Ingebrigtsen Makes Golden Return as Schilder, Fabbri and Hunt Claim European Titles
Amy Hunt delighted the home crowd by winning the women’s 100m title on an action-packed opening day of the European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Jakob Ingebrigtsen made a triumphant return from Achilles surgery in the men’s 5000m, while Leonardo Fabbri and Jessica Schilder successfully defended their shot put crowns.
Women’s 100m final
Hunt claimed her first European 100m title in a close final, clocking 11.00 to beat Poland’s Ewa Swoboda in front of her home fans. Swoboda earned her second consecutive European silver medal in 11.02.
Belgium’s Delphine Nkansa won a surprise bronze in a personal best of 11.06, edging Switzerland’s Géraldine Di Tizio Frey (11.07). Defending champion Dina Asher-Smith finished fifth, equalling her season’s best of 11.10, ahead of Patrizia van der Weken (11.10) and world indoor champion Zaynab Dosso (11.12).
Hunt added the title to the world 200m silver medal she won in Tokyo in 2025, her Olympic 4x100m relay silver and the Commonwealth Games 100m silver she claimed in Glasgow at the end of July.
A Cambridge University graduate, Hunt is based in Padua, Italy, where she is coached by Marco Airale.
Amy Hunt: “I am so proud of myself. At the end of the day, it is all about getting the gold medal. As for the execution and how far back I was with 30 metres to go, I am not going to remember that in a few years’ time—just that I won a fabulous gold.
As I crossed the line, I could have screamed or cried. This win is incredibly special to me, with it being my first in the UK and at a track where I raced so much growing up. I won the English Schools title in this stadium, and so many people here today worked at those championships as officials and have known me throughout my development in athletics. It feels like a full-circle moment.
“I came here in 2022 for the Commonwealth Games to watch because I was on crutches. To now compete in front of a home crowd and experience that same feeling is special.”
Women’s 100m semifinals
Hunt stormed to victory in the first semifinal in 10.99, the third-fastest time of her career, to secure her place in the final. Van der Weken claimed the second automatic qualifying spot in 11.08. Asher-Smith set a season’s best of 11.10, while Salomé Kora finished fourth in 11.12. Germany’s Gina Lückenkemper, the 2022 European champion, placed fifth in 11.28.
Swiss champion Di Tizio Frey won the second semifinal in 11.02. Italy’s Dosso secured the other automatic qualifying place in 11.11 ahead of Great Britain’s Imani-Lara Lansiquot (11.16). Daryll Neita finished sixth in 11.34.
Swoboda won the third semifinal in 11.10, edging Nkansa, who was credited with the same time. Hungary’s Boglárka Takács finished in 11.20 but did not advance.
Women’s 100m heats
Hungarian record-holder Takács won the opening heat in a wind-assisted 10.93 (+3.2 m/s). Lansiquot also dipped under 11 seconds with 10.99, while Spain’s Isabel Pérez finished third in 11.11.
Belgium’s Rani Rosius won the second heat in a season’s best of 11.17. Finland’s Lotta Kemppinen also recorded a season’s best of 11.25, while Switzerland’s Natacha Kouni edged Greece’s Polyniki Emmanouilidou, with both athletes clocking 11.25.
Nkansa produced the fastest legal time of the round, equalling her personal best of 11.07 (+1.8 m/s) to win the third heat. Kora finished second in 11.19, while Italy’s Gloria Hooper equalled her PB with 11.24.
Men’s 5000m final
Jakob Ingebrigtsen claimed his fourth consecutive European 5000m title in 13:15.29 on his season debut following Achilles tendon surgery. It was the Norwegian’s first race since the World Championships in Tokyo in September 2025.
The victory gave Ingebrigtsen a seventh European outdoor title across the 1500m and 5000m. He completed his first double in Berlin in 2018 at the age of 17 and repeated the feat in Munich 2022 and Rome 2024.
World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier led at the bell, but Ingebrigtsen surged through over the final 100 metres to take gold after covering the last lap in 54.94. Germany’s Florian Bremm won silver in 13:15.60, with France’s Étienne Daguinos taking bronze in 13:16.09. Gressier had to settle for fourth.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen: “Coming from the lowest of lows to be European champion again means the world to me. Not even I believed it could happen coming here. Only with 600 metres to go did I know I would win. I doubted myself every day coming into this and every minute leading up to the last lap today, but I’m always hoping to do my best. I’ve tried my best, and the last three weeks went very smoothly.”
Men’s shot put final
Leonardo Fabbri won his second consecutive European outdoor title with 22.31m, two years after triumphing on home soil in Rome.
The Italian opened with 21.36m, improved to 21.78m in the second round and reached 22.31m in the third before recording three fouls. Each of his three valid throws would have been enough to win the competition. His 22.31m effort was the second-longest winning mark in European Championships history, behind the 22.45m he produced in Rome.
Fabbri’s training partner Zane Weir completed an Italian one-two with his opening-round throw of 21.12m. Sweden’s Wictor Petersson claimed bronze with 20.97m, overtaking Great Britain’s Scott Lincoln in the sixth round. Lincoln finished fourth with 20.81m.
Leonardo Fabbri: “I really wanted to throw 23 metres because I feel I am capable of it. It has been three years since I started throwing 23 metres in training, but I have not been able to produce it in competition. I told myself that I just wanted to win, whatever the result.
“Rome was special because I had my home crowd there and I was super confident. I never doubted myself or thought about losing. Today, I was scared. I did not enjoy it as much, so I would say that this one is better.”
Men’s shot put qualifying
Fabbri led qualifying with a first-round mark of 21.29m. Czechia’s Tomáš Staněk, the 2021 European indoor champion, produced the second-best mark with 20.66m, while Italy’s Nick Ponzio ranked third with 20.48m. Petersson advanced safely with 20.47m.
Women’s shot put final
Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands secured her third consecutive European outdoor title. She opened with 20.09m and saved her best for last, reaching 20.73m in the sixth round.
Jorinde van Klinken completed a Dutch one-two, improving her personal best by seven centimetres to 19.64m. Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye took bronze with 19.50m, recreating the podium from Rome 2024.
Sweden’s Fanny Roos finished fourth with 19.05m, ahead of Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo (19.05m) and Jéssica Inchude (18.97m).
Jessica Schilder: “I will never get tired of this feeling or bored of winning these medals. I had confidence coming into this competition that, even with an injured finger, I was capable of doing well. It was a little bit about battling and pushing through the pain today. Knowing that I will have some rest after this competition, I just went all out.
“It was an exciting final. I perhaps should not say this, but this was the easiest of my three European titles. There was quite a gap to the other competitors. After the 20.52m attempt, I felt confident and calm, knowing I would take the top spot and could build from there.
*“It’s amazing that the silver medal was also won by a Dutch athlete, Jorinde van Klinken, and that the podium was exactly the same as in 2024. We love competing with one another and pushing each other to a higher level. We are having fun, support each other and love each other.”
Women’s shot put qualifying
Seven women surpassed the automatic qualifying standard of 18.20m. Four of them—Schilder, Ogunleye, Axelina Johansson and Roos—achieved it on their opening attempts.
Olympic champion Ogunleye led the round with 19.25m, while world champion Schilder advanced comfortably with 19.00m.
Mixed 4x400m relay final
Norway’s Karsten Warholm, Amalie Iuel, Andreas Ofstad and Henriette Jæger won the mixed 4x400m relay in a championship record, European lead and national record of 3:09.62.
The Norwegian quartet held off Great Britain, who took silver in 3:10.47, while the Netherlands completed the podium with a season’s best of 3:10.77. Warholm clocked 44.50 on the opening leg, and Jæger anchored in 49.42.
Karsten Warholm: “This is my first relay medal at a major championship, so I am very happy and proud of my team. I think we did a very good job today and deserved to win. I really enjoyed working for the team, and this is a group I really like. I see their hard work every day, and you want to win for everyone, not just yourself. I am super proud that we got the chance and proud to bring it home.”*
Men’s long jump qualifying
Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou began his title defence with 7.73m after taking off 35 centimetres behind the board. He then sailed out to 8.26m in the second round to secure automatic qualification.
Tentoglou is targeting a record-equalling fourth European title after winning in Berlin 2018, Munich 2022 and Rome 2024. Another victory would match Heike Drechsler, who won four European women’s long jump titles between 1986 and 1998.
Miltiadis Tentoglou: “This was one of my best qualification marks after Paris 2024, so I’m happy. I wanted to do it on my first attempt, but the wind changed on me. I was just chilling; it was no big deal. It was a relaxed jump, and I like jumping 8.26m in a morning qualification.
“Tomorrow, I want to jump 8.50m or 8.60m and win. I’m good, so I should be able to. I have defended so many titles that I don’t feel pressure—I feel excited.”
Italian champion Francesco Inzoli led qualifying with a wind-assisted 8.34m (+3.1 m/s). His younger brother, Daniele Inzoli, had won the world under-20 title with 7.97m after improving his PB to 8.15m in qualifying in Eugene the previous weekend.
Serbia’s Luka Bošković set a national under-20 record with 8.04m before improving to a wind-assisted 8.33m (+2.4 m/s).
Spain’s Eusebio Cáceres reached a wind-assisted 8.24m (+3.1 m/s), while European indoor champion Bozhidar Saraboyukov also surpassed the automatic standard with 8.20m (+2.6 m/s). Jaime Guerra jumped 8.12m, world indoor heptathlon record-holder Simon Ehammer recorded 8.10m in the first round and world indoor champion Gerson Baldé advanced with 7.99m.
World champion Mattia Furlani missed the final after managing 7.73m. Competing for only the second time since suffering an injury at the Xiamen Diamond League, Furlani limped out of the sandpit clutching his right hamstring and left the track in a wheelchair after receiving medical assistance.
Sweden’s Thobias Montler missed the final by one centimetre, while Spain’s Lester Lescay advanced with 8.03m.
Women’s triple jump qualifying
European under-20 champion Erika Giorgia Saraceni of Italy led qualifying with a personal best of 14.50m, improving her previous best by nine centimetres.
Her compatriot Dariya Derkach produced the second-best mark with 14.42m, while France’s Ilona Masson advanced with the third-best jump of 14.35m. Germany’s Kira Wittmann set a PB of 14.26m.
Women’s 100m hurdles heats
Italian champion Celeste Polzonetti, runner-up at this year’s NCAA Championships, won the opening heat in 12.80, just 0.06 shy of her Italian under-23 record.
Denmark’s Ida Beiter Bomme finished second in 12.88 ahead of Norway’s Elea Norstad Bock (12.98).
Martine Kolbeinshawn Hjørnevik won the second heat in 12.82. Belgium’s Yaria Ndjip-Nyemeck finished second in 12.87 ahead of Denmark’s Mette Laugesen Kammer (12.92) and Italian record-holder Giada Carmassi (12.94).
Germany’s Rosina Schneider won the third heat in a personal best of 12.76. Denmark’s Annika Bæk Haldbo improved her PB to 12.94, while Switzerland’s Larissa Bertenyi finished third in 13.01, edging Italy’s Elena Carraro by four thousandths of a second.
Men’s 400m heats
Hungary’s Patrik Simon Enyingi won the opening heat in a season’s best of 44.87 ahead of Portugal’s Omar Elkhatib (45.49) and Poland’s Maksymilian Szwed (45.53).
France’s Yann Spillmann won the second heat in 45.54, followed by Ireland’s Jack Raftery (45.81) and Portugal’s João Coelho (46.06).
There were no automatic qualifying places within each heat. The 12 fastest athletes across the opening round joined 12 pre-qualified entrants in the semifinals.
Men’s 800m heats
Two-time European bronze medallist Mark English of Ireland advanced by winning the first heat in 1:46.96 ahead of Italian indoor champion and European under-23 bronze medallist Giovanni Lazzaro (1:47.53).
France’s Yanis Meziane won a faster second heat in 1:45.10 ahead of Spanish record-holder Mohamed Attaoui (1:45.26) and Poland’s Filip Ostrowski (1:45.35). Great Britain’s Ben Pattison advanced as the fastest non-automatic qualifier in 1:45.40.
Italian outdoor record-holder Francesco Pernici used front-running tactics to win the third heat in 1:45.31. France’s Corentin Le Clezio finished 0.12 behind in 1:45.43, while the Netherlands’ Ryan Clarke claimed the third automatic qualifying spot in 1:45.74.
Great Britain’s Max Burgin won the fourth and final heat in 1:45.80. Sweden’s Andreas Kramer followed in a season’s best of 1:46.05, with Alexander Stepanov third in 1:46.27. France’s Gabriel Tual missed an automatic place by 0.06 but progressed as one of the four fastest non-automatic qualifiers in 1:46.33.
Women’s 400m hurdles heats
Austria’s Lena Pressler was the only athlete to break 55 seconds in the opening round, clocking 54.97. Great Britain’s Lina Nielsen recorded the second-fastest time with 55.08, while Austria’s Anja Dlauhy won the final heat in 55.42.
Women’s hammer throw qualifying
Denmark’s Katrine Koch Jacobsen led qualifying with 72.62m. Finland’s Silja Kosonen and Krista Tervo advanced with 72.02m and 70.42m respectively, while defending champion Sara Fantini of Italy recorded the fourth-best mark with 70.51m.
Poland’s Anita Włodarczyk also progressed to the final with 68.70m.
Silja Kosonen: “I intend to throw far, and I want to win the gold medal. I have finished fourth or fifth so many times that I really want to get a medal. I think I am in very good shape, and I just want to do my best.”
Men’s hammer throw qualifying
Volodymyr Myslychuk and Olympic silver medallist Bence Halász were the only athletes to surpass the automatic qualifying standard of 78.00m.
Myslychuk led the round with 79.61m, just ahead of Halász’s 79.58m. French record-holder Yann Chaussinand produced the third-best mark with 77.45m.
Olympic bronze medallist Mykhaylo Kokhan advanced safely with 77.40m, while five-time world medallist Paweł Fajdek progressed in fifth with 77.35m. Defending champion Wojciech Nowicki did not reach the final.
Women’s 3000m steeplechase heats
Germany’s Lea Maye won the opening heat in 9:32.31 ahead of compatriot Gesa Felicitas Krause and France’s Flavie Renouard (9:32.77).
