Men's Preview: European Athletics Championships Rome 2024

Thursday, 06 June 2024

Nine world champions from the 2023 Budapest World Championships lead the list of participants at the European Championships in Rome. These include Armand Duplantis in pole vault, Karsten Warholm in the 400 meters hurdles, Jakob Ingebrigtsen competing in both the 1500m and 5000m, Gianmarco Tamberi in high jump, Miltiadis Tentoglou in long jump, Daniel Stahl in discus throw, along with Femke Bol in the 400m hurdles, Yaroslava Mahuchik in high jump, and Katarina Johnson Thompson in heptathlon.

MEN'S PREVIEW

Men’s pole vault:

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis will be aiming to win his third consecutive European outdoor gold medal in Rome after his triumphs in Berlin 2018 with a world under 20 record of 6.05m and Munich 2022 with 6.06m.

Duplantis won two world outdoor gold medals in Eugene 2022 improving his world record to 6.21m and in Budapest 2023 with 6.10m, the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo with 6.02m. He has already set eight world records from 6.17m in Torun 2020 to 6.24m at the Diamond League in Xiamen 2024. He cleared 6.00m in his three most recent competitions in Suzhou, Ostrava and Stockolm.

He cleared the six metres barrier 80 times. Last March Duplantis claimed his second world indoor gold medal with 6.05m in Glasgow.

The 24-year-old Swedish pole vaulter coached by his father Greg Duplantis and his mother Helena Duplantis will return to the Rome Olympic Stadium, where he broke the world record at that time with 6.15m at the Golden Gala meeting in September 2020, unfortunately in front of empty stands due to Covid restrictions. This time he will jump in a full stadium. Fans are looking forward to cheering on Duplantis under the Curva Nord of the Olympic Stadium for the qualifying round scheduled for the morning of Monday 10th June and for the final scheduled for the last evening session on Wednesday 12th June.

Thibaut Collet is second in the European seasonal list with his PB of 5.92m. Collet placed 5.90m at the World Championships in Budapest last year. Thibaut is the son of former vaulter Phillippe, who won the European bronze medal behind brothers Sergey and Vassilly Bubka in Stuttgart 1986.

Piotr Lisek from Poland won a silver medal and two bronze medals at the previous World Championships and three medals at the European Indoor Championships, but he has not reached the podium at the European outdoor Championships yet.

The other potential medal contenders are Bo Kanda Lita Bahere from Germany and Pal Haugen Lillefosse from Norway, who won silver and bronze at the European Championships in Munich 2022, Emmanouil Karalis from Greece, who won the European indoor silver medal and world indoor bronze medal and finished second in Oslo this year with 5.72m, and 2021 European under 23 bronze medallist Ersu Sasma from Turkey, who cleared 5.82m in Dessau on 24 May.

Men’s 400 metres hurdles:

Karsten Warholm is aiming to win his third consecutive European gold medal in the men’s 400 metres hurdles after his previous triumphs in Berlin 2018 in 47.64 and in Munich 2022 in 47.12. Two years ago Warholm broke the long-standing championships record set by Harald Schmid with 47.48 in 1978. With a win on the track of the Olympic Stadium Warholm would equal the record of three consecutive European titles of Schmid, who won in 1978, 1982 and 1986.

The Norwegian star also won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2021 breaking the world record with 45.94 and three world gold medals in London 2017 (48.35), Doha 2019 (47.42) and Budapest (46.89) and two European indoor titles in the 400 metres in Glasgow 2019 and Istanbul 2023. Warholm holds five of the best ten times in the world all-time. He set his first world record in 2021, when he clocked 46.70 at the Bislett Games in Oslo erasing Kevin Young’s record of 46.78 which had stood for 29 years.

Warholm returns to the track of the Rome Olympic Stadium for the third time after competing at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea. He finished second in 2018 in 47.82 and won in 2020 in 47.07. He won the 300 metres hurdles in 33.28 in Bergen and finished second to Alison Dos Santos in 46.70 in the 400 metres hurdles at the Bislett Games in Oslo.

Warholm has become one of the most popular athletes for his friendly character, his iconic shout and his slaps with which he charges into the starting blocks.

Italian hopes are carried by Alessandro Sibilio, who improved his PB to 47.93 in the semifinal of the Olympic Games in Tokyo before finishing eighth in the final in 48.77. Sibilio started his 2024 season with a win in 48.25 at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava setting the second fastest time in Europe this year.

Another strong medal candidate is Estonia’s Rasmus Magi, who won the European silver medal in 2014 and reached two Olympic finals in a row in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2021. Magi set a PB of 47.82 in Turku in 2022 and a seasonal best of 48.58 in Oslo.

Men’s 110 metres hurdles:

World 60 metres hurdles indoor silver medallist Lorenzo Simonelli is aiming to win the European gold medal in front of his home fans. Simonelli won the world indoor silver medal in Glasgow improving his national indoor record to 7.43 behind Grant Holloway last March. The 22-year-old Italian hurdler improved Paolo Dal Molin’s Italian record in the 110 metres hurdles to 13.21 in Nancy on 25 May and won his final race in Rieti in 13.29 on his birthday last Saturday in the build-up to the European Championships, which take place in his home city.

Lorenzo Simonelli: “Rome has been my goal since the start of the year. Everyone is talking about Gianmarco Tamberi and the race walkers but this will be last chance to let people know who I am. All my friends and family are buying tickets for Rome. I am going to have a lot of support there”.

Michael Obasuyi from Belgium holds the fastest time among the entrants with his national record of 13.20 set twice this season in Montgeron and Brussels.

Asler Martinez from Spain will defend his European title two years after his win in Munich 2022 in 13.14 by just 0.001 over Pascal Martinot Lagarde. Martinez, who also won the world bronze medal in Eugene 2022, set a seasonal best of 13.29 in Ibiza.

Enrique Llopis, who fully recovered from a fall in the 2023 European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in 7.53 and set his outdoor seasonal best of 13.26.

Andy Pozzi from Great Britain, European indoor gold medallist in Belgrade 2017 and world indoor champion in Birmingham 2018, clocked 13.23 in Montgeron, his fastest time since 2020.

Men’s 1500 metres:

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is seeking his third consecutive European double in the 1500 and 5000 metres after achieving this feat in Berlin 2018 and Munich 2022.

Ingebrigtsen started his season with a second place behind Jos Kerr in the Bowerman Mile in Eugene in 3:45.60. Last Thursday the Norwegian athlete won a thrilling 1500 metres race in a world lead of 3:29.74 holding off Timothy Cheruiyot by three hundredths of a second at the Bislett Games in Oslo.

Ingebrigtsen has collected twelve European senior medals (including eleven gold), at continental outdoor, indoor and cross country championships at the age of 23. The Norwegian star has won six gold medals at European under 20 level on the track and cross country.

His preparation for the 2024 outdoor season was blighted by an Achilles tendon problem, which forced him to miss the European Cross Country Championships and the indoor season.

“My hope and expectations are probably to defend both titles. I hope for good weather and a good championship in general. It’s somewhat earlier this year than it has been previously, so that’s also a nice challenge. That makes a little bit exciting”, said Ingebrigtsen.

Ingebrigtsen returns to the Rome Olympic Stadium four years after finishing second at the Golden Gala in the 3000 metres in 7:27.05. He competed in Italy many times. He won the gold medal at the European under 20 Cross Country Championships in Chia (Sardinia) in 2016. In 2017 he won two European under 20 titles in Grosseto in the 5000m and in the 3000m steeplechase. Four years later he returned to Tuscany to break the European record in the 5000m with 12:48.45 at the Golden Gala in Florence.

“I think it’s exciting to race in Rome. It’s not something I have done too many times before. One road race and one 3000m in the Diamond League. It’s a nice place and hopefully the conditions can be good at that time of the year. I think a lot of people will use it as a stopping stone going into the Olympic Games and hopefully getting a lot of answers from all the training that we have done in the winter”.

Ingebrigtsen will face Neil Gourley, who finished fourth at the Prefontaine Classic in 3:47.74: The British middle distance runner has recovered from the injury, which forced his to miss the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Gourley won the European Indoor silver medal behind Ingebrigtsen in Istanbul 2023.

The Norwegian team also features world 1500m bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas, who set a PB of 3:29.47 at last year’s edition of the Bislett Games in Oslo and ran a seasonal best of 3:33.87.

A potential candidate for a medal is Isaac Nader from Portugal, who finished fourth in Oslo in 3:30.84.

Pietro Arese clocked 3:32.13 in Oslo breaking the Italian 1500 metres record set by Gennaro Di Napoli in 1990 with 3:32.78 in Rieti. Arese took almost a second off his previous PB of 3:33.11 set in the semifinal of the World Championships in Budapest. Arese is not related to Franco Arese, who won the European 1500m title in Helsinki 1971.

Pietro Arese: “This is another sign of destiny. With Franco Arese we know each other and talk often, even though we are not related. It would be magical to emulate him and win a medal in the Olympic Stadium”.

Another athlete to watch is Niels Laros from the Netherlands, who broke Ingebrigtsen’s European under under 18 records in the 1500m and 5000 metres. Laros won the European under 20 gold medals in the 1500 and 5000 metres in Jerusalem 2023 and finished 10th in a Dutch record of 3:31.25 at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 at the age of 18.

Men’s 5000 metres:

Ingebrigtsen set his PB of 12:48.45 in the 5000m at the 2021 Golden Gala in Florence and won two consecutive world titles over this distance in Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023. He set the European record of 7:23.63 in the 3000 metres at the Diamond League final in Eugene last year.

Thierry Ndikumweanayo from Spain won the 5000m at the European Team Championships in Chorzow and improved his PB to 12:48.10 in Oslo last week to move ahead of Ingebrigtsen to second in the European all-time list.

South-Sudan-born Dominic Lobalu will make his debut for Switzerland in a major event. Lobalu, who competed for the Athlete Refugee Team at the 2017 World Championships, improved Markus Ryffel’s Swiss record in the 5000 metres to 12:50.90 in Oslo and finished second just 0.19 behind Nordas in 7:33.68 in the 3000m in Stockolm.

George Mills from Great Britain is another strong contender for a medal. Mills, son of former football player Danny Mills, finished seventh in the 1500 metres in Oslo last week. The young British middle-distance runner set PBs of 3:30.95 in the 1500m in Zurich, 3:47.65 in the mile in Eugene and broke the 13 minutes barrier with 12:58.68 in the 5000m indoors.

Men’s 100 metres:

Marcell Lamont Jacobs will defend his European title in the 100 metres two years after his triumph in Munich 2022 in 9.95 ahead of British sprinters Zharnel Hughes and Jeremiah Azu. The Italian sprinter has not run under the 10 seconds barrier since then.

Jacobs also claimed the Olympic gold medal in a European record of 9.80 in Tokyo 2021, the European indoor title in Torun 2021 in the 60 metres in 6.47 and the world indoor gold medal in Belgrade 2022 in 6.41.

Jacobs started his season with a second place in 10.11 in Jacksonville and won in 10.07 at the Rome Sprint Festival on the new track of the Stadio dei Marmi, which will be used as the warm-up track during the European Championships. In his final test before Rome Jacobs finished fourth in a seasonal best of 10.03 in cool weather conditions at the Bislett Games in Oslo.

Jeremiah Azu from Great Britain improved his PB to 9.97 in Leverkusen on 25 May but he picked a minor injury in Oslo. Azu won the European bronze medal in Munich 2022 and the European under 23 gold medal in Espoo 2023.

Romell Glave from Great Britain, who clocked 10.05 this season, will make his international debut in a major championship in Rome.

The other top contenders are 2023 European indoor bronze medallist Henrik Larsson from Sweden, who improved the national record to 10.08 in Graz, and Meba-Mikael Zeze from France, who set a lifetime best of 9.99 in the 100m and 19.97 in the 200m in La Chaux de Fonds in 2022.

World 100m bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes has pulled out of the European Championships. Hughes limped after his 100 metres race at the Racers Grand Prix meeting in Kingston.

Men’s 200 metres:

The fastest sprinter in the field is Pablo Mateo, who improved his PB to 20.03 becoming the third fastest French sprinter in history. His compatriot Ryan Zeze, younger brother of Meba Michael Zeze, is the second fastest sprinter in the field with his PB of 20.18 set in Austin last spring.

Olympic 4x100 champion Filippo Tortu is aiming to win his second consecutive European medal two years after finishing third in 20.27 in Munich 2022. Tortu set his PB of 20.10 in the semifinal of the World Championships in Eugene 2022.

The line-up also features Ramil Gulyev from Turkey, who reached the 2009 world final and won the European gold medal in Berlin 2018 in 19.76.

Men’s 400 metres:

World indoor champion Alexander Doom from Belgium will clash against Charles Dobson from Great Britain in the men’s 400 metres.

Doom made his breakthrough last March, when he won the world indoor title in the 400 metres in a national record of 45.25. The Belgian athlete won his first Diamond League race in Marrakesh in his PB of 44.51. He improved his lifetime best again to 44.44 in Ostrava missing Jonathan Borlée’s national record by 0.01.

Dobson smashed his lifetime best to 44.46 at the Memorial Giulio Ottolia in Savona on 15 May. The British athlete won the European gold medal in Munich 2022 and the world bronze medal in Budapest 2023 with the 4x400 relay.

Another medal contender is European under 23 champion Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen from Norway, who improved his national record to 44.39 in the heats of the World Championships in Budapest before finishing sixth in the final.

The other top contenders are 2018 world under 20 champion Jonathan Sacoor from Belgium, who won the 4x400 relay at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Davide Re, Italian record holder with 44.77 and World Championships semifinalist in Doha in 2019, and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Pohorilko, who improved his PB to 44.94 this year.

Men’s high jump:

Gianmarco Tamberi will make his seasonal debut at the European Championships in the Rome Olympic Stadium. He was expected to open his season in Ostrava but he decided to pull out of this competition due to a slight discomfort in his knee.

Tamberi will put on a show in front of his home fans creating a special atmosphere inside the Olympic Stadium. The Italian star won the world gold medal in Budapest 2023 with 2.36m completing the “Grand Slam” of titles following his gold medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 and at the European Championships in Munich 2022.

Oleh Doroshchuk from Ukraine is aiming to win his first European senior medal after claiming silver medals at Under 23, under 20 and under 18 level. Doroshuk finished fourth at the European Championships in Munich 2022 and at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow 2024.

The other major medal contender is Dutchman Douwe Amels, who won the European Indoor gold medal in Istanbul 2023 with 2.31m.

Men’s long jump:

Miltiadis Tentoglou won the world title in Budapest completing his collection that includes the Olympic gold in Tokyo 2021, two European outdoor gold medals in Berlin 2018 and Munich 2022, two world indoor titles in Belgrade 2022 and Glasgow 2024 and three European indoor titles in Glasgow 2019, Torun 2021, Istanbul 2023. Tentoglou set a world lead of 8.36m in the Diamond League meeting in Doha.

Tentoglou will renew his battle against European under under 18 and under 20 Mattia Furlani, who won the world indoor silver medal in Glasgow with 8.22m losing to Tentoglou on countback. Furlani improved the world under 20 record to 8.36m in Savona, equalling Tentoglou’s world seasonal lead. Three days after Savona Furlani won at the Atlanta City Games with 8.06m.

World indoor heptathlon champion and European outdoor decathlon champion Simon Ehammer from Switzerland will compete only in the long jump in Rome. Ehammer set a Swiss record of 8.45m in Goetzis setting a world long jump all-time best for a decathlon competition. In his career Ehammer won the world bronze medal in 2022 and the Diamond League Trophy in Eugene last year. This year he set a seasonal best of 8.25m at the Hypo meeting in Goetzis and finished third with a wind-assisted 8.30m at the Diamond League in Doha last May.

Another medal contender is Filip Pravdica, who a set a Croatian record of 8.35m this year.

Men’s triple jump:

Pedro Pablo Pichardo from Portugal won the European outdoor title in Munich with 17.50m completing the Grand Slam of major gold medals following his wins at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 and at the World Championships in Eugene. The Portuguese jumper started his 2024 season with a win in Doha with 17.51m and a second place in Marrakesh with 16.92m.

Pichardo is aiming to add another gold medal to his collection against a strong opposition led by Jordan Diaz, who set the European seasonal lead with 17.56m in Castellon in his first international appearance for Spain since switching from Cuba.

Max Hess is chasing a second European medal eight years after winning the gold medal in Amsterdam 2016.

The Italian hopes are carried by two-time NCAA champion Emmanuel Ihemeje, who finished fifth at both the World Championships in Eugene 2022 with 17.17m and at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow 2024 with 16.90m.

Men’s shot put:

Leonardo Fabbri has broken the 22 metres barrier in five consecutive meetings this year. After winning the world indoor bronze medal in Glasgow last March, the 27-year-old Italian shot put star started the outdoor season with a PB of 22.88m in Modena on 1 May. Two weeks later Fabbri threw 22.95m at the Memorial Giulio Ottolia in Savona breaking Alessandro Andrei’s long standing Italian outdoor record which dated back to 1987. Fabbri followed up his record with three more wins in Lucca (22.59m), Asti (22.91m) and Ostrava (22.40m). He produced a total of 13 throws over the 22 metres barrier in these five competitions.

Fabbri moved up to fifth in the world all-time list behind US shot putters Ryan Crouser (23.56m), Joe Kovacs (23.23m), Randy Barnes (23.12m) and East Germany’s Ulf Timmermann (23.06m). Fabbri is currently second in the European all-list just 11 cm behind Timmerman’s European record set in 1988.

Andrei set the Italian record with 22.91m in Viareggio in 1987 a few weeks before winning the world silver medal in the Olympic Stadium in Rome.

Leonardo Fabbri: “After the Italian record in Savona I saw my coach Paolo Dal Soglio cry and I cried too. Crazy stuff. For me Alessandro Andrei means everything. If I am here, it’s thanks to him. He has always been my role model. Breaking his record is like a dream come true. I started to compete in shot put when I was 12 years old. Many people have made comparisons between me and Andrei, with the performances he did as a child, with those he did as an adult, and I have always tried to match him. After the World Indoor Championships I met Alessandro and I had a dinner with him in Florence. In many things I have succeeded and I am proud of that because for me he is like a divinity. There is still one medal separating us, let’s see if in two months at the Olympic Games in Paris I can get close to him. I have thrown more than him but Alessandro Andrei will forever remain in the history of Italian sport for what he has done.

Fabbri will go head-to-head against his friend and training partner Zane Weir, who won the European indoor title in Istanbul 2023 with the previous Italian indoor record of 22.06m. Fabbri improved this record by throwing 22.37m in Liévin last February. Weir, who set a lifetime best of 22.44m in Padua last September, injured his ankle in training last May, but he announced on social media that he is recovering well and is ready to compete in Rome.

Reigning European outdoor champion Filip Mihaljevic will defend his title two years after his victory in Munich. The Croatian athlete opened his summer season with 21.71m in Slovenska Bistrika, missing his national record by just 23 cm.

The other potential candidates for a medal are Bob Bertemes from Luxemburg, who set his indoor seasonal best of 21.71m last January and holds a PB of 22.22m, Scott Lincoln from Great Britain, who improved his PB to 21.31m in Ostrava, and Tomas Stanek from Czech Republic, European bronze medallist in Munich 2022.

Men’s discus throw:

The 70-metres barrier could be broken for the first time in the history of the European Championships in the men’s discus throw.

Lithuanian star Mykolas Alekna set the championships record with 69.78m at the age of 19 in Munich 2022 beating Kristjan Ceh. The son of two-time Olympic champion Virgilius Alekna became the youngest ever gold medallist in a throwing event. Alekna broke the long-standing men’s world record with 74.35m in Ramona (Oklahoma) in wind favourable conditions. The previous record had been held by East German thrower Jurgen Schult since 1986 with 74.08m. Mykolas won three Diamond League competitions this year in Marrakesh (70.70m), Oslo (70.91m) and Stockolm (68.64m). He will be looking to follow in the footsteps of his father Virgilius Alekna, who won the European gold medal in Gothenburg 2006.

Mykolas will be joined by his brother Martynas, who holds a seasonal best of 66.59m.

Alekna will go head-to-head against Olympic and world champion Daniel Stahl from Sweden, who is aiming to win his first European title to complete the full set of medals at major championships. Stahl won the world gold medal in Budapest last year with 71.46m beating Ceh (70.02m in one of the best competitions ever in the history of the World Championships.

Ceh set the European Championships record in the qualifying round in Munich with 69.06m before winning the silver medal in the final with 68.96m. The Slovenian thrower also won the world title in Eugene 2022 with 71.13m. He set a seasonal best of 70.46m in the Doha Diamond League meeting.

The other athletes to follow are Olympic bronze medalist Lukas Weisshaidinger from Austria, who set a seasonal best of 69.04m in Schwechat, Henrik Jansen from Germany, who set a PB of 67.43m in Neubrandenburg this year, Mika Sosna from Germany, who won the world under 20 silver medal in Cali 2022 and set a PB of 68.96m in Ramona on 14 April, and Alin Firfirica from Romania, fourth at the World Championships in Doha 2019.

Men’s javelin throw:

Julian Weber won the European gold medal in Munich 2022 in front of his home fans. The German thrower will be looking to defend his title against European silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch in a re-match of the European Championships in Munich.

Valdejch won the Doha Diamond League competition with 88.38m. Weber set the third best performance in the world in Rehlingen with 88.37m and won in Ostrava with 87.26m beating Vadlejch.

The next generation is represented by 19-year-old German thrower Max Dehning, who improved Steve Backley’s European under 23 record with a world leading mark of 90.20m this year, Hungary’s Gyorgy Herczeg (European under 20 gold medallist in Jerusalem 2023) and Artur Felfner from the Ukraine (world under 20 champion in Cali 2022 and European under 23 champion in Espoo 2023).

Men’s hammer throw:

Reigning Olympic and European champion Wojciech Nowicki will clash against five-time world champion Pawel Fajdek and Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan, who leads the world seasonal list with 80.76m. The Ukraine thrower is chasing his first European senior title after winning gold medals at under 18, under 20 and under 23 level.

Hungary’s Bence Halacz is aiming to add another major championships medal after finishing third at the World Championships in Budapest on home soil last year.

French hopes is carried by Yann Chaussinand, who improved his PB to 79.88m at the recent Tomblaine meeting near Nancy beating Nowicki and Fajdek.

Men’s 10000 metres:

Andreas Almgren from Sweden set the second fastest time in history in Europe in the 10000 metres with his national record of 26:52.87 at San Juan Capistrano (California) last March. Almgren finished fourth in the 3000 metres in Stockolm last Sunday.

Yeman Crippa from Italy will chase his second consecutive European 10000 metres title in front of his home fans two years after his triumph in Munich. It could be Crippa’s second race at these championships, as he is also planning to compete in the half marathon. Crippa set Italian records over all distances from 3000 metres to the marathon. Last February he broke the Italian marathon record of 2:06:06 in Seville last February.

The French team will feature last year’s European cross country champion Yann Schrub and Jimmy Gressier, who finished third and fourth at the 2022 European Championships in Munich. Gressier improved the French record to 12:54.97 in Munich last week.

Men’s 800 metres

Romanian-born Catalin Tecuceanu carries the Italian hopes for a medal. Tecuceanu, who grew up near Padua and became eligible to represent Italy in 2021, won at the Memorial Kusocinski in Chorzow in 1:44.22 and improved his PB to 1:44.01 at the Grifone Meeting in Asti setting the fastest time in Europe this year.

Tecuceanu will go head-to-head against European under 23 champion Yanis Meziane from France, who set a seasonal best of 1:44.13 in Rabat and ran a PB of 1:43.94 last year, and the other Frenchman Gabriel Tual, who finished eighth in the Olympic final in Tokyo and set a PB of 1:44.23 in Paris in 2022.

Elliot Giles from Great Britain is chasing his second European medal eight years after claiming the bronze medal in in Amsterdam 2016.

The other athletes to watch are Adrian Ben from Spain, European indoor gold medallist in Istanbul 2023, and Mark English from Ireland, two-time European bronze medallist in 2014 and 2022.

Men’s decathlon:

Nicklas Kaul will defend his title two years after his win in Munich 2022 in front of his home fans. The German athlete was down in seventh place with two events remaining, but he produced his comeback with a European Championships record of 76.05m in the javelin throw in his favourite event. He then overhauled competition leader Simon Ehammer with his PB of 4:10.04 in the 1500 metres. Kaul also won the world gold medal in Doha 2019 with his lifetime best of 8691 points.

Nicklas Kaul: “The noise was just crazy. It nearly blew my ears off. Winning here like this means much more to me than my world title in Doha”.

Germany will be represented by four decathletes Manuel Eitel, Tim Novak and Felix Wolter, as Kaul receives the wild card as defending champion.

The Norwegian hopes for a medal are carried by Markus Rooth and Sander Skotheim, who won gold and silver at the European under 23 Championships in Espoo last year with 8606 and 8590 points. Skotheim also won the European indoor silver medal in Istanbul 2023 with 6318 points in the heptathlon.

The strong Estonian team is formed by Johannes Erm, world indoor bronze medallist in Glasgow last March, Risto Lillemets, third at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023 and Janek Oiglane, European bronze medallist in Munich 2022.

Frenchman Kevin Mayer, two-time world champion in London 2017 and Eugene 2022, will have the last chance to qualify for the Olympic Games on home soil in Paris, as he still does not have the qualifying standard less than a month before the qualifying window closes. Mayer recorded three fouls in the long jump at the European Championships in Berlin 2018, but he came back one month later at the Decastar meeting in Talence, where he broke the world record with 9126 points.

Men’s 3000 metres steeplechase:

Topi Raitanen from Finland will defend his European title two years after his triumph in Munich 2022. The Finnish athlete ran a seasonal best of 8:21.00 in Karlsruhe last May. He will face Spain’s Daniel Arce, who set the fastest time in Europe this year with 8:12.28 at the Diamond League meeting in Marrakesh.

The other medal contenders are Frenchmen Djilani Bedrani and Alexis Miellet, who are ranked second and third in the European seasonal list with 8:13.73 and 8:14.71.

Osama Zoghlami will carry the hopes of Italian fans two years after winning the European bronze medal in Munich. Italy will be also represented by Yassin Bouih, who holds a seasonal best of 8:18.37.

Another athlete to watch is Nahuel Carabana from Andorra, who improved his national record to 8:16.04 this year.