European Athletics Championships Day 4 Preview: Eight Titles on the Line in Birmingham
The 2026 European Athletics Championships continue at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on Thursday, August 13, with eight titles to be decided during a packed fourth day of competition.
The morning programme begins at 10:33 with the second day of the men’s decathlon, while qualification and preliminary rounds take place in the women’s high jump, men’s 200m, men’s 3000m steeplechase and men’s javelin. The women’s 800m and 400m also reach the semifinal stage.
The evening promises one of the busiest medal sessions of the championships. Titles will be decided in the women’s triple jump, women’s pole vault, women’s 3000m steeplechase and men’s discus before the decathlon concludes with the 1500m. The men’s 800m and women’s 200m finals will then bring the fourth day to a fast conclusion.
Men’s Decathlon – Day 2
The men’s decathlon resumes at 10:33 with the 110m hurdles before the athletes move to the discus at 11:20 and pole vault at 13:00.
The competition reaches its decisive stage in the evening, with the javelin beginning at 18:35 before the exhausting two-day contest concludes with the 1500m at 21:10.
Germany’s Leo Neugebauer entered Birmingham as one of the biggest names in the competition. The Olympic silver medallist and 2025 world champion will be looking to add a first European outdoor title to his collection.
Norway’s Sander Skotheim is another major contender, while Dutch rising star Jeff Tesselaar adds further quality to a competition in which the standings could change considerably during the technical events on Thursday.
Women’s High Jump – Qualification
Qualification in the women’s high jump begins at 10:55 with world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh starting her pursuit of a third consecutive European outdoor crown.
The Ukrainian won European titles in Munich 2022 and Rome 2024 and subsequently became Olympic champion in Paris. She also broke Stefka Kostadinova’s historic world record by clearing 2.10m in 2024.
Mahuchikh faces another strong European field in Birmingham. Serbia’s Angelina Topić has joined the two-metre club, while Poland’s Maria Żodzik won world silver in Tokyo after clearing 2.00m for the first time. Olympic bronze medallist Iryna Gerashchenko provides Ukraine with another major medal contender.
Thursday's first objective, however, will simply be to safely negotiate qualification and secure a place in the final.
Men’s 200m – Round 1 and Semifinals
The men’s 200m begins with the opening round at 11:05 before the qualifiers return for the semifinals at 20:05.
Great Britain will have major ambitions through Zharnel Hughes, who has already established himself as one of the finest European sprinters of his generation.
Defending champion Timothé Mumenthaler of Switzerland will attempt to retain the title he won in Rome 2024. Mumenthaler has run 20.31 this season after setting a Swiss record of 20.27 in 2025.
Germany’s Owen Ansah, Switzerland’s William Reais and Ireland’s Benjamin Richardson are among the other athletes capable of challenging for places in the final.
With two rounds taking place on Thursday, the leading contenders will need to balance qualification with conserving enough energy for the decisive race later in the championships.
Men’s 3000m Steeplechase – Round 1
The men’s 3000m steeplechase gets underway at 11:30.
France’s Djilali Bedrani brings extensive championship experience, while Germany’s Karl Bebendorf will be looking to build on the bronze medal he won at the previous European Championships in Rome.
Spain traditionally brings considerable strength to the steeplechase, while several emerging European athletes will look to take advantage of what can often be an unpredictable opening round.
With barriers, water jumps and tactical positioning all contributing to the difficulty of championship steeplechasing, avoiding trouble will be almost as important as raw speed in Thursday’s heats.
Women’s 800m – Semifinals
One of the most anticipated events of the championships reaches the semifinal stage at 12:10.
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson carries British hopes and will be looking to continue her pursuit of another European title in front of the home crowd.
Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, however, has demonstrated that Hodgkinson is far from unbeatable. Werro has enjoyed a sensational season and has run 1:53.80, having already defeated Hodgkinson in a high-quality race in Stockholm.
The intrigue is increased by Femke Bol Broeders, who has made a remarkable transition from the 400m hurdles to the 800m and has already run 1:55.60 over the two-lap distance.
France’s Anaïs Bourgoin and British runners Jemma Reekie and Isabelle Boffey add further depth to semifinals in which there will be little room for tactical mistakes.
Women’s 400m – Semifinals
The women’s 400m moves into the semifinals at 12:45.
Norway’s Henriette Jæger has emerged as one of the strongest European one-lap runners and entered Birmingham with a national record of 49.15.
Portugal’s Lurdes Gloria Manuel has also enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, lowering her national record to 49.37, while defending champion Natalia Bukowiecka brings proven championship experience after her triumph in Rome.
Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands and Britain’s Amber Anning are among the other major contenders looking to book their places in the final.
Men’s Javelin Throw – Qualification
The men’s javelin qualification begins at 13:48 with some of Europe’s biggest throwers beginning their campaigns.
Germany’s Julian Weber remains one of the continent’s leading performers, while Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is not part of the European field, leaving the battle for the continental title particularly open among Europe’s elite.
The Czech and German throwing traditions should again be strongly represented, with the first task for every contender being to avoid an early exit and secure a place in the final.
Women’s Triple Jump Final
The first individual title of Thursday evening will be decided in the women’s triple jump at 19:40.
Romania’s Diana Ana Maria Ion entered Birmingham at the top of the European seasonal list after improving her personal best to 14.56m. The European indoor silver medallist has continued to establish herself among the continent’s best triple jumpers.
Belgium’s Ilona Masson has made an enormous breakthrough to 14.52m, while Italy’s Dariya Derkach has reached 14.51m this season.
Another intriguing contender is Serbia’s Ivana Španović. Best known as one of the finest long jumpers of her generation, the former world champion has increasingly turned her attention to the triple jump and owns a personal best of 14.41m.
Italy’s Erika Saraceni, who has improved to 14.41m, is another athlete capable of challenging for the medals.
Women’s Pole Vault Final
The women’s pole vault title will be decided at 19:50 with defending champion Angelica Moser looking to retain her European crown.
Moser won in Rome 2024 by equalling her Swiss record at 4.78m and has since raised that national record to 4.88m. She has continued to perform consistently on the Diamond League circuit and entered Birmingham as one of the leading favourites.
Finland’s Wilma Heltelä, formerly Wilma Murto, knows what it takes to win this championship after taking European gold in Munich in 2022, while France’s Marie-Julie Bonnin has emerged as another serious threat after winning the 2025 world indoor title and improving the French record to 4.76m.
Greek superstar Aikaterini Stefanidi, a four-time European champion as well as a world and Olympic champion, will also be in the final. Although Stefanidi has not been at her best in recent seasons and is not considered among the leading podium contenders, her vast championship experience means she still has the potential to challenge the favourites and produce a surprise.
Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Final
Defending champion Alice Finot will attempt to retain her European 3000m steeplechase title at 20:29.
The French athlete won in Rome two years ago before producing a personal best of 8:58.67 to finish fourth at the Paris Olympics. Her championship experience makes her one of the leading contenders again in Birmingham.
Great Britain’s Elise Thorner has taken a major step forward, running 9:05.45 to win Commonwealth silver, while Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause remains one of the most decorated European steeplechasers of her generation.
Krause has already won European titles in 2018 and 2022 as well as two world bronze medals and has returned to strong form this season.
Germany’s Lea Meyer and Finland’s Ilona Mononen are among the other contenders in what should be a highly tactical final.
Men’s Discus Throw Final
The men’s discus title will be decided at 20:45, with Germany’s Steven Richter entering the championships following a remarkable breakthrough season.
Richter launched the discus 74.00m in Ramona in April, moving to fourth on the world all-time list and coming within just eight centimetres of the long-standing German record.
Great Britain’s Lawrence Okoye has also reached a new level, improving his national record to 71.88m before winning his fifth British title at Alexander Stadium.
The Netherlands’ Ruben Rolvink joined the 70-metre club this season with a Dutch record of 71.22m, adding another serious medal contender to a high-quality European field.
Decathlon Concludes With the 1500m
After two exhausting days and nine events, the European decathlon champion will be decided in the 1500m at 21:10.
By this point the points calculations will be crucial, with every second potentially determining positions on the podium.
The 1500m regularly provides one of the most dramatic spectacles of a combined-events championship, as athletes race not only against one another but also against the clock and the points required to secure their final position.
Men’s 800m Final
The men’s 800m final at 21:28 promises to be one of the highlights of Thursday night.
The event entered Birmingham with exceptional European depth. Ireland’s Mark English has run 1:42.97 this season, while Britain’s Max Burgin produced one of his finest performances when he defeated Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi in Rabat in 1:42.98.
Britain also has a major contender in world medallist Ben Pattison, while Spain’s Mohammed Attaoui and Italy’s Francesco Pernici entered the championships among the athletes capable of challenging for the podium.
After navigating the opening round and semifinals, the surviving eight athletes will finally race directly for European gold in what could be a fast and unpredictable two-lap final.
Women’s 200m Final Closes Day 4
Thursday concludes with the women’s 200m final at 21:50.
Great Britain will be hoping to challenge for another sprint title through Amy Hunt and Dina Asher-Smith.
Hunt has developed into one of Europe’s leading sprinters and brings major championship confidence, while Asher-Smith remains one of the continent’s most accomplished athletes with world and European titles already on her résumé.
After two rounds across Wednesday and Thursday, the finalists will meet for the medals in the last event of the night, bringing to a close a Day 4 programme packed with championship finals.
With the conclusion of the decathlon and seven additional individual finals, Thursday represents one of the most medal-heavy days of the championships, highlighted by the men’s 800m, women’s 200m, women’s pole vault and a potentially explosive men’s discus final.
