Ukraine dropped down into the second tier of the European Athletics Team Championships two years ago but a full-strength team should navigate their way out of the 2nd Division and into the top-flight in Silesia from 20-22 June.
All three divisions of the European Athletics Team Championships will be part of the third edition of the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska from 20-25 June and will be streamed live through the European Athletics channel on the All-Athletics platform.
- Final entries here.
The Ukrainian team is highlighted by the appearance of reigning European indoor and outdoor high jump champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh who is unbeaten this season and jointly holds the world lead at 2.01m.
But the MVP could be Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk if she wins maximum points for Ukraine in the long jump and triple jump. Distraught after her fourth-place finish in the long jump at the European Athletics Championships last year, Bekh-Romanchuk memorably won the triple jump the following night with her first ever 15 metre-plus performance.
Both Mahuchikh and Bekh-Romanchuk face notable Serbian opposition in their respective events. In a near repeat of the European high jump final, Mahuchikh faces the precocious 17-year-old Angelina Topic who won bronze in Munich and has since improved the Serbian record to 1.97m.
Bekh-Romanchuk is a clear favourite in the triple jump but her most resolute rival in the long jump should be Milica Gardasevic who jumped an outright lifetime best of 6.90m at the Serbian Indoor Championships to defeat her revered compatriot Ivana Vuleta.
Behind the two reigning European champions, the Ukrainian team is replete with recognisable names across their team sheet. European silver medallist Viktoriya Tkachuk is another favourite in the 400m hurdles and their team has excellent prospects in the men’s throwing events courtesy of Mykhaylo Kokhan (hammer), Artur Felfner (javelin) and Roman Kokoshko (shot put).
Kokoshko won an emotional bronze medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Istanbul before improving to gold one week later in his second home of Portugal where he is based at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria.
The men’s shot put is shaping up to be one of the most competitive events of the 2nd Division. Aside from Kokoshko, the entry-list features European champion and silver medallist Filip Mihaljevic and Armin Sinancevic from Croatia and Serbia respectively as well as Luxembourg’s Bob Bertemes whose lifetime best of 22.22m is the best of them all.
First ever 70 metre-plus throw at the Team Championships incoming?
Another prospective clash in the 2nd Division features reigning world champion Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia against 2017 world champion Andrius Gudzius from Lithuania in the discus.
Although based on Ceh’s recent results, the event could turn into a one-man masterclass. In his last competition, Ceh launched the discus out to a seldom seen distance of 71.86m, the equal sixth longest throw in history.
On a personal level, Ceh could have his sights set on the championship record which belongs to his coach Gerd Kanter at 68.76m.
But in the context of the team competition, it is certainly not impossible that a Slovenian team featuring Ceh could even push for one of the three promotion places into the European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division in 2025.
The Slovenian team also includes the in-form pairing of Klara Lukan and Marusa Mismas-Zrimsek in the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase respectively, both of whom have already set national records of 15:01.37 and 9:10.07 in their respective events in 2023.
The highly experienced Tina Sutej, a multiple European indoor and outdoor medallist, is another safe pair of hands for the Slovenian team in the pole vault while surprise world 800m finalist Anita Horvat reverts back to her former specialist distance of 400m in Silesia.
A young and emerging Hungarian team could also challenge for promotion from the 2nd Division. For many observers, this will be their first look at their rapidly improving 400m star Attila Molnar, 21, who has improved from 46.67 to 44.98 to take ownership of the Hungarian record.
On the women’s side, Boglarka Takacs - who has already broken Hungarian records in the 100m (11.23) and 200m (22.77) this year - will be contesting the 100m in Silesia. Her slot in the 200m will be filled by 18-year-old Alexa Sulyan who has clocked 23.12 for the distance.
At the other end of the experience spectrum, former world and European indoor champion Anita Marton will be looking to deliver maximum points in the shot put.
With every point crucial and every event of equal importance, some country’s star athletes have been recruited to contest two events to eke out as many points as possible for their teams.
Notable double attempts include European indoor 3000m silver medallist Elzan Bibic from Serbia (1500/5000m), European indoor 1500m silver medallist Claudia Bobocea from Romania (800/1500m) and Luxembourg’s Patrizia Van Der Weken (100/200m) who arrives fresh from smashing her national 100m record with 11.02 on Saturday.
Steven Mills for European Athletics