European Team Championships Division 1 Event by Event Preview

Poland will be looking for their third consecutive title on home soil at the European Team Championships First Division at the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow from Friday through Sunday, (June 23 to 25). 

The Polish team won the past edition of the European Team Championships beating Italy by just 2.5 points.

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Poland will be led by two of their individual European champions in Munich: Pia Skrzyszowska (women’s 100 metres hurdles) and Wojciech Nowicki (men’s hammer throw). A total of 12 individual European champions from Munich will be competing in Chorzow. The other continental champions in action are Femke Bol from the Netherlands (400 metres), Yemaneberhan Crippa from Italy (5000 metres), Gianmarco Tamberi from Italy (high jump), Topi Raitainen from Finland (3000 metres steeplechase), Pedro Pablo Pichardo from Portugal (triple jump), Julian Weber from Germany (javelin throw), Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands (shot put), Elina Tzengko from Greece (Javelin throw) and Wilma Murto from Finland (pole vault).

Five individual European champions will also compete in the second and third Divisions. Yaroslava Mahuchik (high jump) and Maryna Beck Romanchuk will represent the Ukraine in the second division. The other continental gold medallists from last year competing in the second division are Filip Mihaljevic from Croatia (shot put) and Bianca Ghelber from Romania (hammer throw).

Luiza Gega from Albania will double up in the 3000 metres steeplechase (the distance where she won the European gold medal in Munich) and in the 5000 metres.

Women’s 100 metres hurdles:

Skrzyszowska won the 100 metres and the 100 metres hurdles at the past edition of the European Team Championships in 2021 in Chorzow. This year she will run only the 100 metres hurdles. The Polish hurdler won the European Championships final in Munich in 12.53. She improved her indoor PB in the 60 metres hurdles with 7.78 but was forced to miss the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul last March due to a harmstring injury. She ran 12.84 in Turku and 12.87 in Poznan in her first two 100 metres hurdles races of this outdoor season.

Skrzyszowka will face Reetta Hurske from Finland, who won the European Indoor gold medal in Istanbul and set the national 100m hurdles record clocking 12.70 this season, and two-time European Indoor champion Nadine Visser from the Netherlands.

They will be joined by Ditaji Kambundji from Switzerland and Laeticia Bapté from France, who both clocked a seasonal best of 12.78 this year. Kambundji won the European indoor and outdoor medals in the past two seasons and recently took the win in the 100m hurdles at the Turku Continental Tour Gold medal this year in 12.79.

Women’s 100 metres:

Poland’s Ewa Swoboda will be seeking a win in the 100 metres in front of her home fans. Swoboda won the silver medal in the 60 metres in 7.09 at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul. The Polish recently improved her PB to 11.03 at the Memorial Kusocinski in Chorzow.

Swoboda will face Lisa Mayer from Germany (SB 11.16), Arialis Gandulla from Portugal (SB 11.17), European Indoor fourth placer Rani Rosius from Belgium (SB 11.20), Italian Indoor record holder Zaynab Dosso, who set her PB to 11.19 last year, N’Ketia Seedo from the Netherlands, world under 20 bronze medallist in Cali 2022, and Jael Bestue from Spain, who improved her PBs to 11.14 in the 100m and 22.54 in the 200 metres this season.

Women’s 200 metres:

Dutch sprinter Lieke Klaver will face her training partner Anna Kielbasinska from Poland. Klaver won the European Indoor silver medal in 50.57 in the 400 metres behind her compatriot Bol. During the outdoor season Klaver improved to 22.51 in the 200 metres in Hengelo and finished second in 50.75 in the 400m at the Diamond League meeting in Florence. Kielbasinka won the bronze medal in the 400m and finished second in the 4x100 and in the 4x400 relays at the European Championships in Munich.

Women’s 400 metres:

Three-time European champion and Olympic bronze medallist Femke Bol will run the women’s 400 metres. The Dutch star won the European outdoor gold medal in Munich 2022 in 49.44 and the European indoor title in Istanbul in 49.85. She improved Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 41-year-old world indoor record in the 400 metres with 49.26 at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn. Bol set the championships record of 50.37 in the First League in Cluj Napoca in 2021 helping to the promotion of the Dutch team. Bol set an outdoor seasonal best in the 400 metres of 50.11 in Hengelo and won her first two Diamond League races in the 400 metres hurdles in 52.42 in Florence and 52.30 in Oslo.

Bol will face Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, who won the 400 metres and the 4x400 relay at the 2021 European Team Championships Super League. Kaczmarek won the European silver medal behind Bol in Munich in 49.94 and improved her PB to 49.86 at the Diamond League in Chorzow. The Polish athlete took the win at the Diamond League in Florence in 50.41 and set her seasonal best of 50.02 at the Memorial Janusz Kusocinski.

Men’s 100 metres:

Samuele Ceccarelli from Italy is aiming to add another continental win to his gold medal at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul in 6.48 ahead of Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs after improving his PB to 6.47 in the semifinal. Ceccarelli recently improved his PB to 10.13 in the 100 metres at the Golden Gala in Florence. The Italian sprinter will face 21-year-old Dutch rising star Raphael Bouju, who improved his PB to 10.02 in Geneva, former European record holder Jimmy Vicaut, who set his seasonal best with 10.06 in Paris, Dominik Kopec, who finished fourth at the European Indoor Championships in the 60 metres in Istanbul in 6.53 and improved his PB to 10.05 in Dessau last week, and Samuel Samuelsson from Finland, who clocked 10.12 in Kuortane last weekend.

Men’s 200 metres:

Olympic 4x100 realy champion Filippo Tortu won the European bronze medal in the 200 metres in 20.27 becoming the first Italian sprinter to reach the continental podium over this distance since Pietro Mennea won the gold medal in Prague 1978. Tortu improved his PB to 20.10 when he narrowly missed the final at the World Championships by 3 thousandths of a second in Eugene. Tortu ran a seasonal best of 20.30 in Nairobi. He will face Ryan Zeze from France, who also clocked 20.30 in Tucson this season. The other sprinters to watch are Taymir Burnet from the Netherlands (SB 20.36) and Joshua Hartmann from Germany, who improved his PB to 20.33 in the semifinal of the European Championships in Munich.

Men’s 400 metres:

Harvard Bengtal Ingvaldsen from Norway will be seeking another sub-45 time one week after smashing his PB by one second to 44.86 at the Bislett Games in Oslo. It is shaping up as a clash between experienced athletes like Kevin Borlée from Belgium, European champion in the 400 metres in Barcelona 2010 and two-time world bronze medallist with the 4x400 relay in Doha 2019 and Eugene 2022, Liemarvin Bonevacia from the Netherlands, European bronze medallist in the 400m in Amsterdam 2016 and Olympic silver medallist with the 4x400 relay in Tokyo 2021, and young talented athletes like Joao Coelho from Portugal, who clocked 45.22 in Kalamata this year, and Lorenzo Benati from Italy, who won the European Under 20 silver medal in Tallin 2021 and set a seasonal best of 45.73 in Grosseto last May.

Men’s long jump:

Olympic and European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou helped Greece to promotion with his win in the long jump with a championship record of 8.38m in the European Athletics Team Championships First League in Cluj Napoca in 2021. Tentoglou won the European Indoor title in Istanbul with 8.30m and his first Diamond League competition in Paris with 8.11m beating Simon Ehammer from Switzerland by two cm. Tentoglou will renew his rivalry against Ehammer, who beat his Greek rival in Oslo with 8.32m to win the first Diamond League of his career.

The new name to watch is Italian 18-year-old Mattia Furlani, who jumped a wind-assisted 8.44m in Savona and won his first Continental Tour Gold competition in Hengelo with 8.24. Furlani won two European under 18 gold medals in the long jump with 8.04m and in the high jump with 2.15m in Jerusalem.

The line-up is completed by Sweden’s Thobias Montler, European outdoor and indoor silver medallist behind Tentoglou and Diamond League champion in Zurich 2021, and Norway’s Bratseth Kipselund, who set the national record with 8.21m this year.

Men’s 110 metres hurdles:

Jason Joseph from Switzerland will be aiming to win his second major continental title after his triumph in the 60 metres hurdles at the European Indoor Championships in 7.41 in Istanbul. Joseph recently improved his Swiss record by two hundredths of a second with 13.10 at the Golden Gala in Florence. Joseph will face French record holder Pascal Martinot Lagarde, European silver medallist in Munich 2022 and world bronze medallist in Doha 2019, Hassane Fofana from Italy, who missed his PB by just one hundredth of a second with 13.43 at the Continental Tour meeting in Turku.

Women’s long jump:

Larissa Iapichino leads the line-up in the women’s long jump with 6.97m set at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, where she won the silver medal improving the Italian indoor record, that she had previously shared with her mother Fiona May. Iapichino started the summer season with her outdoor PB of 6.83m into a headwind of -1.8 m/s in Kalithea (Greece) and won a world-class competition at the Golden Gala in Florence with 6.79m in her home city. In her most recent competition she won the Italian under 23 title with a wind-assisted 6.79m in Agropoli last weekend.

The line-up also features 2019 European Under 23 champion Hilary Kpatcha from France, who set a PB of 6.86m this year, and Fatima Diame from Spain, who set a seasonal best of 6.81m in Castellon on 14 June, Maryse Luzolo from Germany, winner at the European Team Championships in Chorzow in 2021, and Lucy Hadaway from Great Britain, European Under 23 bronze medallist in Tallin 2021 and winner at the Limassol meeting with her PB of 6.73m.

Men’s triple jump:

Olympic and world champion Pedro Pablo Pichardo is chasing another continental win after claiming the European outdoor gold medal in Munich 2022 with 17.50m and the European Indoor title in Istanbul 2023 with 17.60m. The Portuguese athlete started the season with a win at the Diamond League meeting in Doha with a wind-assisted 17.91m.

Italy’s Tobia Bocchi, fourth at the European Championships in Munich 2022 and sixth at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, improved his PB by 12 cm to 17.26m in Castellon on 14 June.

The line-up also features Germany’s Max Hess, who won the European Team Championships in Chorzow 2021, the European gold medal in Amsterdam 2016 with 17.20m and three-time European indoor bronze medalist in Glasgow 2019, Torun 2021 and Istanbul 2023.

Men’s high jump:

Olympic and European champion Gianmarco Tamberi will make his seasonal debut in the men’s high jump. It will be his first competition since the Diamond League Final in Zurich, where he won his second consecutive Diamond Trophy with 2.34m. Tamberi shared the Olympic gold medal with his friend Mutaz Barshim at 2.37m in Tokyo, won the European gold medal in Munich with 2.30m and finished fourth at the World Championships in Eugene with 2.33m. 

Gianmarco Tamberi: “This year was marked by many changes. I started working with my new coach Giulio Ciotti and my physical trainer Michele Palloni. I have a good relationship to my team. In these months my main focus has been to stay fit to avoid the physical problems, which affected the past season, and to be able to face the season without pain. I am planning two Diamond League competitions in Stockolm and Chorzow. My goal is to reach the top form for the World Championships in Budapest to win the world gold medal, the only title missing in my collection”.

The line-up also features Douwe Amels from the Netherlands, European Indoor champion in Istanbul with 2.31m, Thomas Carmoy from Belgium, European Indoor bronze medallist in Torun 2021, Tobias Potye from Germany, European outdoor silver medallist on home soil in Munich last year, and Norbert Kobielski from Poland, European under 23 bronze medallist in Gavle 2019.

Men’s pole vault:

Three-time world medallist Piotr Lisek will chase his second win at the European Team Championships on home soil four years after taking victory in Bydgoszcz in 2019 with 5.81m. Lisek has returned to top shape this year setting a seasonal best of 5.82m twice at the Memorial Janusz Kusocinski in Chorzow and at the Memorial Irena Szewinska.

Lisek will take on this year’s European Indoor silver medallist Emmanouil Karalis from Greece, Ben Broeders from Belgium, fifth at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade 2022 and Belgian record holder with 5.85m, Menno Vlonn from the Netherlands, national indoor record holder with 5.96m, and Claudio Stecchi from Italy, who equalled the national indoor record held by his coach Giuseppe Gibilisco with 5.82m in Liévin and finished sixth at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Women’s pole vault:

European indoor and outdoor champion Wilma Murto from Finland recently improved her outdoor seasonal best with 4.75m at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Turku. Murto set the national outdoor record with 4.85m when she won the European Championships in Munich.

Murto will go head-to-head against former Olympic, world and European champion Ekaterini Stefanidi from Greece, Margot Chevrier from France, who placed second at the Paris Diamond League meeting with 4.71m, Roberta Bruni from Italy, winner at the 2021 edition of the European Team Championships in Chorzow with 4.45 and national record holder with 4.72m in Rovereto, Angelica Moser from Switzerland, European Indoor champion in Torun 2021 with 4.75m and Amalie Svabikova from Czech Republic, European Indoor bronze medallist in Istanbul 2023 with 4.70m.

Men’s discus throw:

Olympic champion and 2019 world gold medallist Daniel Stahl from Sweden is the stand-out name in the men’s discus. Stahl has already thrown beyond the 70 metres barrier with 70.93m in Sollentuna, 70.38m in Turku and 71.45m in Johvi, where he produced the best ever mark for a runner-up finish. The other top names are Lawrence Okoye from Great Britain, bronze medallist at the European Championships in Munich and silver medallist at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, Henrik Janssen from Germany, who improved his PB to 66.42m in Neubrandenburg.

Kristjan Ceh won the men’s discus in the Second Division setting two championships record with 69.29m and 69.94m on Wednesday. Ceh improved the previous best mark at this event held by his coach Gerd Kanter with 68.76m.

Women’s discus thow:

Germany’s Shanice Craft, who won the European bronze medal in Berlin 2018, leads the line-up with her PB of 66.73m set in Neubrandeburg. Craft will face 2016 Olympic silver medallist Melina Robert Michon from France, who recently returned to her best form with a seasonal best of 65.49m set in Montreuil, Olympic, world and European finalist Liliana Ca from Portugal, and Daisy Osakue from Italy, who finished fifth at the European Championships in Berlin 2018 and improved the national record to 64.57m at the Italian Club Championships in Pietrasanta.

Men’s shot put:

Italy’s Zane Weir is seeking another major continental win after his European Indoor Championships gold medal in Istanbul with a national indoor record of 22.06. Weir set a  seasonal outdoor of 21.74m in Halle and won in Savona with 21.60m. Weir will take on 2018 European champion Michal Haratyk, who will be seeking his third win at the European Team Championships, Tomas Stanek, European bronze medallist in Munich with 21.26m, Markus Thomsen from Norway, sixth at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023, and Scott Lincoln from Great Britain, third at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022.

Women’s shot put:

World and European indoor champion Auriol Dongmo from Portugal will take on European outdoor medallist Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands. Both shot putters threw over the 20 metres barrier. Dongmo set her PB of 20.43m at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade and won the Diamond League meeting in Paris with 19.72m. Schilder won the European Championships in Munich setting the national record of 20.24m and won the world bronze medal in Eugene with 19.77.

Men’s javelin throw:

Germany’s Julian Weber is looking to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Johannes Vetter, who won the men’s javelin throw with a championship record of 96.29m in the past edition of the European Championships in Chorzow in 2021. Weber won the European gold medal with 87.66m in Munich 2022 and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and at the World Championships in Eugene. This year he set a seasonal best of 88.37m in Rehlingen and won in Hengelo with 87.14m.

The other thrower in the field with a PB over the 87 metres barrier is Timothy Herman from Belgium, who took the win at the Continental Tour in Nairobi setting a national record of 87.35m.

Women’s javelin throw:

The women’s javelin throw will be highlighted by Christin Hussong from Germany and Elina Tzengko from Greece, who won the past two editions of the European Championships in Berlin 2018 and Munich 2022, and Sigrid Borge from Norway, who set the world seasonal best of 66.50m in Halle last May.

Men’s hammer throw:

Wojciech Nowicki will be seeking the second win of his career in front of his home fans after finishing first with 78.84m in Bydgoszcz in 2019. Nowicki set the world seasonal best of 81.92m in Oslo last week. Nowicki won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2021 with 82.52m, the European title in Munich with 82.00m and the world silver medal in Eugene with 81.03m. Nowicki will take on Thomas Mardal  from Norway, who improved his PB to 77.46m this year, and Michail Anastakakis, who threw 77.42m this year.

Women’s hammer throw:

In the absence of three-time Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk, Poland will be represented by Olympic bronze medallist Malwin Kopron, who will face Silja Kosonen from Finland, who improved her PB to 73.78m in Kuortane last week, and Italian record holder Sara Fantini, who finished fourth at the World Championships in Eugene and won the bronze medal in Munich last year.

Men’s 1500 metres:

Mohamed Katir from Spain is the strong favourite in the 1500 metres. The 1500m world bronze medallist and 5000m European silver medallist started the 2023 season with a win in the 5000 metres in Florence in 12:52.10 and a second place in 3:28.89 behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500 metres in Oslo.

Pietro Arese from Italy recently showed his good form by improving his PB twice to 3:34.47 in Montreuil and 3:33.56 in Bydgoszcz. Arese, who finished fourth at the European Championships in Munich, has become the second fastest 1500m runner in Italian middle distance history behind national record holder Gennaro Di Napoli.

George Mills  from Great Britain made his breakthrough last January with a win in the 1500 metres at the World Indoor Tour meeting in Karlsruhe and continued his progress in the outdoor season by improving his PB to 3:33.10 in Rehlingen last May. Mills is the son of former football player David Mills.

The rising star to watch is 18-year-old Dutch Niels Laros, who improved his PB to 3:32.89 at the Nikaia in Nice in the 1500 metres. Only Jakob Ingebrisgten ran faster than Laros in Europe in history at under 20 level. Laros won the 1500 and 3000 metres at the European Under 18 Championships in Jerusalem.

Isaac Nader from Portugal also improved his lifetime best last weekend to 3:31.67 in Nancy and has the potential to fight for a top-three spot.

Men’s 5000 metres:

Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa set a 5000 metres championships record of 13:17.23 in the past edition of this event in Chorzow in 2021. Crippa won the gold medal in the 10000m in 27:46.13 and the bronze in the 5000m at the European Championships in Munich and recently clinched the win at the European 10000 metres Cup in Pacé earlier this month with a sub-56 second last lap.

Crippa will face Burundi-born Spanish middle distance runner Thierry Ndikumweanyo, who set PBs of 7:25.93 in the 3000m in Monaco last year 12:58.60 in the 5000m in Oslo this year.

Women’s 5000 metres:

Four-time European Under 20 and Under 23 cross country champion Nadia Battocletti starts as the favourite in the women’s 5000 metres, as she has the fastest time among the entrants with her seasonal best of 15.01.23 set in Montesson earlier this month. Battocletti finished seventh in the 5000 metres at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 with her PB of 14.46.29 and fourth in the 3000 metres at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023. Battocletti will face Germany’s Lea Meyer, European silver medallist in the 3000 metres steeplechase in Munich 2022.

Women’s 1500 metres:

Italy’s Sintayehu Vissa leads the women’s 1500 metres line-up with her PB of 4:01.98 at the Golden Gala in Florence. Vissa made her major breaktrough last winter when she improved Gabriella Dorio’s Italian indoor record over the mile distance with 4:24.54 at the Millrose Games in New York.

The line-up will also feature Hanna Klein from Germany, European indoor champion in the 3000m in Istanbul 2023, Kristina Maki from Czech Republic and Ellie Baker from Great Britain, who finished sixth and eighth respectively in the 1500m at the European Championships in Munich, 2021 European Indoor champion Elise Vanderelst from Belgium.

Women’s 800 metres:

The favourite is Audrey Werro from Switzerland, who won the world under 20 gold medal in Cali in 1:59.53 and improved the world under 20 record in the 1000 metres clocking 2:34.89 in Nice last week. Another sub.2 minutes specialist in the field is France’s Lena Kandissounon, who clocked 1:59.65 at the Paris Diamond League meeting on 9 June.

Men’s 800 metres:

Twenty-one year-old Yanis Mezane from France set the fastest time this year among the entrants with his PB of 1:44.78 set at the Paris Diamond League meeting. The 800 metres is expected to be a wide-open race between Adrian Ben from Spain, European indoor champion in Istanbul 2023, Andreas Kramer from Sweden, European silver medallist in Berlin 2018, Catalin Tecuceanu from Italy, who finished seventh at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul and set an outdoor seasonal best of 1:45.69 in Turku on 13 June.

Men’s 3000 metres steeplechase:

Reigning European champion Topi Raitanen from Finland will line up against European bronze medallist Osama Zoghlami, who set a seasonal best of 8:14.58 in Rabat, and Daniel Arce, who finished fourth at the European Championships in Munich and set the fastest time in Europe this year with 8:10.63 at the Diamond League meeting in Paris.

Women’s triple jump:

Tugba Danismaz from Turkey made her breakthrough last March when she won the European Indoor gold medal in Istanbul in front of her home fans. Danismaz will renew her rivalry against Ottavia Cestonaro, who finished fourth in Istanbul with 14.08m. The other top names in the line-up are Olympic bronze medallist Ana Peleteiro, who is returning this year from maternity leave, and European outdoor silver medallist Kristina Makela from Finland.

Men’s 400 metres hurdles:

Olympic finalist Alessandro Sibilio from Italy set the second fastest time in Europe with his seasonal best of 48.23 set at the Geneva meeting. Sibilio won the European under 23 title in 2021 in 48.42 in Tallin and improved his PB to 47.93 to reach the Olympic final in Tokyo where he finished eighth. The Italian hurdler will face Julien Watrin from Belgium, who won the silver medal in the 400 metres in 45.44 at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023 and won the bronze medal in the 4x400 relay at the World Championships in Istanbul 2023, Emil Agyekum from Germany, who won the European Under 23 silver medal in Tallin 2021 and set a PB of 48.73 in Geneva, and Nick Smidt, who set a seasonal best of 48.70 in Ordegem.

Women’s 400 metres hurdles:

Former European Under 18 champion Viivi Lehikonen from Finland leads the entry list with her PB of 54.40 set in Huelva and finished third at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku in 54.88.

Ayomide Folorunso improved the Italian record to 54.34 in the 400m hurdles in the semifinal of the World Championships in Eugene last year. The Italian hurdler won the European indoor silver medal in the 4x400 relay in Istanbul and recently improved her PB in the 400m with 52.01 in Rehlingen.

The line-up also features Cathelin Peeters from the Netherlands, who won the European Indoor title in the 4x400 relay in Istanbul 2023 and clocked a PB of 54.65 in the 400 metres hurdles in Huelva this year, and Hanna Claes from Belgium, who improved her PB to 54.75 in Geneva this year.

Women’s high jump:

Nawal Meniker from France leads the women’s high jump with her seasonal best of 1.93m. Meniker will face Imke Onnen from Germany, who holds a lifetime best of 1.96m, Polish multiple events specialist Adrianna Sulek from Poland, who won silver medals in the heptathlon at the European outdoor Championships in Munich 2022 and at the European Indoor Championships in the pentathlon in Istanbul 2023.