Diaz Shines with World-Leading Leap; Iapichino, Klaver, Moser Highlight European Indoor Champs Day 3
Day three of the European Athletics Indoor Championships on Saturday, March 9, in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, delivered spectacular performances, highlighted by world-leading marks and emotional victories. Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez soared to triple jump glory, Angelica Moser reclaimed her European pole vault crown, and Larissa Iapichino matched her mother's legacy in the long jump.
Men’s Triple Jump
Olympic bronze medallist Andy Diaz Hernandez delivered his best jump in the fifth round, setting a world-leading mark of 17.71m. Diaz narrowly missed breaking his coach Fabrizio Donato’s Italian indoor record by just two centimeters. Germany's Max Hess claimed silver with a leap of 17.43m, marking his fifth consecutive European indoor medal after four bronze medals. Italy’s Andrea Dallavalle completed the podium with 17.19m.
Hess briefly improved his world lead by two centimeters in round one (17.43m), while Dallavalle opened with 17.00m before improving to 17.19m in round three. Diaz, starting modestly at 16.37m, elevated himself dramatically to third with 17.05m in round three before producing his decisive world-leading jump of 17.71m, just shy of his outdoor best (17.75m, Florence 2023).
Diaz expressed his satisfaction after the competition: “My goal was to offer a new medal to Italy. Thanks to my coach and team, I achieved it. But this is only the beginning. Next are the World Indoor Championships in China, Diamond League meets, and the Tokyo World Championships. Today, I was just 20 centimeters from the world record—that will be my motivation in training over the next weeks.”
Women’s Pole Vault:
Switzerland’s Angelica Moser cleared 4.80m to secure her second European indoor gold, replicating her 2021 triumph in Torun. Moser, who overcame injury challenges earlier in the season, held off Slovenia’s Tina Šutej (4.75m) and France’s Julie Marie Bonnin (4.70m), who earned her first senior major medal.
An elated Moser reflected, “This win feels amazing. The indoor season was tricky due to injuries, but my physios were incredible. It’s also their medal. Each European title has its own special story.”
Women’s Long Jump:
Italy’s Larissa Iapichino claimed her first senior European gold medal with a jump of 6.94m, two years after winning silver in Istanbul. She matched her mother Fiona May, who captured the European indoor title in Valencia 1998. Annik Kälin of Switzerland initially took the lead with a national indoor record of 6.90m but settled for silver. Germany’s Malaika Mihambo secured bronze (6.88m) in dramatic fashion on her final jump, edging Serbia’s Milica Gardasevic (6.75m).
An emotional Iapichino shared her thoughts: “I finally overcame many challenges. We switched back to my old run-up just a week ago, and it paid off. Beating my mother's winning mark by 3cm feels like a family victory. She always pushes me to surpass her achievements.”
Men’s High Jump:
Ukraine’s Oleg Doroshchuk clinched gold with a personal-best clearance of 2.34m, marking Ukraine’s first-ever European indoor men's high jump title. Czechia’s Jan Štefela won silver with 2.29m, while Italy’s young talent Matteo Sioli secured bronze, his first senior medal.
Doroshchuk remarked, “Each jump felt perfect. Clearing 2.34m on my first attempt secured gold. It’s historic for Ukraine, and I’ll cherish this moment forever.”
Men’s 400m:
Hungary’s Attila Molnár ended a 40-year medal drought by clinching gold in 45.38, closely followed by Poland’s Maksymilian Szwed (45.31), who set a European U23 record. France’s Jimy Soudni secured bronze in 45.59.
Molnár celebrated his achievement, noting: “Winning Hungary’s first European indoor gold in 40 years is surreal. I overcame nerves to run one of my best races ever.”
Women’s 400m:
Local favorite Lieke Klaver thrilled the Dutch crowd, clinching the gold in a European-leading 50.38. She held off Norway’s Henriette Jaeger (50.44) and Spain’s Paula Sevilla, who equaled her national record in 50.99.
Klaver shared her excitement: “I kept calm and raced hard to avoid being passed. Imagining Femke Bol running in front motivated me throughout. This gold is incredibly meaningful, especially with my family watching.”
Men’s Heptathlon:
Norway’s Sander Skotheim broke his own European indoor record, scoring 6,558 points to claim gold. Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer, who led entering the final event, secured silver with a strong performance. Germany’s Till Steinforth took bronze after a personal-best finish in the 1000m.
Skotheim summarized his victory, saying, “This weekend was about avoiding mistakes. Clearing 2.19m in high jump was thrilling. Finally securing gold after multiple silvers is amazing.”
Men’s 60m:
Britain’s Jeremiah Azu sprinted to victory in a European-leading 6.49 seconds, placing him among Europe's top 10 all-time. Sweden’s Henrik Larsson took silver (6.52), with fellow Brit Andrew Robinson claiming bronze (6.55).
Women’s and Men’s 800m Semifinals:
Audrey Werro (Switzerland) and Ryan Clarke (Netherlands) led their respective semifinal heats, setting up promising finals alongside impressive performances from Clara Liberman (France), Elvin Canales (Spain), and Elvin Canales, among others.
Women’s Shot Put Qualification:
Dutch star Jessica Schilder dominated qualifying, setting a championship-record 19.92m ahead of Olympic champion Yemisi Inchude (Germany). Schilder remarked, “Competing at home inspires me. I’m excited and ready for the final.”
Women’s and Men’s 3000m Heats:
Ireland’s Sarah Healy (8:55.35) and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen highlighted smooth qualifications, as favorites comfortably progressed to the finals.
This thrilling day set the stage for a captivating final day of competition, promising more unforgettable athletic moments in Apeldoorn.
