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

SPAR

Eurohold Bulgaria AD is a leading energy and financial group operating mainly in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE). It is listed on the Bulgarian and Warsaw Stock Exchange. Eurohold owns Euroins Insurance Group AD (EIG), one of the largest insurance groups in the region. EIG provides a full range of insurance products, serves over 4 million customers in 13 countries and has over 3000 employees.

Eurohold

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

Le Gruyère

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

Toyo Tires

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

Conica has been developing and manufacturing innovative seamless flooring solutions for sports, games and leisure for over 40 years and is one of the world's market leaders and innovation drivers in this field.  The user-oriented requirements for technical and sports functional performance as well as usability while guaranteeing the health aspects of the material itself, and for the user, are the focus of Conica's product development.  Conica is part of the Serafin group of companies based in Munich, Germany.

Conica

Polanik is a family company, founded by Wiesław Szczepanik in 1966. It produces athletics equipment having over thousand products in the offer. Polanik fully equips stadiums all over the world and handles the highest-level athletics events. Stars of athletics beat world records using Polanik products. Polanik is held in high regard by many for top quality and advisory services for designers and investors of athletics stadiums.

Polanik

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

Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne

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

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

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

Würth MODYF Group

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Inside European Athletics

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Two-time world and four-time European champion Dafne Schippers has brought her illustrious career on the track to an end at the age of 31.</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">In a post to announce her retirement on social media, Schippers said: &ldquo;The race stops here. As an athlete, you always know this day will come, that at one point, your career will be a moment in time&mdash;a collection of memories and hopefully medals.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;Today, I have decided to take my life off track to pursue and embrace whatever comes next, but not without saying a massive thank you for all the endless support. It has been a journey without regret.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/CxpoIzwoIQV"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">Schippers initially found success in the combined events, winning world and European U20 titles in the heptathlon and a breakthrough bronze at senior level at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow where she slashed seven seconds from her 800m lifetime best to ensure her place on the podium.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But Schippers had always showed an aptitude for the sprints in her junior days, making her debut at the World Athletics Championships in 2011 in the 200m when she was still a teenager and helping the Netherlands to a silver medal in the 4x100m at the 2012 European Athletics Championships, their first in the event since 1950.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Dutchwoman shifted her focus away from the combined events to the sprints in the summer of 2014 and just months later, Schippers came away with a memorable 100/200m double at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich before showing her all-round ability by adding the 60m title to her resume at the 2015 European Athletics Indoor Championships.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1706623783635750978"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Dutchwoman was at the height of her powers in the summer of 2015. She won 100m silver behind the incomparable Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and 200m gold at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing in a still-standing European record of 21.63, breaking a mark which had been held jointly by East Germans Marita Koch and Heike Drechsler at 21.71.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">After defending her 100m title on home soil at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam where she also helped the Dutch to gold in the 4x100m, Schippers couldn&rsquo;t quite add an Olympic title to her list of honours, settling for silver in the 200m behind eventual five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah from Jamaica in 2016.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Schippers went on to retain her world 200m title in London the following year before winning three more medals at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin and a silver medal in the 60m at the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships.</p>
<p dir="ltr">That medal proved to be the last medal of her prolific and illustrious career before persistent back problems blighted her last few seasons, leaving her short of form at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and forcing her to miss the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Schippers was also crowned women&rsquo;s European Athlete of the Year two years in a row in 2014 and 2015.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/udEWFfhESeo?si=nkZORn3vEox8iIKK" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>

"It has been a journey without regret." Schippers announces her retirement from athletics

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Carolina Johnson became the first Swedish winner of the women&rsquo;s 30km since 2017 at the TCS Liding&ouml;loppet, a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Silver event, on Saturday (23).</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">In the first of five World Athletics Cross Country Tour Silver and Bronze events to be held in Europe in the build-up to the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels on 10 December, Johnson won over the atypical cross country distance of 30km in 1:54:25 ahead of four-time winner and course record-holder Sylvia Medugu from Kenya in 1:56:08.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;Maybe it wasn't what everyone had expected but I still had the goal of reaching a top position. The goal was still high up, maybe at the very top,&rdquo; said Johnson as reported by <em>SVT</em>.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/b09c660e-1e9e-4535-881b-ffbdc7e39a71?width=5000&amp;height=5000" alt="230923 Lidingoloppet 029"></p>
<p dir="ltr">A former European U20 3000m steeplechase silver medallist, Johnson&rsquo;s ascent into the senior ranks has been blighted by injuries but the 27-year-old has aspirations of representing Sweden on the track next year at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games in Paris.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;It wouldn't really have been me if I hadn't aimed for the biggest and I think that everything is possible. Besides, I have a lot left to do and have a lot to get out,&rdquo; said Johnson.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">American international Diego Estrada won the men&rsquo;s 30km in 1:39:11 ahead of Sweden&rsquo;s Linus Rosdahl in 1:40:27, adding his name to an illustrious roll-of-honour which includes the likes of 1980 Olympic 5000m silver medallist Suleiman Nyambui from Tanzania and Kenya&rsquo;s Douglas Wakihurii, the 1987 world marathon champion.</p>
<p dir="ltr">More than 25,000 runners from 70 countries took part across the programme, signalling a return to pre-pandemic levels of participation in the world&rsquo;s biggest cross country race.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The next European fixture on the World Athletics Cross Country Silver and Bronze tour is the Autumn Open International in Dublin, Ireland.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">The full calendar can be found <a href="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/2e479d82-5d6f-4c9d-9f23-a2ab02701504/Calendar%20WA%20Cross%20Country%20Tour%202024%20Europe.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;</p>

Johnson upsets four-time winner Medugu as cross country season begins at the Lidingöloppet 

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Amanal Petros highlighted the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday (24) morning from both a domestic and European viewpoint by smashing his German record.</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">In a race won by Eliud Kipchoge for a fifth time in 2:02:42, Petros finished ninth in 2:04:58 to shave more than one minute from his previous national record of 2:06:27 and move to fourth on the European all-time list behind Bashir Abdi (2:03:36), Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (2:04:16) and Abdi Nageeye (2:04:56).</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The last two kilometres were wonderful, even though I was very tired. This race was very special. I was already expecting the time, although of course anything can happen in a marathon," said Petros.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/266421c2-5744-4faa-ae0c-74e0612ac249?width=5000&amp;height=3333" alt="Getty Images 1698813683"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Just behind Petros, his training partner Tadesse Abraham, the 2016 European half marathon champion, finished eleventh in a Swiss record of 2:05:10. And at 41 years old, his time was also a world over-40 marathon record.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Belgium&rsquo;s Michael Somers also improved to 2:08:08 to finish 16th to squeeze inside the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifying standard by a mere one second.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Purdue clocks 2:22:17&nbsp;</h2>
<p dir="ltr">After a spell on the sidelines due to illness and injury, Charlotte Purdue returned to top form with a ninth-place finish in the women&rsquo;s race in 2:22:17 to move back up to third on the British all-time list.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Purdue ran near identical splits of 71:16/71:01 to move from 16th at halfway up to ninth, picking off the likes of Romania&rsquo;s Delvine Meringor who faded to 12th in 2:23:25 having sped through the halfway point in 68:18.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/fb75a302-3218-4802-86c5-27c765de7877?width=5000&amp;height=3333" alt="Getty Images 1698814360"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Part of Germany&rsquo;s gold medal-winning team in the marathon at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships last summer, there was individual glory for Domenika Mayer who was the top German finisher in 14th in 2:23:47, a lifetime best by more than three minutes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And a second Swiss record of the day was set by former steeplechaser Fabienne Schlumpf who finished 15th in 2:25:27 to improve her previous mark of 2:26:14 and finish comfortably inside the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:26:50.</p>

National records tumble in a record-breaking Berlin Marathon

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Have your say and vote now for your men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s European Athletes of the Year across the European Athletics <a href="https://www.instagram.com/europeanathletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> accounts!</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s European Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars will be crowned at the Golden Tracks awards ceremony which takes place in Vilnius, Lithuania on 21 October and will be streamed live on the European Athletics YouTube channel.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The social media vote accounts for one-quarter of the overall vote with the Member Federations vote, media vote and expert panel vote each accounting for one-quarter of the final vote.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can submit your vote by 'liking' the image of the nominee across the three social media channels.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Voting closes across all channels on Monday 2 October and three finalists in each category will be announced on our social media channels in the following days.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Last year's winners were Femke Bol on the women's side while there was a historic tie on the men's voting with Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Armand Duplantis sharing the men's European Athlete of the Year award.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Incidentally, all three winners are nominated this year and have previously been crowned Rising Stars as well.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In alphabetical order, the 10 women's European Athlete of the Year nominees are:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Femke Bol (NED)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 400m hurdles and 4x400m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor 400m and 4x400m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">Diamond League 400m hurdles champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division 400m winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 400m record (49.26)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World indoor 500m best (1:05.63)</li>
<li dir="ltr">European 400m hurdles record (51.45) and world indoor 500m best (1:05.63)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1 (400m hurdles), 5 (400m)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Sifan Hassan (NED)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 5000m silver medallist&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 1500m bronze medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">London Marathon winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">European 5000m record (14:13.42)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 12 September) - 6 (5000m), 4 (10,000m)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Keely Hodgkinson (GBR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 800m silver medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">Diamond League 800m champion&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 400m bronze medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 800m record (1:55.19)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 2<strong><br></strong></li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World heptathlon champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 2</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Natalia Kaczmarek (POL)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 400m silver medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 2</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World high jump champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor high jump champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">Diamond League champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Athletics Team Championships 2nd Division winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World leader (2.03m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1</li>
</ul>
<h3>Wilma Murto (FIN)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World pole vault bronze medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 3<strong><br></strong></li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Maria Perez (ESP)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 20km and 35km race walk champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Race Walking Team Championships 35km champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 35km race walk record (2:37:15)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 20km race walk leader (1:25:30)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 2 (20km), 1 (35km)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Nafissatou Thiam (BEL)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor pentathlon champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World pentathlon record (5055 points)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 4</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Ivana Vuleta (SRB)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World long jump champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">Diamond League champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor bronze medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">World leader (7.14m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1</li>
</ul>
<p>In alphabetical order, the 10 men's European Athlete of the Year nominees are:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Armand Duplantis (SWE)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World pole vault champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">Diamond League champion&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr">World pole vault records (6.22m, 6.23m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 400m silver medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">European 400m record (44.26)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 4</li>
</ul>
<h3>Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 5000m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 1500m silver medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor 1500m and 3000m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">Diamond League mile and 3000m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 2000m record (4:43.13) and world two-mile best (7:54.10)</li>
<li dir="ltr">European 1500m (3:27.95, 3:27.14),&nbsp; mile (3:43.73) and 3000m records (7:23.63, 7:24.00)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1 (1500m), 5 (5000m)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Josh Kerr (GBR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 1500m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 3</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Alvaro Martin (ESP)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 20km and 35km race walk champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Race Walking Team Championships 35km champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 20km race walk leader (1:17:32)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1 (20km), 1 (35km)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Wojciech Nowicki (POL)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World hammer silver medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Team Championships winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World leader (81.92m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Daniel Stahl (SWE)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World discus champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Team Championships winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 2<strong><br></strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA)</h3>
<ul>
<li>World high jump champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Team Championships winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World leader (2.36m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 3</li>
</ul>
<h3>Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World long jump champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor long jump champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Team Championships winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Karsten Warholm (NOR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 400m hurdles champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor 400m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 1</li>
</ul>

Who gets your vote? Men's and women's European Athlete of the Year nominees announced

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Have your say and vote now for your men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s Rising Stars across the European Athletics <a href="https://www.instagram.com/europeanathletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> accounts!</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s Rising Stars and European Athletes of the Year will be crowned at the Golden Tracks awards ceremony which takes place in Vilnius, Lithuania on 21 October and will be streamed live on the European Athletics YouTube channel.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The social media vote accounts for one-quarter of the overall vote with the Member Federations vote, media vote and expert panel vote each accounting for one-quarter of the final vote.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can submit your vote by 'liking' the image of the nominee across the three social media channels.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Voting closes across all channels on Monday 2 October and three finalists in each category will be announced on our social media channels in the following days.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Last year&rsquo;s Rising Star winners were Elina Tzengko from Greece and Lithuania&rsquo;s Mykolas Alekna, European champions in the women&rsquo;s javelin and men&rsquo;s discus respectively.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Past winners of the Rising Star award are no longer eligible for nomination and no athlete who has served a drug ban of one-year or longer will be nominated for either the Rising Star or European Athlete of the Year awards.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">The nominees for the men's and women's European Athlete of the Year award will be revealed across social media on Friday (22).&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">In alphabetical order, the 10 nominees for the women's Rising Star award are:&nbsp;</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Rhasidat Adeleke (IRL)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 400m fourth-placer</li>
<li dir="ltr">NCAA 400m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European 400m leader (49.20)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 6 (400m)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Agate Caune (LAT)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 3000m and 5000m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Athletics Team Championships 2nd Division 5000m winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 5000m and&nbsp;European indoor 3000m finalist&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr">Second on European U20 all-time 3000m (8:39.78) and fourth on 5000m list (15:00.48)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Olivia G&uuml;rth (GER)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 3000m steeplechase champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World finalist&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr">Second on European U23 all-time 3000m steeplechase list (9:20.08)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Larissa Iapichino (ITA)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor long jump silver medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World long jump fifth-placer</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 3</li>
</ul>
<h3>Jana Koscak (CRO)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World U18 heptathlon best (6293)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World indoor U18 pentathlon best (4585)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 heptathlon leader (6293)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U18 high jump (1.92m) and heptathlon (6293) leader</li>
<li dir="ltr">Seventh on the European U20 all-time heptathlon list&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Silja Kosonen (FIN)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 hammer champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World fifth-placer&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr">Fourth on European U23 all-time list (74.19m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 6</li>
</ul>
<h3>Nina Chioma Ndubuisi (GER)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 shot put champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 leader (17.97m)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Angelina Topic (SRB)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 high jump champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World seventh-placer&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor fourth-placer</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 leader (1.97m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 4</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Alida Van Daalen (NED)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 shot put and discus champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 shot put leader (18.32m)</li>
</ul>
<h3 dir="ltr">Audrey Werro (SUI)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 800m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">European indoor finalist</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 800m leader (1:58.13)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 1000m record (2:34.89)</li>
<li dir="ltr">Fourth on European U20 all-time 800m list (1:58.13)</li>
</ul>
<p>In alphabetical order, the 10 nominees for the men's Rising Star award are:&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Mykhailo Brudin (UKR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 discus champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 leader (66.58m, 1.75kg)</li>
<li dir="ltr">Second in the U23 discus at the European Throwing Cup</li>
</ul>
<h3>Mattia Furlani (ITA)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 long jump champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 leader (8.24m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">Equal fourth on the European all-time U20 list (8.24m)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Amadeus Graber (GER)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 decathlon champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 leader (8209p)</li>
<li dir="ltr">Third on the European all-time U20 decathlon list (8209p)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Jonathan Grahn (SWE)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 3000m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 5000m silver medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">Second on the European all-time U20 3000m list (7:43.38)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gyorgy Herczeg (HUN)</h3>
<ul>
<li>European U20 javelin champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 record and second on world U20 all-time list (84.98m)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World U20 leader (84.98m)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen (NOR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 400m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Team Championships winner</li>
<li dir="ltr">World sixth-placer&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr">Second on European all-time U23 list with 44.39</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 10</li>
</ul>
<h3>Niels Laros (NED)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 1500m and 5000m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World 1500m finalist</li>
<li dir="ltr">European mile record (3:48.93)</li>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 2000m best (4:49.78)</li>
<li dir="ltr">Second on the European all-time U20 1500m (3:31.25) and 5000m (13:23.01) list</li>
<li dir="ltr">Fourth on the European all-time U20 800m list (1:44.78)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ben Pattison (GBR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">World 800m bronze medallist</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 6</li>
</ul>
<h3>Markus Rooth (NOR)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U23 decathlon champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">World eighth-placer</li>
<li dir="ltr">Fourth on European all-time U23 list (8609p)</li>
<li dir="ltr">World ranking (as of 19 September) - 10</li>
</ul>
<h3>Marek Zakrzewski (POL)</h3>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 100m champion</li>
<li dir="ltr">European U20 200m champion</li>
</ul>

Nominees announced! Vote now for your 2023 men’s and women’s Rising Stars

<p dir="ltr"><strong>It&rsquo;s time to dig out and dust off the cross country spikes! The road to the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels on 10 December begins this weekend.&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The famous TCS Liding&ouml;loppet takes place in Lidingo, just to the east of Stockholm, on Saturday (23) and is one of eight World Athletics Cross Country Tour Silver and Bronze events to be held in Europe in 2023-24, all of which fall under the administration of European Athletics.&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">The full calendar (as of 21 September) can be found <a href="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/2e479d82-5d6f-4c9d-9f23-a2ab02701504/Calendar%20WA%20Cross%20Country%20Tour%202024%20Europe.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Five of those events take place before the European Cross Country Championships and are generally a useful indicator of who&rsquo;s in form and who could challenge for medals at the focal point of the continental cross country season.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Liding&ouml;loppet is one of the world&rsquo;s longest running cross country events on the calendar with the first iteration dating back to 1965. The event is also something of an outlier on the cross country circuit with the senior races held over a non-traditional distance of 30 kilometres.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But whoever wins will follow in the footsteps of some illustrious names. The legendary Grete Waitz from Norway won the discontinued 15km race on 12 occasions between 1976 and 1988 along with former world marathon record-holders Ingrid Kristiansen (1987) and Tegla Loroupe (1992, 1994)&nbsp;while leading Swedish distance runners Malin Ewerlof (1996, 2001, 2009) Mustafa Mohamed (2003-04, 2008), Napoleon Solomon (2017, 2018) and Samuel Tsegay (2022) have all triumphed in the 30km event.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/d6127be6-9c5c-4723-9712-099280b7bf48?width=5472&amp;height=3648" alt="Foto: Peter Holgersson AB"></p>
<p dir="ltr">With up to 30,000 runners from 70 countries expected to take part across all distances, there is a strong mass participation element to the Liding&ouml;loppet which was once described by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe as &ldquo;as one of the world&rsquo;s great cross country running competitions.&rdquo; The Liding&ouml;loppet is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world&rsquo;s biggest cross country race.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Next stop...Dublin</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The World Athletics Cross Country Tour in Europe heads south to Dublin (15 October) and Belfast (21 October) the following month before the race for selection for the Spanish team at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships begins in earnest with the famous Cross Internacional Zornotza in Amorebieta - another event which can boast a rich tapestry of history dating back to 1954 - one day later on 22 October.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">The last fixture on the calendar before the SPAR European Cross Country Championships is the Warandecross in Tilburg on 26 November, an event which always attracts strong Dutch and European athletes - many of whom have gone on to feature in the race for medals at the European Cross Country Championships.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This brings the SPAR European Cross Country Championships into view with this year&rsquo;s edition on 10 December returning to Laken Park in Brussels for the second time after the Belgian capital first staged the event in 2008.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Unbeaten in European Cross Country Championships history, Jakob Ingebrigtsen could aim to extend this remarkable record by challenging for his third successive senior title - and his seventh in total - while his Norwegian teammate Karoline Bjerkeli Gr&oslash;vdal is very likely to target a hat-trick of individual titles in the senior women&rsquo;s race.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/02535dd7-e973-4330-9280-c0a276c883de?width=3000&amp;height=2000" alt="Getty Images 1245539347"></p>
<p dir="ltr">From a domestic standpoint, a full strength Belgian team could challenge for a medal in the mixed relay which would add to their bronze from 2021 while former European U23 cross country champion Isaac Kimeli represents their best chance of winning an individual medal in the senior races.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In sub-zero temperatures, Kimeli won bronze on a twisty and undulating course in Turin behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen last December as well as silver behind another Ingebrigtsen - this time Filip - five years ago on a flat albeit muddy course in Tilburg.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">The SPAR European Cross Country Championships will be streamed live in its entirety on the All-Athletics platform through the European Athletics website and will be accompanied by expert English-language commentary.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Steven Mills for European Athletics</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>