Austria and Ireland established themselves as front-runners in the first of the three morning sessions that will form the 3rd Division competition at the Silesia 2023 European Athletics Team Championships, with Israel occupying the third promotion place.
After 12 events on a testing morning in which temperatures rose towards 30C and humidity was at around 40 per cent Austria – who secured three wins - have 159 points, three more than Ireland, with Israel filling the third promotion place with 131 points, 9.5 points clear of Malta.
- Full results here.
Markus Fuchs, who is seeking a 100/200m double, achieved the first part in a highly anticipated race in which he clocked 10.36 to finish 0.01 ahead of Ireland’s European finalist Israel Olatunde.
That left Austria on 146 points, four ahead of Ireland, while Israel remained on 119 points after their world U20 200m champion Blessing Afrifah failed to live up to his name and was disqualified for a false start.
“I’m happy with my win but the time was really bad. I think it was affected by the heat. It was tough to race 100 meters in such conditions,” said Fuchs, who has lowered his national record to 10.08 this year.
But looking at the bigger picture, he said: “Beside that, I am proud I could help my national team as the points are the only thing which matters now. Of course, I believe in our promotion because we have a good team of young athletes.”
The last event was won by Azerbaijan’s Hanna Skydan with a sixth-round effort of 71.69m.
Ireland’s 19-year-old Nicola Tuthill, who trains at her family’s farm in Bauerleigh in a cage built for her by her father, excelled herself to take second place with a national U23 record of 67.85m, but the overall gain was marginal as Austria’s Bettina Weber finished third with 59.09m.
Gega halfway to a historic double
Meanwhile Luiza Gega, Albania’s first European champion, is halfway to history after earning the first of the two victories she requires to join Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova-Collio as the most successful athlete in the Team Championships.
Today’s 5000m was the toughest of her challenges given the presence of Israel’s 34-year-old Kenyan-born Lonah Salpeter, European 10,000m champion in 2018, whom she tracked remorselessly from the off before sprinting clear around the final bend.
“When I saw the girl from Israel I knew it wouldn't be an easy race as she's a great athlete. Usually, I like to run in front but this time I've decided to stay behind,” said Gega.
She now needs only to win her specialist event of the 3000m steeplechase on Wednesday (21) morning to draw level with Lalova-Collio on 11 wins and two second places. Gega, who has also won Team Championship races over 800m, 1500m and 5000m since 2010, will proceed with confidence as she leads this season’s best list in the 3000m steeplechase by more than half a minute with 9:11.94. Her main rival, who won world bronze in the marathon last year, was effectively dropping down the distances rather than stepping up, although her personal best at the distance of 14:59.02 was superior to the Albanian’s 15:16.47. Salpeter chose a characteristically bold approach as she took the early lead and kept on pushing, but the little figure pattering in her wake always looked ominous ready to draw upon her middle distance speed - and eventually did so to decisive effect. She stretched her lead down the finishing straight before crossing the line with both arms up in triumph in 15:32.39, with Salpeter clocking 15:36.07. Aoibhe Richardson maintained Ireland’s healthy momentum by taking third place in 16:45.02 – a lonely process once she had dropped off the two leaders in the opening 1000m. Ireland, relegated to the lowest tier when they were unable to compete two years ago due to coronavirus complications, made the ideal start as Sharlene Mawdsley won the first track event, the women’s 400m, in 51.55, her second best time behind the 51.34 earlier this season. Mawdsley’s front-running pushed the next three athletes into achieving personal bests, with Janet Richard of Malta reacting with disbelief after taking a full 1.12 off her national record in finishing second in 52.37. Austria’s other victories came in the men’s pole vault where Alexander Auer cleared 5.10m and the women’s 100m where Magdalena Lindner was first in 11.57 ahead of San Marino’s Alessandra Gasparelli, who recorded a national U23 record of 11.65. Levon Aghasyan of Armenia also won the men’s triple jump with a season’s best of 16.36m. He may have drawn some inspiration from the presence in the stands of his illustrious fellow countryman Robert Emmiyan, the 1986 European champion who is now President of the Armenian Athletic Federation. Another individual highlight was Amel Tuka from Bosnia & Herzegovina, a two-time world medallist, winning the 800m with his trademark sprint finish in 1:49.25. "The experience was on my side this time and it definitely helped me to win this race. It brings very special feelings to be Bosnian and I'm grateful I can be here representing my country," said Tuka. Mike Rowbottom for European Athletics