly-timed finish.
Probst, 21, moved from sixth to third in the last 250 metres and then third to first in the last 15 metres to claim gold in a typically tactical race in 3:49.06 ahead of Czech Republic’s Filip Sasinek (3:49.23) and Poland’s Michal Rozmys (3:49.30).
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 Slovenia's Luka Janezic came storming down the home straight to become the European U23 400m champion in Bydgoszcz just as it looked like Karsten Warholm's

Janezic beats Warholm in a 400m thriller 

It is no surprise who finished top of qualifying in the women's javelin at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz today as Croatia's Olympic champion Sara Kolak showed she really does mean business.
The biggest star at these championships opened with a distance that would have met the standard of 53.50m to reach tomorrow's final but that was not good enough.
'I wasn't really satisfied with the first throw so I made a fault on purpose,' said Kolak after the foul. 'I wanted to do a better one to catch a feeling for tomorrow.'
Next round, the world-leader reached an impressive 61.93m and she could then be happy and able to prepare for her bid for another gold medal.
'The 61m is a good result. I am heading back to training and getting some rest. Tomorrow, it's a big day. I don't feel pressure. I am focusing on myself and throwing,' said the 22-year-old.
Her biggest rival was always going to be the woman she replaced as world-leader when she threw her 68.43m in Lausanne: Turkey's Eda Tugsuz.
And indeed Tugsuz, who has a season's best of 67.21m, finished qualifying in second with 61.81m from her only throw.
The final, scheduled for 7pm local time on Sunday, should be one of the events of the whole week.
<div> </div>

 It is no surprise who finished top of qualifying in the women's javelin at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz today as Croatia's Olympic

Kolak leaves her mark in javelin qualifying

Konrad Bukowiecki won gold for Poland in the shot put at the European Athletics U23 Championships in a way that typifies his domination of the event. 
Just over 24 hours after Bukowiecki had broken the championship record with his 21.26m in qualifying, he had saved something extra special for the final, where cheers boomed around the stadium when he was announced to the crowd before the start.
Within minutes, they were hailing him again as the 20-year-old took to the circle, and sent his first effort flying with the 7kg implement out to 21.44m. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Watch Konrad Bukowiecki open the shot put final with another championship record of 21.44m. 
Will he go further today?<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/hiY1zlTkQY'>pic.twitter.com/hiY1zlTkQY</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885896550546845696'>July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
When the scoreboard showed the mark, he held both hands out wide and the gold medal might as well have been given to him then. 
But amazingly Bukowiecki's record-breaking exploits were not over. After just one more legal effort - a third round 20.75m which still would have won the title by nearly a metre - he went even further in the final round, reaching a distance of 21.59m to add eight centimetres to his outdoor lifetime best. 
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The closest anyone got was Italy's Sebastiano Bianchetti with 19.69m from the last round with the Netherlands' Denzel Comenentia third with 19.39m.
Once more the brilliance of Bukowiecki had come to the fore, here at home, as he moved up from being the European U20 champion in Eskilstuna, Sweden in 2015. 
But Bukowiecki actually played down his success. 'It was not my easiest win. Maybe the advantage I had over other athletes shows something else but I didn't underestimate my rivals. I was just trying to do my best. There are three weeks until the World Championships and I will see if I can keep my shape,' he said. 
Gold at last for Panturoiu
Romania's Elena Andreea Panturoiu had been a silver medallist for too long and now, at long last, gold was hers in the triple jump. 
Like Spain's Carlos Mayo the day before when he won the 10,000m, Panturoiu will head into the senior ranks with a major title to her name after winning with a fourth jump of 14.27m. 
Having won silver in the event in Tallinn in 2015 - as well as two years before at the European Athletics U20 Championships, Panturoiu, was now on top of the podium. 
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She won from Spain's Ana Peleteiro with 14.19m from the second round and France's Rouguy Diallo with 13.99m from the third round. 
'I am very happy,' said Panturoiu. 'I came here with the best jump and I am the European champion. I hope I will jump with the same result at the world championships.' 
Halasz is the champion again in Bydgoszcz
He did not panic when he was not in front because even at 19, Hungary's Bence Halasz has enough experience to believe in himself.
And so, when the men's hammer reached the fifth round and he still was not ahead – he was trailing leader and fellow countryman Bence Pasztor, 71.51m to 70.87m – Halasz then found something extra for gold with 73.30m to add his title to his European U20 title from 2015 and the world U20 title from 2016.
Pasztor finished second for a Hungarian one-two with Germany's Alexej Mikhailov in third with 70.60m. 
'I really like the stadium, this area and the crowd. I had a terrible start which I could not understand,' said Halasz, who has the qualifying standard for the World Championships in London.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
✅ European U20 champ 
✅ World U20 champ 
✅ European U23 champ 
Another major title for Hungary's Bence Halasz in the hammer! <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/A6fC6vWPyF'>pic.twitter.com/A6fC6vWPyF</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885926930960101376'>July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
 
Germany's Claudine Vita joined the list of European U20 champions to move to European U23 gold with a superb discus triumph as the sun set in Bydgoszcz. 
Vita, 20, had trailed Daria Zabawska for the first two rounds after the Polish athlete had reached 59.08m but then the Germany, who started with 58.77m and then a foul, took the lead with 61.79m in round three. 
Ukraine's Vladyslav Mazur won the men's long jump by securing victory in the second round – and celebrated by almost matching the winning mark with his final effort. 
His leap of 8.04m proved enough as he triumphed from Italy's Filippo Randazzo with 7.98m and Sweden's Thobias Nilsson Montler, third in 7.96m. 
Mazur savoured being the last man to jump and free of any pressure, he landed at 8.03m before celebrating the first major title of his career. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
And this jump was good enough to claim the title! 
Vladyslav Mazur wins Ukraine's first gold medal in Bydgoszcz with 8.04m in the long jump. <a href='https://t.co/fHeAqsF4Vu'>pic.twitter.com/fHeAqsF4Vu</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885934487477010433'>July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
Can claims first half of a distance double
European 5000m and 10,000m champion Yasemin Can tore the field apart to claim the first half of another long distance double 
A race that had started at a pedestrian pace, Can moved in front and only Sweden's Sarah Lahti go with her. By just after the two kilometre mark, Can put her foot down and nobody could match her third kilometre of 3:03 and by halfway, Can had lapped the majority of the field and with four to go, she had lapped everyone except Lahti.
There was no let up and Can won in 31:39.80, a championship record, from Lahti in 32:46.91 and Turkey's Nur Busra Koku in 33:33.22.

 Konrad Bukowiecki won gold for Poland in the shot put at the European Athletics U23 Championships in a way that typifies his domination of the event.  Just

Bukowiecki throws 21.59m to break championship record

Ewa Swoboda and Ojie Edoburun today showed they are among the greatest young sprinters in the sport by winning the 100m titles at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz – two years on from their successes at the European Athletics U20 Championships.
Just as she promised, Swoboda gave the host nation Poland their first triumph with a powerful victory before Great Britain's Edoburun overcame illness to soar home some fifteen minutes later.
And after the race, Edoburun outlined the importance of an event such as the European U23 Championships. 'This is why we need these championships. It is hard to go just from a youth straight to being a senior. I think there should be even more emphasis on a championship such as this one because it is a transition championship. After this is the seniors, and people need that guidance because it is not that easy,' he said.
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It certainly will be the seniors for Edoburun who is 21, but not for Swoboda. She will be 20 at the end of the month and eligible to return to defend her title in Gavle, Sweden in 2019, though she has already proved herself on the senior stage with her European indoor 60m bronze medal in Belgrade in March.
Showing no nerves but total control as she broke well from lane seven today, Swoboda had the rest of the field beaten with 20 metres left. Her drive phase is a real force, so when she is still in front with metres running out, she is unlikely to be caught. This was the case today as she won in 11.42 from Belarusian Krystina Tsimanouskaya, second in 11.54, and Germany's Sina Mayer, third in 11.58.
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Edoburun was hit by a stomach bug on the eve of the final but never showed any effects. He had too much in the finish and won in 10.14 - just 0.04 shy of the championship record - from Jan Volko, who was second in 10.18 and made his own history as he became the first Slovak man to win a major outdoor sprint medal, with Norway's Jonathan Quarcoo third in 10.29.
 
'Although I had problems with my health, I still cannot complain,' said Edoburun. 'I trusted by ability and 10.14 with a bad start, I will take that. It is a good to follow up the potential I showed as a junior. I have learned a great deal about myself since winning gold in 2015.
 
'Although I won, I did not feel I was confident in myself then. I now trust my ability more. Coming into this season, that's what it is all about.'
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<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
.<a href='https://twitter.com/ojie_edoburun'>@ojie_edoburun</a> had a difficult path into Bydgoszcz but the Brit came away with the European U23 100m title. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/TYqlzwuI6l'>pic.twitter.com/TYqlzwuI6l</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885911718177763328'>July 14, 2017</a> </blockquote>
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Agnou breaks Swiss record to claim heptathlon gold
It was a day of showing how European U20 gold can lead to the next step of glory as Switzerland's Caroline Agnou won the heptathlon, just as she did in Esklistuna, and she did so by breaking the national record that was only six weeks old.
 
Agnou scored 6330 points to overtake the mark of 6291 which Geraldine Ruckstuhl had set in Gotzis at the end of May. The mark which Ruckstuhl bettered had stood since 1985.
 
It was stunning performance and once more Agnou, 21, showed the ability to peak at a major event, as she smashed her personal best of 6123 she had achieved when she won gold in Sweden two years ago.
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<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Caroline Agnou wins the heptathlon with a Swiss record of 6330! 
13.61 100H 
1.72m HJ 
14.77m SP 
24.36 200m 
6.36m LJ 
46.19m JT 
2:16.06 800m <a href='https://t.co/z4z93az2XN'>pic.twitter.com/z4z93az2XN</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885899367764434944'>July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Agnou had all but secured the title in the sixth event, as her javelin throw from the first group left her closest rivals with the toughest of gaps to fill. She was in front on 5452 with Austria's Verena Preiner, who had been third overnight, second with 5278, and Germany's overnight leader Celina Leffler in third with 5257. 
 
Preiner was by the fastest in their 800m race and while she was prolific in winning a lifetime best of 2:10.72, Agnou was fifth in the race in 2:16.06, her fifth lifetime best of the competition, with Leffler sixth in 2:20.81.
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<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Two years after winning the U20 title, an exhausted but delighted Caroline Agnou celebrates winning the U23 heptathlon title. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/jM97LIcXuU'>pic.twitter.com/jM97LIcXuU</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885900515929866240'>July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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But there was great achievement overall as Preiner's silver with 6232 was a national U23 record, and Leffler's 6070 was a personal best. Leffler had started the second day in front with a lead of just nine points from Agnou – 3713 to 3704 – and by the end of the morning, she had extended it but only by seven more.
 
They both achieved personal bests in the long jump as Leffler won Group A with a leap of 6.38m ahead of Agnou with 6.36m with Belgium's Noor Vidts moving back into third with 6.20m, and a score of 4509.
 
The pressure was then put onto Leffler as Agnou not only had the better personal best by over five metres in the javelin before the competition - not to mention a better lifetime best in the 800m - but the Swiss star was in the first group.
 
Agnou's best was her second round 46.19m and in the next group, Preiner put herself back in the picture with a final round lifetime best of 49.56m to move to second. Leffler could only manage 35.16m ahead of the 800m where the positions did not change.
 
'My first day was amazing. I knew my second day is not so good, but I am happy I have a medal,” said Leffler.
 
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 Ewa Swoboda and Ojie Edoburun today showed they are among the greatest young sprinters in the sport by winning the 100m titles at the European Athletics U23

Swoboda and Edoburun are crowned sprint champions in Bydgoszcz

The Bydgoszcz 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships takes place between Thursday and Sunday this week (13-16 July) and you can follow the action live. 
The start lists, live results, medal table and live stream (with English-language commentary) are all available on the home page of the <a href='http://www.european-athletics.org/competitions/european-athletics-u23-championships/news/article=how-follow-the-european-athletics-u23-championships/' target='_blank'>European Athletics</a> website. 
A preview, pre-event news, end-of-day reports and features are available <a href='http://www.european-athletics.org/competitions/event=european-athletics-u23-championships/news/'>here</a> while historical results, reports and news from the very first championships in 1997 onwards are available via this <a href='http://www.european-athletics.org/competitions/european-athletics-u23-championships/history/'>link</a>. 
In addition, there will be regular updates on European Athletics’ social media channels. 
Twitter: <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics' target='_blank'>@EuroAthletics</a> 
Facebook: <a href='https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanAthletics'>www.facebook.com/EuropeanAthletics</a>
Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/europeanathletics/'>@europeanathletics</a>

 The Bydgoszcz 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships takes place between Thursday and Sunday this week (13-16 July) and you can follow the action live.  The

How to follow the European Athletics U23 Championships

Spain's Carlos Mayo finally put himself on top of the podium as he produced a sensational burst of speed to win the first gold medal of the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz with victory in the 10,000m on Thursday night.
With 250 metres remaining, Mayo was only a stride behind Germany's Amanal Petros with the pair having been alone for much of the second half of the race. 
But then, suddenly and spectacularly, Mayo broke away, reaching the home turn in front by 40 metres, looking behind him just in case, before celebrating as he completed the last 80 metres with as wide a smile as possible. 
Punching his chest in delight as he crossed the line, lapping three athletes as he did it, Mayo ran over to the Spanish officials and teammates whose arms he leaped into as, at last, the man who has come so close to gold ended that run. 
'It is a dream,' said Mayo. 'I have had so many seconds, making that podium but not winning the gold. I am so happy.'
Mayo won a typically tactical affair in 29:28.06 from Petros in 29:34.94 with France's Emmanuel Roudolf Levisse in third in 29:42.85.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
With a terrific sprint finish in the last 250 metres, Spain's Carlos Mayo (<a href='https://twitter.com/Charlieatle'>@Charlieatle</a>) claims the European U23 10,000m title in Bydgoszcz! <a href='https://t.co/mWfwoyzPVG'>pic.twitter.com/mWfwoyzPVG</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885545930321149952'>July 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
So near has been the story of Mayo's age-group career before today. Over the past two years, he been runner-up in the U23 race at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships - as well as a silver medallist in the U20 race - and two years ago in Tallinn, Mayo won a bronze medal in the 5000m but not this time.
'I made sure I had enough left to win the race,' added Mayo, who jumped onto the podium top-spot at the medal ceremony presented by European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen. 
Here was a tale of never giving up, and further illustration of why championships such was these are so important on the road to the senior stage. When Mayo - who is 22 in September - enters the senior ranks next year, he will do so with such extra belief in his own ability having at last become a champion.
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If first you don't succeed... 
14 Euro U20 XC - 2 
15 Euro U23 5000m - 3 
15 Euro U23 XC - 2 
16 Euro U23 XC - 2 
17 Euro U23 10,000m - 1 <a href='https://t.co/ju2DBvIyfp'>pic.twitter.com/ju2DBvIyfp</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885565136597069824'>July 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
Swoboda rounding into form
Poland's Ewa Swoboda demonstrated she will be the woman to beat tomorrow afternoon as she booked her place in the 100m final in decisive fashion. 
Having won her heat in the morning in a wind-assisted 11.26, Swoboda then ran a season's best in the second semi-final, taking victory in 11.32 from Great Britain's Imani Lansiquot (11.47), demonstrating once more how well she runs at championships.
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Ewa Swoboda is rounding into form at the right time! 
The Pole is the fastest qualifier for the 100m final with a season's best of 11.32. <a href='https://t.co/b166QyL75J'>pic.twitter.com/b166QyL75J</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885551784525127680'>July 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
Running as an Authorised Neutral Athlete, Kristina Sivkova won the first semifinal in 11.42 from France's Floriane Gnafoua (11.44). 
In the men's 100m semifinals, Jan Volko of Slovakia produced the quickest time in the last of the three races which he won in 10.18. He is joined in the final, among others, by fellow semifinal winners in France's Marvin Rene (10.39) and Britain's European U20 champion Ojie Edoburun (10.26).
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Will he go one better tomorrow? 
European indoor 60m silver medallist Jan Volko qualifies fastest for the 100m final with 10.18. <a href='https://t.co/QABsiFqgiM'>pic.twitter.com/QABsiFqgiM</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885559435128586240'>July 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
Romania’s Claudia Prisecaru had the race of her life in the 3000m steeplechase as she cut her personal best by almost eight seconds, winning the opening heat in 10:07.40. Denmark's pre-event favourite Anna Emilie Moller won the second heat in 10:07.70. 
France occupied three of the top four positions in qualifying for the women's triple jump final, with Yanis David going the furthest with 13.75m. 
As Romania's Elena Andreea Panturoiu was second with 13.69m, David's teammates took the next two spots courtesy of Rouguy Diallo (13.68m) and Maeva Phesor on (13.56m.) 
Polish athletes will be determined to win as many medals as they can in front of their own crowd and among those is Michal Rozmys, who won the second heat of the 1500m in 3:43.22.
Iceland's Anita Hinriksdottir qualified as the fastest from the heats of the women's 800m, winning her race in 2:03.58. 'I was stressed before and afraid how it would work out but the race was good,' she admitted. 
Four women qualified with the same top mark of 4.20m in the women's pole vault – France's Ninon Guillon-Romarin, Ukraine's Maryna Kylypko, Germany's Friedelinde Petershofen and Poland's Kamila Przybyla – and three men moved into the final of high jump on the same mark of 2.18m: Ukraine's Viktor Lonskyy, France's Matthieu Tomassi and Germany's Falk Wendrich.
And in the women's discus qualifying , European U20 champion Claudine Vita from Germany was best with 59.87m from Poland's Daria Zabawska (59.23m).
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 Spain's Carlos Mayo finally put himself on top of the podium as he produced a sensational burst of speed to win the first gold medal of the European Athletics

At last, Mayo is the champion in Bydgoszcz

There is some battle developing in the heptathlon at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz.
After the first day of competition, Germany's Celina Leffler leads with 3713 points from European U20 champion Caroline Agnou from Switzerland with 3704 and their duel is far from over.
In the end, it was the final discipline, the 200m, which saw Leffler snatch the overall top spot having gone into the fourth event trailing Agnou by 27 points. Leffler was in the opening heat and it proved to be the quickest of the four, with the German banking 982 points as she finished second in 23.99 behind Czech Republic's Barbora Dvorakova, the daughter of former world decathlon record-holder Tomas Dvorak, in 23.89.
Next to race was Agnou and she could hardly have done more to keep the pressure on Leffler in her pursuit of the gold medal. She won her race in a personal best of 24.36 for 946 points - just not enough to stay in front overall as they head into the second day.
But Leffler and Agnou are the only athletes to break the 3700-point barrier in the competition so far, with Austria's Verena Preiner third overnight with 3625.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Standings after the first day in the heptathlon: 
Celina Leffler 3713 
Caroline Agnou 3704 
Verena Preiner 3625 
Noor Vidts 3597
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885526404816928769'>July 13, 2017</a></blockquote>

The heptathlon was the event which started off the championships and the first heat of the 100m hurdles provided a good picture of what was to follow. As France's Esther Turpin won in 13.54, she was followed home by Agnou (13.61) and Leffler (13.74).
In the high jump, it was Belgium's Noor Vidts who took the overall lead as she finished second overall on countback with 1.78m behind Belarusian Yuliya Rout.
With 953 points, it took Vidts to 1947 followed by Leffler, who cleared 1.75 for a total of 1931 with Agnou fourth with 1.72m for 1913 points. But Agnou then flexed her muscles and out came a personal best in the shot put with a second round effort of 14.77m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Shot put PB ✅ 
Switzerland's Caroline Agnou leads the heptathlon after three events 
Follow live at <a href='https://t.co/RxnKxSAeis'>https://t.co/RxnKxSAeis</a><a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/yl9fAtgnfb'>pic.twitter.com/yl9fAtgnfb</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885499059426873344'>July 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
How she needed it and how important it was because Leffler had reached 14.09m with her opening throw and as a response from Agnou, it was pretty impressive.
It brought her 845 points to take the lead after the third event with 2758 from Leffler with 2731, with Vidts, the previous leader, now back in fourth, with 2673, before the 200m set the stage for the second day tomorrow.

 There is some battle developing in the heptathlon at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz. After the first day of competition, Germany's

Leffler has narrow lead in heptathlon thriller in Bydgoszcz

Konrad Bukowiecki gave the European Athletics U23 Championships a sizzling start on the first morning of competition on Thursday. 
The Polish shot putter is one of the biggest names in the sport in his country and he made his mark in his bid for another gold medal by breaking the championship record with his one and only effort. Bukowiecki was the seventh thrower in Group A and the reigning European indoor and European U20 champion turned and twisted his way in the circle to a distance of 21.26m, comfortably breaking the old mark of 20.45m set by Germany's David Storl in Ostrava in 2011. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
What. A. Throw 
Poland's Konrad Bukowiecki qualifies for the shot put final with a throw of 21.26 metres on home soil!<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#Bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://t.co/p8XcBr1lWh'>pic.twitter.com/p8XcBr1lWh</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885463203110559744'>July 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
Not only did it send out a message to his rivals ahead of Thursday’s final, it also showed that if he can reach distances such as this in qualifying, what can we expect when the medals are at stake?
Bukowiecki vowed to go even further by saying said: “In the qualifications I had a pretty good throw but I am able to throw further. The qualifications were easy for me but I cannot ignore my rivals because they are good.”
Germany’s Simon Bayer and Italian Leonardo Fabbri were the next best two in qualifying with 19.06m but they will have to go some to deny Bukowiecki of gold. 
In the long jump this morning, Filippo Randazzo topped qualifying for the final with 8.04m from Ukrainians Vladyslav Mazur with 7.74m and Ihor Konchar with 7.72m. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
After topping the medal table in Amsterdam and Belgrade, will the Polish team do the same in <a href='https://twitter.com/bydgoszcz2017'>@bydgoszcz2017</a>?<a href='https://twitter.com/k_bukowiecki'>@k_bukowiecki</a> hopes so! <a href='https://t.co/LxqCwef7VB'>pic.twitter.com/LxqCwef7VB</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885444313446043648'>July 13, 2017</a></blockquote>

 Konrad Bukowiecki gave the European Athletics U23 Championships a sizzling start on the first morning of competition on Thursday.  The Polish shot putter is

Bukowiecki soars into the final with a championship record

Diane Modahl and Erki Nool today hailed the European Athletics’ I Run Clean(™) online anti-doping education platform for its importance in teaching youngsters about the dangers of doping.
Developed with input from athletes, sport officials, educationists and doping control experts, the I Run Clean(™) programme comprises eight user-friendly, interactive modules that can be accessed through computers, tablets and smartphones from the I Run Clean(™) platform (<a href='http://www.irunclean.org/'>www.irunclean.org</a>).
Great Britain's Modahl, the 1990 Commonwealth 800m champion, and Estonian Nool, the 2000 decathlon gold medallist, are both ambassadors for this platform as European Athletics takes another big step in the battle against drugs in the sport.
'European Athletics have been very brave to launch this e-learning platform,' said Modahl. 'It is very much focused about the athletes themselves making a pledge to run clean. And you cannot get any more simpler than that.'
Modahl thinks that platform should be extended to other areas in the sport.
'At the moment the pledge is quite rightly focused on the athletes but at some point, the opportunity to extend it to the coaches, the volunteers, to the medical teams will also be crucial to embed those values.
'The thing that is unique about this and why I am sat around this table today is very much around those values. One of the eight platforms focuses on encouraging young people and athletes to think about what is important to them and how those values then impact on their sporting lives and careers,' she said.
The units cover the anti-doping rules, doping control procedures and issues such as dietary supplements and Therapeutic Use Exemptions.
The programme starts with an innovative unit stressing values and good decisions, making it unique among current anti-doping education programmes.
Nool said: 'I was the athletes’ representative on the European Olympic Committee for eight years and we tried to find solutions for young athletes to fight against doping.
'I think right now we have a very good and very simple platform for all ages, from young kids of 10 or 11 upwards. It is very easy and simple to handle and this main point, the first step is education which is so important.
'Time has changed a lot and these days for young athletes it is not so easy to orientate what's going on.'
Nool agrees with Modal about extending its reach.
“Of course, this programme is not only for athletes. We have to open it up a little more to coaches, which is huge, and we have to teach coaches even more than athletes.'
Launched in English, I Run Clean(™) will be available in 12 languages by the end of this year.
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 Diane Modahl and Erki Nool today hailed the European Athletics’ I Run Clean(™) online anti-doping education platform for its importance in teaching

Modahl and Nool praise 'I Run Clean' initiative

It will be very much a parade of champions at the European Athletics U23 Championships which start in Bydgoszcz tomorrow morning, but not for one minute are any of them taking their presence for granted.
This afternoon, it was quite a top table at the main athlete press conference on the eve of the event, with Croatia's Olympic javelin champion Sara Kolak in attendance along with Poland's European indoor shot put champion Konrad Bukowiecki, Germany's European triple jump champion Max Hess and Poland's European U20 100m silver medallist Ewa Swoboda.
Bukowiecki is relishing the chance to step into the Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium because being at home gives him an extra buzz, an extra level of excitement in his determination to add this title to the European U20 title he won in Eskilstuna, Sweden in 2015 and the European indoor gold medal he won in Belgrade in March.
'I am motivated because it is good to have your audience present,' said Bukowiecki. 'My friends and family will come and that should help. I feel privileged to be here and I hope I will get a gold medal.'
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Bukowiecki, Klosterhalfen, Warholm, Swoboda... 
A look ahead to the European Athletics U23 Championships which begin in Bydgoszcz tomorrow! <a href='https://t.co/ZSjBYcjV0u'>pic.twitter.com/ZSjBYcjV0u</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/885099200555495424'>July 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
His record is second-to-none in the past few years in his progress up the ranks. He is top of the European outdoor U23 lists with his personal best of 21.51m from Kielce in May. All things being equal, he should find himself back on top of the podium, with the Netherlands’ Denzel Comenentia expected to be his biggest threat in a season where he has achieved a personal best of 20.33m.
At 22, Kolak is the Olympic champion after her amazing exploits in Rio last summer and last Thursday in Lausanne, she secured the world’s leading throw when she won at the Diamond League with 68.43m, a lifetime best and European U23 record.
Turkey's Eda Tugsuz has thrown a lifetime best of 67.21m this season and will prove a major rival but how does Kolak deal with the pressure of being the favourite and the Olympic champion?
'It's not easy,' she said. 'I take this competition very seriously. I think that it will be really good, because I am ready and focused and it's about taking it step-by-step.'
It was a year to remember for Hess in 2016, with his European title leading him to be named the Male Rising Star at the European Athletics Golden Track awards in Funchal, Portugal in October.
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On distances alone this summer, he is not the best in the field, though he is moving towards a peak as his 17.13m at the German Championships at the weekend showed.
Azerbaijan's Nazim Babayev leads the field with 17.15m but Hess is looking way beyond that. He believes he will need 17.50m to win a bronze at the World Championships in London next month and now he wants to bridge the gap.
Hess said: 'In this competition, I may be the favourite but there are others guys like Nazim and they have also jumped 17m. It is a tough battle and at the World Championships, some other guys are at another level.
'Three weeks is enough time to train hard and maybe we don't have train too much to reach the level for 17.50m. I only have to progress.'
On times alone so far this summer, there are women in the 100m who have run faster than Swoboda but it gives her a great deal confidence that she has become such a championship performer. She won the European U20 title in 2015 followed by silver on this track at the World U20 Championships last summer and bronze at the European Indoor Athletics Championships.
'The most important thing for the week is to work hard but my target will be to show to other people how you should run,' said Swoboda.
The four day championships will be shown on free-to-air television in six different countries – Belarus, Iceland, Italy, Poland, Sweden and Turkey – as well as in the 54 European territories through Eurosport’s pan-European coverage.
There will be 83 hours of live and 98 hours of live and deferred athletics across Europe including 28 hours of live coverage in Sweden (TV4 & TV12); 27 hours of live coverage in Belarus; 18 hours of live coverage in Poland on TVP Sport; 14 hours on RAI Sport; four hours on Eurosport (delayed) and six hours in Turkey on Sunday.
The whole championships will also be screened live via the European Athletics stream.
The first press conference today saw European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen praise the city for the way they stage events. 'Bydgoszcz has been organising athletics for many years and they are fantastic organisers. It's great to see the athletes here and for Olympic champion Sara Kolak, putting the importance of the European U23 Championships in her schedule,' he said.
Chief executive of European Athletics Christian Milz stressed how key this event is in the progress of athletes and athletics. 'The championships are very important for the development of the sport,' he said.
Polish Athletics President Henryk Olszewski said: 'Bydgoszcz is a good place to stage athletics and we have been organising athletics here for 18 years.'
And Rafal Bruski, the mayor of Bydgoszcz, added: 'I want to thank all the members who are taking part in this event. It should be a great championships.'
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 It will be very much a parade of champions at the European Athletics U23 Championships which start in Bydgoszcz tomorrow morning, but not for one minute are

A parade of stars on show at the European U23 Championships

It is quite an achievement, whatever the age, for a team to celebrate one of their athletes winning the 5000m and 10,000m double at a major event. For Turkey, it is becoming the norm. 


As the excitement builds in Bydgoszcz for the start of the European Athletics U23 Championships on Thursday, Yasemin Can is more once set to be a headline act.
Twelve months ago, Can was a star in Amsterdam when she won the long distance double at the European Athletics Championships, while at the last European U23 Championships in Tallinn in 2015, the Turkish national anthem played out after both men's finals. 
On that occasion, Ali Kaya was in a class of his own as he won both events and Can has the chance to emulate him in the women's competition, with these two races among the most anticipated of the championships. 
Still only 20, Can established herself as an athlete of immense ability with her European senior glory and she will be looking to have a big say at the IAAF World Championships in London next month as well. 
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In the 10,000m, Can has a personal best of 30:26.41 - and a season's best of 31:18.20 - and her biggest rival is likely to be Sweden's Sarah Lahti. She has a lifetime best of 31:28.43 ahead of what will be her first 10,000m of the summer. 
And in the 5000m, with Lahti posing a challenge again, Can is the only runner to have broken the 15-minute barrier, with her personal best coming only last month with her 14:36.82 at the Diamond League in Rome.
Swoboda, Bukowiecki on course for home glory 
Poland will be looking for big things from their team and Ewa Swoboda returns to the stadium where she broke the national U20 100m record last year when she was second in 11.12 at the World U20 Championships.
In 2015, Swoboda won 100m gold at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Eskilstuna, Sweden and after last summer, her progress was rubber stamped in Belgrade in March when she won 60m bronze at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. 
No woman in the 100m has a better lifetime best than Swoboda, although the Polish sprinter is not the fastest on season's best times. She has a quickest of 11.39 but Germany's Sina Mayer has run a PB of 11.25 and Belarusian Krystsina Tsimanouskaya has a PB of 11.28 - the same mark achieved by France's Floriane Gnafoua.
However, Swoboda often saves her best for the big occasion as she demonstrated in Bydgoszcz last summer and in Belgrade this March where she pulled out a season’s best of 7.10 in the final. 
Swoboda's teammate Konrad Bukowiecki is top of the European U23 rankings and third on the overall lists with his 21.51m from last month. However, his outright lifetime best stands at 21.97m from the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Belgrade this March when he produced a European indoor U20 record to defeat a field including reigning champion David Storl from Germany. 
Bukowiecki will be looking for his second European title of the season and his third of the season. He also won the European U20 title in Eskilstuna two years ago.
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Kolak vs. Tugsuz for javelin gold
The women's javelin will be graced by the Olympic champion Sara Kolak from Croatia, who turned 22 last month and stunned the field last summer with her brilliant victory. 
Kolak is in sensational form, though only last week did she replace Turkey's Eda Tugsuz as world-leader, and this event could develop into a cracking duel between them. 
Tugsuz was leading the way with an early summer throw of 67.21m but then Kolak threw 68.43m in Lausanne on Thursday to replace Tugsuz at the top of the world lists and to claim the European U23 record.
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On Sunday, Kolak reached out to 67.83m - the second longest throw of her career - but she was denied victory in the London Diamond League by Barbora Spotakova, who went out to 68.26m in the final round.
One woman who knows all about winning javelin gold at this Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium is Poland's Klaudia Maruszewska, the world U20 champion, who will be eyeing a podium place again. 
Another duel could develop in the men's long jump, where Germany's Max Hess will be looking to repeat his Amsterdam glory of twelve months ago. He stretched his season's best to 17.13m at his national championships in Erfurt on Sunday to close in on Azerbaijan's Nazim Babayev who has cleared 17.15m this year - although Hess did jump 17.52m indoors.
It was at those German Championships where Konstanze Klosterhalfen ran away with victory in the 1500m, a distance she will start as clear favourite for here with a lifetime best of 3:59.30, while Norway's Karsten Warholm is having another summer to remember. 
Warholm was quite the star at the 2015 European U20 Championships, swapping between the decathlon and 400m and impressively winning silver in both. This year he has smashed the Norwegian 400m (44.87) and 400m hurdles (48.25) records and has entered both events in Bydgoszcz. 
Hungary’s Bence Halasz (hammer), Belarus’ Elvira Herman (100m hurdles), Switzerland’s Angelica Moser (pole vault) and Germany’s Alina Kenzel (shot put) will all return to Bydgoszcz twelve months after claiming gold medals at the World U20 Championships.
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 It is quite an achievement, whatever the age, for a team to celebrate one of their athletes winning the 5000m and 10,000m double at a major event. For Turkey,

Can goes for another double as Bydgoszcz prepares for a special week

European Athletics will stream the European Athletics U23 Championships from Bydgoszcz, Poland, on its website. The event takes place from Thursday to Sunday this week (13-16 July). 
The service is available to watch on the <a href='http://www.european-athletics.org/index.html' target='_blank'>European Athletics</a> homepage and provided by European Athletics’ International Partner EBU-Eurovision. 
English-language commentary across all sessions will add colour and informed comment to the live action. 
The stream will be available worldwide with the exception of host nation Poland, as well as Germany and Sweden.
Viewers in Poland can watch the championships online at the following link: <a target='_blank' href='http://sport.tvp.pl'>http://sport.tvp.pl</a>
 
Viewers in Sweden can watch the championships online at the following pay-per-view link: <a href='https://www.cmore.se/sport'>https://www.cmore.se/sport</a>
One of the most eagerly awaited events of the championships will be the women’s javelin which features Croatia’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games champion and European U23 record holder Sara Kolak.
Another senior champion in action in Bydgoszcz will be Max Hess, who became the youngest ever European outdoor triple jump champion in Amsterdam last summer. 
Yasemin Can has already won a brace of European senior titles, including the 5000m and 10,000m titles at the Amsterdam 2016 European Athletics Championships and the Turk will be aiming for another long distance double on the road to the World Championships in London. 
Two athletes who have made a big impact already this summer are Norway’s Karsten Warholm and Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen.
Warholm has also made a sizeable breakthrough this summer, setting Norwegian records in the 400m and 400m hurdles, and he has entered both events in Bydgoszcz.
Klosterhalfen has already broken the four minute-barrier for 1500m this season, the 20-year-old two-time European U20 cross country champion starts as the outstanding favourite to claim the gold medal for this distance in Bydgoszcz.

 European Athletics will stream the European Athletics U23 Championships from Bydgoszcz, Poland, on its website. The event takes place from Thursday to Sunday

Live streaming from the European Athletics U23 Championships

Sustainability is one the foremost considerations in the planning of any major sporting event and the organisers of the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland will be implementing a number of projects in order to reduce unnecessary emissions and promote sustainability.
Studies have demonstrated that forty percent of carbon dioxide and seventy percent of other pollutants in cities are emitted by road transport vehicles and in order to reduce the size of the event’s carbon footprint, spectators are being incentivised to use alternative forms of transport. Thankfully, the Zawisza Stadium is endowed with good transport links and fans who can show a bus or tram ticket - validated within an hour before the event - will be entitled to purchase a half-price day entrance ticket while anyone who has pre-booked their tickets will have free access to public transportation.
The organisers are also encouraging people to arrive at the stadium on two wheels and those arriving on their bicycles are also entitled to a half price discount on tickets. Accredited members of the media will also be able to use public transportation free of charge.
Recycling is another important aspect in the sustainability planning and from 13-14 July, the championships will be visited by the EKOBUS - a mobile laboratory equipped with some of the most up-to-date research facilities.
EKOBUS is one of the most innovative tools for promoting ecology and educating youngsters. Their foremost task is to teach them about developing good waste management practices - from conscious shopping and waste disposal through to segregation and building the awareness that waste can also be used as a source of energy.
Recycling also serves another purpose and everyone is being encouraged to recycle their plastic caps from drinks bottles during the course of the championships in order to raise funds to help treat a young boy who requires ongoing treatment for a complicated illness.
Patryk was born in July 2015 and was diagnosed with a TGA heart defect and a hole between the chambers. As a result of postoperative complications, necrosis appeared in both of his feet and his left foot had to be amputated.
While he has started to learn to walk, he requires specialist orthotics and the money raised from recycling the plastic caps will go entirely to his family to cover the cost of his physiotherapy. Special bins will be placed around the stadium for fans to dispose of their caps in a responsible manner.

 Sustainability is one the foremost considerations in the planning of any major sporting event and the organisers of the European Athletics U23 Championships in

Bydgoszcz goes green for the European U23 Championships

Poland has announced a 65-strong team for the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland from 13-16 July. 
The standout name on the team is European indoor shot put champion Konrad Bukowiecki. The 20-year-old won the European indoor title in Belgrade with a European indoor U23 record and world-lead of 21.97m to defeat one of the strongest line-ups of the event, including reigning champion David Storl from Germany. 
Bukowiecki has already reached out to 21.51m outdoors this season which puts him more than one metre ahead of his nearest rival on the European outdoor U23 lists. He will be looking to claim his third continental title in as many seasons - and in as many age-groups - after winning the European U20 title in Eskilstuna, Sweden in 2015. 
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Sofia Ennaoui won a silver medal at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia two years ago and the 21-year-old will be looking to go one better on home soil in her last season in this age-group category. 
However, Ennaoui will face strong opposition from Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen, who has run nearly six seconds faster than Ennaoui this season with 3:59.30 set in the Rome Diamond League last month. 
Another leading name on the Polish team for Bydgoszcz is Ewa Swoboda, who will be returning to the Zawisza Stadium twelve months after winning a silver medal at the World U20 Athletics Championships. 
Swoboda, who doesn’t turn 20 until the end of the month, is ranked just outside the top ten in the European U23 100m rankings with 11.39 but the Pole often produces her best performances in the major events - as demonstrated last year when she ran a PB of 11.12 to claim the silver medal. 
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Klaudia Maruszweska produced one of the shocks of the World U20 Championships last year when she improved her lifetime best by three metres in qualifying with 54.34m before improving to 57.59m in the final. She will be looking to mount the rostrum again, although she is expected to cross paths with Olympic champion Sara Kolak from Croatia next week. 
The full Polish team for Bydgoszcz is <a href='http://www.pzla.pl/zdjecia/zal_ak/dme-bydgoszcz2017_201707040843.pdf'>here</a>.

 Poland has announced a 65-strong team for the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland from 13-16 July.  The standout name on the team is

Bukowiecki and Ennaoui headline Polish team for Bydgoszcz

The final entries for the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland which begin on 13 July are now available to view <a href='https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/3e673767-7411-48a6-a612-1952f565e008.pdf'>here</a>. 
One of the most hotly awaited events of the championships will be the women’s javelin which features Olympic champion Sara Kolak from Croatia. She will go head-to-head with Eda Tugsuz who Turkey, who leads the world lists with a lifetime best and European U23 record of 67.21m set in Baku in May. 
Another senior champion in action in Bydgoszcz will be Max Hess, who became the youngest ever European outdoor triple jump champion in Amsterdam last summer. Hess caused a stir in qualifying at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade where he sailed out to a German record of 17.52m before winning bronze in the final and he comes fresh from a win at the European Athletics Team Championships in Lille. 
Yasemin Can has already won a brace of European senior titles, including the 5000m and 10,000m titles at the European Championships in Amsterdam last year. The Turk will be aiming for another long distance double on the road to the World Championships in London.
While Can won the senior title at the European Cross Country Championships in Chia last December, Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen defended her title in the U20 race. Having already broken the four minute-barrier for 1500m this season, the 20-year-old starts as the outstanding favourite to claim U23 gold in Bydgoszcz. 
Norway’s Karsten Warholm has also made a sizeable breakthrough this summer, setting Norwegian records in the 400m (44.87) and 400m hurdles (48.25). Unbeaten this year, Warholm has entered both events in Bydgoszcz.
The hosts’ medal hopes will be led by European indoor champion Konrad Bukowiecki, who leads the European U23 shot put rankings by more than a metre. Ewa Swoboda (100m), Sofia Ennaoui (1500m), Daria Zabawska (discus) and Barlomiej Stoj (discus).

 The final entries for the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland which begin on 13 July are now available to view here.  One of the most

Today marks one month to go until the eleventh edition of the European Athletics U23 Championships takes place in Bydgoszcz, Poland from 13-16 July. 


The Zawisa Stadium situated in the north of the city will be a familiar environment for many competing athletes as Bydgoszcz also hosted the 2016 edition of the World U20 Athletics Championships. 
Britain’s Callum Wilkinson (10,000m walk), Hungary’s Bence Halasz (hammer), Belarus’ Elvira Herman (100m hurdles), Switzerland’s Angelica Moser (pole vault) and Germany’s Alina Kenzel (shot put) were among those to conclude their U20 careers with gold medals on the global stage last summer and they will all be eligible to compete for U23 honours next month. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Hello promo <a href='https://twitter.com/KPUWBydgoszcz'>@KPUWBydgoszcz</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/kpsport'>@kpsport</a> |<a href='https://twitter.com/PZLANews'>@PZLANews</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics'>@EuroAthletics</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/k_bukowiecki'>@k_bukowiecki</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/sofiaennaoui'>@sofiaennaoui</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/MariaAndrejczyk'>@MariaAndrejczyk</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/AnnaRogowskaCom'>@AnnaRogowskaCom</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/maras400'>@maras400</a> <a href='https://t.co/4fjzEcORTY'>pic.twitter.com/4fjzEcORTY</a>
— Bydgoszcz2017 (@bydgoszcz2017) <a href='https://twitter.com/bydgoszcz2017/status/874275570464559105'>June 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
The European Athletics U23 Championships first took place in Turku, Finland in 1997 and the competition was added to the calendar in order to facilitate the transition into the senior ranks. For some athletes, this competition will be the pinnacle of their outdoor seasons but for others, this will be their last major test ahead of the World Championships in London. 
Konrad Bukowiecki won one of Poland’s seven gold medals at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March and the 20-year-old is fully expected to add to his burgeoning title haul in the shot put next month. Sofia Ennaoui won a silver medal in the 1500m in Tallinn two years ago and the world finalist is expected to go head-to-head with the precocious German Konstanze Klosterhalfen, who broke the four minute-barrier for 1500m in the Rome Diamond League earlier this month. 
While the 1500m is one of the must-watch events on the track, the women’s javelin will also be eagerly awaited. Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk topped the world lists last season with 67.11m and the 21-year-old will face two of the world’s best throwers in Bydgoszcz next month: Turkey’s Eda Tugsuz and Croatia’s Sara Kolak. 
Tugsuz, who won a bronze medal in this stadium last year, leads the world lists with a European U23 record of 67.21m while Kolak, 21, produced one of the surprise performances last summer by winning the Olympic title in Rio de Janeiro.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'>
Hello <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/superU23?src=hash'>#superU23</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/sofiaennaoui'>@sofiaennaoui</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/MariaAndrejczyk'>@MariaAndrejczyk</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/k_bukowiecki'>@k_bukowiecki</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EwaSwoboda?src=hash'>#EwaSwoboda</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/roadtobydgoszcz?src=hash'>#roadtobydgoszcz</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/bydgoszcz2017?src=hash'>#bydgoszcz2017</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/EChU23?src=hash'>#EChU23</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics'>@EuroAthletics</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/PZLANews'>@PZLANews</a> <a href='https://t.co/ftqKIMR4J7'>pic.twitter.com/ftqKIMR4J7</a>
— Bydgoszcz2017 (@bydgoszcz2017) <a href='https://twitter.com/bydgoszcz2017/status/862394576346247169'>May 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
Poland won four gold medals at the 2015 European U23 Championships in Tallinn: Karol Zalewski (200m), Artur Kuciapski (800m), Patryk Dobek (400m hurdles) and Kacper Oleszczuk (javelin).
Bydgoszcz is the eighth largest city in Poland by population and is situated approximately 300 kilometres to the north west of Warsaw. 
Tickets are still available for the European U23 Championships <a href='https://www.ebilet.pl/en/sport/lekkoatletyka/mistrzostwa-europy-w-lekkiej-atletyce/' target='_blank'>here</a>.

 Today marks one month to go until the eleventh edition of the European Athletics U23 Championships takes place in Bydgoszcz, Poland from 13-16 July.    The

It is proving quite a time for competitors preparing the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, later this summer and the latest athlete to grab the headlines is Turkish javelin thrower Eda Tugsuz. 
The rising star of her discipline, who is still only 20, threw a stunning 67.21m for a European U23 record (subject to ratification), national record and world-leading mark at the Islamic Solidarity Games in the Azerbaijan capital Baku on Thursday.
Not only does it make her now the gold medal favourite for the championships in Poland, which will be held from 13-16 July, but also makes her a potential medal contender at the IAAF World Championships in London in August.
Tugsuz consigned to history the previous European U23 record of 67.11m, which belonged to Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk, from 2016, and the pair could possibly meet in Bydgoszcz when the Pole will be throwing in front of family and friends. 
The Turk also threw further than the distances which brought gold at last year's two major championships. 
Croatia’s Sara Kolak – who is also still in the U23 ranks and beat Tugsuz into second place at the European Throwing Cup in March – won the Olympic title in Rio with 66.18m and Belarusian Tatsiana Khaladovich won the European title in Amsterdam with 66.34m.
Of course, rising to the occasion on these sort of stages is very different to what Tugsuz had to cope with in Baku – where she won by more than 18 metres – but the statement she made in Azerbaijan will show her rivals that there really is a 'new kid on the block’.
It is another amazing improvement from a 20-year-old whose progression had seen her reach 64.30m in Antalya last month, having ended 2016 with a personal best of 58.95m.
Tugsuz failed to make the cut in the European final with 56.97m ­– she was 11th overall – but has some decent championship credentials in the younger age groups having got a bronze medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships last summer. 
However, now she has elevated herself into being a serious contender for medals not only at U23 level but also in serious senior competition.
The throwing events at the European Athletics U23 Championships are starting to take on the complexion of potentially being something special in Bydgoszcz.
Tugsuz’s record-breaking efforts come just days after Germany’s Clemens Prufer, 19, threw a discus personal best of 62.04m in Wiesbaden, beating his furthest mark of 61.62m which had been set almost a year to the day at the same venue.
Hungary’s Bence Halasz, also 19, is another man who should be a big name in Bydgoszcz after winning hammer gold there at the world junior championships last summer because in Szekszard last weekend, he took his best from last month’s 75.56m to 76.05m.

 It is proving quite a time for competitors preparing the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, later this summer and the latest athlete to

European U23 javelin record and world-lead for Turkey's Tugsuz

When the clock is turned back to the summer of 2015, and the brilliant European Athletics U20 Championships held in the Swedish town of Eskilstuna, the performances of Alina Reh stand out.
The German teenager was stunning form, winning the 3000m and 5000m double and landing gold on both occasions by an impressive, eye-catching, distance.
Everyone present in the Ekangens Arena were in no doubt: this runner has a big future.
Reh won her title at the shorter distance by over four seconds and the 5000m gold medal by more than five; showing tenacity, control, and an experience of how to dominate a race that belied her tender teenage years.
Now, 22 months on from those triumphs, that future has suddenly become the present, with Reh sitting on top of the 2017 European 5000m list after a performance in Berlin last Saturday that demonstrated just how much progress she is making.
Reh obliterated her personal best by over 25 seconds in the German capital, taking her time down from 15:41.62 to 15:16.39.
She has now secured the qualifying mark (15:22.00) for the IAAF World Championships in London this coming August but, a few weeks before, she anticipated being back in Bydgoszcz and will take some stopping at the European Athletics U23 Championships..
[VIDEO src='1277268' align='right']
These are exciting times for the 19-year-old distance runner.
She is not 20 until the end of this month and it is her homely preparations that remain at the core of what she achieves. 
Other athletes might travel abroad at this time of year to prepare in warm weather for the pursuits that lie ahead but Reh has been preparing in Kempten in southern Germany.
'Such training camps will probably come for me in the years ahead,' reflected Reh, speaking to leichtathletik.de. 'However, I am and remain a home-bound person: the environment, bed and food suit me. From there, I can deliver good performances.'.
And how she delivered in Berlin.
Konstanze Klosterhalfen, frequently her German international teammate in recent years and the 2017 European indoor 1500m silver medallist, set a fiery pace over the opening 2000m, covering five laps in 6:08 and Reh took on the final 3000m with gusto.
At the end, Reh was quick to shower praise on her friend and occasional rival. 'Thanks to Konstanze, I did not expect such a time. I was also surprised. She's never done it before, so I was nervous. But Konstanze made this super. 
'When she left the race, I thought to myself: ‘Now it will be hard’. I had to run 3000m alone and it was windy but I piled it on and pulled through.'
While it is all about progressing, and taking small steps on that learning curve towards making an impact in the senior ranks, suddenly a time such as this can do wonders for a runner’s confidence. The next level now realistically seems as achievable as you might have hoped.
It also means Reh can now move towards the heart of the summer with a freshly-found status. For the moment, she is Europe's leading 5000m woman and it is a good tag to hold on to.
Reh, who was eighth in the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships 3000m in Belgrade barely two months ago, now runs at next week's German 10,000m Championships in Bautzen and is in a very good place mentally and physically after an indifferent 2016, although she finished the year by finishing fourth in the 2016 SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior women's race won by Klosterhalfen.
'I have more passion for running as never before. I made quick progress as a youth and I had many great successes. Last year came a small hole, also an injury.
“One must learn to deal with such a situation. There are also phases in which it is difficult but through these phases one has to fight through, and if you have fun and enjoy the sport, you can overcome every low.'

 When the clock is turned back to the summer of 2015, and the brilliant European Athletics U20 Championships held in the Swedish town of Eskilstuna, the

Alina has more than a Reh of hope for 2017

Sofia Ennaoui has claimed medals at cross country and on the boards in the last four months and the up-and-coming Polish middle distance runner will be looking to cap her age-group career by claiming a gold medal on home soil at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz this July. 
Ennaoui can already boast a wealth of championship experience which makes it easy to forget that she is still only 21 - and doesn’t turn 22 until the end of the summer season. The Pole missed out on reaching the world 1500m final in Beijing as a teenager by one place in 2015 before going one step better on her Olympic debut last year. 
After winning the European under-23 cross country title in Chia in December, Ennaoui picked up her first senior medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, claiming bronze in a high quality 1500m final behind Laura Muir and Konstanze Klosterhalfen. Ennaoui is likely to cross paths with Klosterhalfen again in Bydgoszcz and the Pole will be preparing for her upcoming track season with a training stint at high altitude in Iten, Kenya.
 [PHOTO src='1281007' size='mediumLandscape' align='right']
“For certain, nothing will distract me. In a training camp somewhere in Europe, there is always a way out - a chance to meet friends - but in Kenya, it is a simple life: waking up, eating, training,” Ennaoui said in a recent interview with Eurosport Poland. 
Ennaoui is due to open her track campaign in the Eugene Diamond League in May and while her main aim this summer is to reach the world 1500m final in London - where she has a top-six finish in mind - Ennaoui has outlined her plans to compete in Bydgoszcz en route to the World Championships. 
“I'm only interested in a gold medal (at the European U23 Championships) and I will be pursuing it, but of course the main goal for this year is the World Championships in London. I do not hide the fact I would like to reach the finals - that is the minimum.”

 Sofia Ennaoui has claimed medals at cross country and on the boards in the last four months and the up-and-coming Polish middle distance runner will be looking

Gold is the only colour on Ennaoui’s mind in Bydgoszcz 

It is amazing what a medal can do for an athlete’s confidence and Belarusian Pavel Seliverstau is hoping to be further proof of that this summer.
High jumper Seliverstau will still be 20 by the time he arrives in Bydgoszcz for the European Athletics U23 Championships in July where his aim is gold.
It would probably have been that anyway, but he will go to Poland with renewed confidence after winning the first major medal of his career just over two weeks ago at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
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It was that breakthrough moment, the occasion every athlete strives for, to make the podium, to experience the thrill of being lauded by the crowd as a medal is put around your neck.
With a jump of 2.27m, Seliverstau secured a bronze, which he hopes will be the first step of a brilliant career. He also hopes to making an impression, too, at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London in August.
Infact, he was left wanting more in Belgrade, having broken his personal best in February. As he said afterwards: “I am actually disappointed because two weeks ago I jumped 2.32m. If I had done that today, then my medal would have had a different colour.”
But two years on from Seliverstau finishing fifth (2.17m) at the European Athletics Junior Championships in Eskilstuna, it was impressive progress and he will now go to Bydgoszcz as one of the big favourites after winning this bronze in Belgrade behind Poland’s Sylwester Bednarek (2.32m), the 2009 world bronze medallist, and Great Britain’s 2012 European champion and Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz (2.30m).
One of his other targets will no doubt be his outdoor personal best of 2.30m, a height set in Andujar last July, but it is the effect of his success in Belgrade which see him so determined for glory in Poland between 13-16 July.

 It is amazing what a medal can do for an athlete’s confidence and Belarusian Pavel Seliverstau is hoping to be further proof of that this summer. High jumper

Bydgoszcz gold on the menu for Seliverstau

It is one step away from the major senior events and history shows what a platform the European Athletics U23 Championships can be.
The Polish city of Bydgoszcz is home for the next staging of the competition in the summer and those preparing now will find themselves on the cusp of a potential golden future.
Between 13-16 July, 2017, the best European under-23 athletes will gather for the 11th edition of these biennial championships being held in Bydgoszcz for the second time.
And turning the clock back to the last occasion it was here, in 2003, is proof enough of where gold can then take you to.
Russia’s pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva was a world and European junior champion (and a senior European silver medallist) and a year after her victory at those European U23 Championships, she was standing on the top of the podium as Olympic champion in Athens, a title she would defend four years later in Beijing.
And Croatian Blanka Vlasic went from European under-23 gold in 2003 to become a double world high jump champion among her many honours, while another gold medallist from Bydgoszcz 13 years ago was Sweden’s Carolina Klüft, adding that title to already being the European champion.
Back in the same ZdzisÅ&#130;aw Krzyszkowiak Stadium, who will become the senior gold medallists of tomorrow?
One of them could be home grown – Poland’s Ewa Swoboda.
It will be just days before her 20th birthday and while she will still officially be a junior, it could be a moment to savour if she bids for a 100m medal, 12 months on from winning silver in Bydgoszcz at the distance at the IAAF World U20 Championships.
Swoboda, the defending European junior 100m champion, is making brilliant progress every year and what an impact she might have in front of her own supporters in the summer of 2017.
And then, in years to come, look back and remember a few days of competition that played such a big part in her future.

 It is one step away from the major senior events and history shows what a platform the European Athletics U23 Championships can be. The Polish city

A golden future awaits under-23 athletes in Bydgoszcz

After winning gold and silver in the discus in Tampere, the Germans went one better in Tallinn with the first and only clean sweep of the championships to consolidate their position at top spot in the medal standings. In total, the Germans claimed seven gold medals and 16 medals over the four days of competition.
The order in the discus from two years ago was reversed with Shanice Craft turning the tables on her long-time domestic rival Anna Rüh. The reigning champion took the lead in the second round with 61.27m but Craft, who has won three silver medals from two editions of the European Athletics U23 Championships, responded immediately with 61.79m before improving to 62.89m in the fourth round.
With that elusive gold medal safely in the bag, she approached the championship record of 64.40m in the final round with a season’s best of 63.83m.
Kristin Pudenz ensured the German clean sweep with a final round effort of 59.94m.
In the long jump, Malaika Mihambo added the European under-23 title to her European junior title from two years ago. Her first round jump of 6.73m proved sufficient for her second accolade at continental level.
Mihambo was made to sweat after Great Britain’s team captain Jazmin Sawyers, the silver medallist behind Mihambo in Rieti two years ago, threatened the German’s leading mark in the fifth round but the Brit fell two centimetres short with a 6.71m personal best.
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The most successful athlete of the championships was Rebekka Haase, who claimed a small slice of history by becoming the first woman to claim three sprint titles from the European Athletics U23 Championships.
Contesting her sixth race of the championships, Haase ran a storming second leg to help the German team to a commanding victory in 43.47.
While the Germans won the women’s 4x100m by more than half a second, the French team won the men’s equivalent by a whisker ahead of the Czechs, 39.36 to 39.38.
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They also came from behind in the 4x400m with individual champion Thomas Jordier overhauling 200m winner Karol Zalewski from Poland in the home straight to win in 3:04.90.
In one of the highest quality races of the championships, Amela Terzic from Serbia successfully retained her title in the 1500m. Anastasiya Kalina set a fast early pace but the Serb made a long run for home with 600 metres remaining.
Renowned fast finisher Sofia Ennaoui from Poland loomed in the home straight but Terzic kicked again to retain her title in a national and championship record of 4:04.77 to Ennaoui’s 4:04.90.
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The second repeat winner of the day was Italy’s Alessia Trost in the high jump. The event was touted as a head-to-head against Mariya Kuchina from Russia but the world and European indoor champion had a disaster of a competition, recording three failures at 1.81m.
In cold conditions, Trost’s first-time clearance at 1.90m sufficed for the title by a clear height ahead of multi-event specialist Nafissatou Thiam from Belgium, who claimed silver on countback from Iryna Herashchenko at 1.87m. 
The Russian challenge didn’t materialise in the high jump but they came away with gold and bronze in the men’s triple jump. Dmitriy Chizhikov dominated the final with the four best marks of the competition: 17.05m, 17.00m, 16.86m and 17.04m.
Elise Malmberg was sixth with two flights remaining in the 400m hurdles but the former multi-eventer made a late run to claim Sweden’s second gold medal of the championships in a personal best time of 55.88.
With pre-race favourite Timofey Chalyy failing to make the final, Poland’s Patryk Dobek scored an unopposed victory in the men’s equivalent, setting a personal best of 48.84 to win comfortably ahead of Finland’s Jussi Kanervo in 49.66.
Dobek’s team-mate Kacper Oleszczuk upped his lifetime best from 77.97m to 82.29m for an unexpected title in the javelin ahead of Ukraine’s Maksym Bohdan with 81.08m.
In the shot put, Croatia’s Filip Mihaljevic claimed the title with his last throw of the competition of 19.35m ahead of Bob Bertemes, who claimed Luxembourg’s first ever medal at the European Athletics U23 Championships. 
Overnight leader Pieter Braun from the Netherlands consolidated his position in the decathlon, winning the title with a total of 8195 points.
Janek Oiglane, who propelled himself into contention with a 69.15m javelin throw, claimed Estonia’s sole medal of the championships with bronze, setting a personal best of 7945 in the process. It was fitting he received his medal from 2000 Olympic decathlon champion Erki Nool.
In the last individual track final of the programme, Liv Westphal led from the gun in the women’s 5000m and was rewarded with the title in a French under-23 record of 15:32.75 ahead of Louise Carton (15:32.75) and Viktoriya Kalyuzhna (15:38.38).
Elsewhere on the track, Poland’s Artur Kuciapski claimed the 800m title in 1:48.11, Bulgaria’s Mitko Tsenov won the steeplechase in 8:37.79 while the British quartet claimed the women’s 4x400m title in 3:30.07.

 After winning gold and silver in the discus in Tampere, the Germans went one better in Tallinn with the first and only clean sweep of the championships to

European Athletics U23 Championships

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