Mihambo's World-Leading 7.22m Leap Highlights Final Day at European Championships

Posted by: Watch Athletics

At the European Championships in Rome on Tuesday night, Germany's Malaika Mihambo captivated the audience with a world-leading leap of 7.22m, clinching the gold in the women's long jump. Her phenomenal performance was the pinnacle of the championship's final day, which also saw a host of other remarkable feats. Noteworthy among them was Jakub Vadlejch's last-ditch throw of 88.65m to secure the javelin gold, Jakob Ingebrigtsen setting a new championship record in the 1500m, and Armand Duplantis soaring to his third consecutive European outdoor gold in pole vaulting. Here's our detailed event-by-event breakdown from the climactic final day of the European Championships.

Women’s long jump: 

Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo from Germany set the world leading mark of 7.22m in the second round into a headwind of -1.4 m/s achieving the third best ever mark in the history of the  European Championships behind Heike Drechsler’s 7.30m in Split 1990 an 7.27m in Stuttgart in 1986. It was the longest winning mark at the European Championships this century. Mihambo set the second best mark of her career after her PB of 7.30m at the World Championships in Doha 2019. The. German lomg jumper regained the title she last won in Berlin 2018 on home soil. Mihambo showed her good form when she leapt to 7.03n un the qualifying round. 

Larissa Iapichino started her competition with 6.82m in the first round and improved to 6.84m in the second round, 6.86m in the third round and 6.90m in the fourth round before moving into silver medal position with 6.94m in the final round. Iapichino missed her outdoor PB by one cm. 

Both Agathe De Sousa from Portugal and Mikaelle Assani from Germany jumped 6.91m, but the Portuguese jumper won the bronze medal on countback by virtue of her second best jump of her second best jump of 6.87m. 

Hillary Kpatcha from France placed fifth with 6.88m ahead of Annik Kaelin from Switzerland (6.82m) and 2022 World under 20 champion Plamena Mitkova from Bulgaria (6.80m) in a high quality competition.  

Malaika Mihambo: “This is madness. I have goosebumps. The 7.22m was close to a perfect jump. I hit the board well, but the headwind was disturbing, so the result could have been better. We never know how this will continue."

Men's Pole Vault:

Armand Mondo Duplantis won his third consecutive European outdoor gold medal setting a championships record of 6.10m. 

Duplantis had a clean sheet at 5.65m, 5.82m, 5.92m and  5.97m. He skipped straight to 6.10m and cleared it at the first time of asking. Duplantis failed three attempts at the world record mark of 6.25m, when the rest of the of the programme had concluded. He grazed the bar on  the way down on his first attempt at the world record attempt. 

Duplantis cleared the 6 metres barrier for the 82nd time in his career.

Armand Duplantis: “I felt really good. The main goal was to go out there and to win, take home my third gold. I am very satisfied with the height. I did not really think the world record today. It was not part of the plan. After the 6.10m, there was just too much energy there, I looked at my parents and we had the same idea, we were like  “it’s just fun, so why not. I cannot complain. You need a great team and you have trust in them, I trust my parents, they led me and guided me to where I am today. It is such a special relationship we have We find a good balance also. We love pole vault so much. It is always super special to have there here."

Emmanouil Karalis from Greece improved his PB to 5.87m to win the silver medal. Ersu Sasma from Turkey and Oleg Zernikel shared the bronze medal with 5.82 beating Thibaut Collet on countback.

Men’s 1500 metres:

Jakob Ingebrigtsen won his sixth European outdoor gold medal completing his third consecutive double in the 1600m and 5000m at these Championships. 

Ingebrigtsen went to the lead at 650 metres. Neil Gourley ran on Ingebrigtsen’s shoulder along with Federico Riva. The rest of the field was not far behind in 1:55.9. Ingebrigtsen pulled away and led by around a metre at the bell. 

Ingebrigtsen pulled away in the home straight in a championships record of 3:31.05. The Norwegian athlete becomes the most decorated male athlete in championship history. 

Jakob Ingebrigtsen: “I am satisfied with these championships. I might not have had too many races going into this but now I have got the good anwers. I feel pretty good in today’s warm-up but you never know what to expect”

Vochem Vermeulen from Belgium took silver medal in 3:33.30 edging Italian record holder Pietro Arese, who won his first international medal in 3:33.34 following his fourth place in Munich in 2022. 

Men’s 4x100 relay: 

The Italian 4x100 team formed by Matteo Melluzzo, Marcell Jacobs, Lorenzo Patta and Filippo Tortu won the men’s 4x100 relay in 37.82, setting the fastest European time of the season. Italy clinched their first ever gold medal in the men’s 4x100. Their previous best results were two silver medals in 1974 and 2010. 

Tortu brought the baton home repeating the achievement of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Italy won the 11th gold medal of these championships to top the medal table with a total of 24 medals, improving the previous best by a championship host, achieved by Germany in Berlin 2018. 

Women’s 4x100 relay: 

The British team formed by Dina Asher Smith, Desirée Henry, Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita won the gold medal in the women’s 4x100 relay in a European leading time of 41.91 beating France (42.15) and the Netherlands (42.46). The British team clocked the fastest time in the heat. They bounced back from the disappointment in Munich 2022, where were unable to get the baton round. 

Daryl Neita brought the baton home for Great Britain in the fastest time in Europe this season. Switzerland crossed the finish-line in fourth place but they were later disqualified as Sarah Atch relinquished the baton just metres before crossing the finish-line. 

Women’s 800 metres: 

Keely Hodgkinson from Great Britain won a back-to-back European outdoor in 1:58.65 with a gun-to tape race two years after her triumph in Munich 2022. Hodgkinson controlled the race from the start  and led the field at the bell in 58.51. The British athlete held on to win the title ahead of Tatjana Gajanova from Slovakia (1:58.79) and France’s Anais Bourgoin (1:59.30). 

Men’s javelin throw: 

Jakub Vadlejch speared to 88.65m to win his first major championship title in the men’s javelin after claiming silver medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and at the European Championships in Munich 2022. 

Defending champion Julian Weber from Germany took the early lead with 85.94m in the first round and maintained the first place until the sixth round, when Vadlejch set a seasonal best of 88.65m in the final attempt of the competition. Oliver Helander from Finland took the bronze medal with 85.75m. 

Jakub Vadlejch: “My dreams came trued today I suffered quite a lot during the whole competition. I knew I was in shape., but it just did not click. It was really the last attempt that everything just came together enhanced by the support of this crazy crowd. It is the most I could wish for. I knew it well that I only improve one small detail, the throw would go much further. After the competition julian Weber and told me: ‘You should have thrown it earlier, Don’t do it again please.”

Women’s 4x400 relay: 

The Netherlands retained their women’s 4x400 relay title from Munich 2022.

Lieke Klaver took the Dutch team through the first leg in the leg and handed over to European 400 metres hurdles silver medallist Cathelijn Peeters. Rhasidat Adeleke took Ireland into the lead going in the third leg. Femke Bol clashed against Rhasidat Adeleke in the final leg. Bol took over in the lead at the bell. Bolt cruised through in the 300 metres, The rest of the field caught up to Bol, but the Dutch athlete picked up the pace in the home straight to clinch gold in 3: 22.39 one year after their win at the World Championships in Budapest. The Irish team won the silver medal improving the  national record by two seconds to 3:22.71 ahead of Belgium (3:22.95). Sharlene Mawdsley ran her leg in 49.84. Italy took fourth place setting a national record of 3:23.40. 

Femke Bol: “I think I am falling in love even more with Italy after this Championships. I wanted to give  all my own for our team and we took this amazing victory. I feel a lot of enthusiasm. My teammates did a great job and I made sure to complete the job.”

Men’s 4x400 relay: 

Belgium won the men’s 4x400 relay upgrading the silver medal from the previous edition in Munich 2022. Alexander Doom anchored the Belgian team with a split in 43.88 to win in 2:59.84. Italy won the silver medal in 3:00.81 with a final leg of Edoardo Scotti in 44.46 following legs by Luca Sito (45.13), Vladimir Aceti (45.35) and. Eiccardo Meli (45.87). 

Italy held off Germany by 0.01. German anchorman Emil Agyekum ran the final leg in 44.04. 

Men’s 10000 metres: 

Dominic Lobalu from Switzerland won the gold medal in 28:00.32 reaching his second podium at these championships following his third place in the 5000 metres. 

Yann Schrub from France, who won gold at the European Cross Country Championships last December in Brussels, took silver medal in 28:00.46 ahead of Thierry Ndikumenayo from Spain (28:00.96). 

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