European Athletics Championships: Hunt Completes Sprint Double as Čeh Smashes Championship Record

Amy Hunt completed a brilliant sprint double, while Mark English finally captured his first European outdoor title on a dramatic fourth day  (Thursday, August 13) of finals at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Gesa Felicitas Krause claimed her third 3000m steeplechase crown, Angelica Moser soared to pole vault gold, Leo Neugebauer won a closely contested decathlon, and Kristjan Čeh successfully defended his discus title with a championship record.

Hunt completes brilliant sprint double

Great Britain’s Amy Hunt confirmed her status as one of the championships’ biggest stars by winning the women’s 200 metres in a European-leading 22.19, following her 100m triumph on Monday. Rhasidat Adeleke took silver in an Irish record of 22.28, while Dina Asher-Smith—the European 200m champion in 2016 and 2018 and world champion in 2019—claimed bronze in 22.29. It was the ninth European Championships medal of Asher-Smith’s career.

Amy Hunt: "I am only 50% through as I have set out for the full set of four golds. Now I am incredibly excited for the relays because I get to do them and have so much fun with my friends."

Dina Asher Smith: "Any medal is a medal and I'm proud to get my ninth European medal. It is ten years since winning my first gold in the 200m in 2016 and it is an achievement to be here again. It says a lot to keep coming back year after year and performing, irrespective of what's going on in your life. I am competitive so will always want more from myself."*

English finally claims European 800m gold

More than a decade after winning his first European medal, Mark English finally reached the top of the podium in the men’s 800m.

The Irishman remained composed through slow  (53.7) and a tightly packed opening lap before timing his finishing surge perfectly. English came through strongly in the home straight to win in 1:45.26, securing his first European outdoor title after taking bronze in 2014 and 2022.

The victory capped a superb season for the 33-year-old, who lowered the Irish record to 1:42.97 in London last month.

Croatia’s Marino Bloudek took silver in 1:45.62, while 2024 runner-up Mohamed Attaoui earned another European medal for Spain with bronze in 1:45.71.

Mark English: "I do not even know how I feel to be honest. I think mostly I am relieved after so many silver and bronze finishes to have finally secured the gold. I did not want to finish my career without it. I was so relieved at the line I did not know what to do. I had dreamt about it but you never know whether it would become real. The championship record yesterday was great but this is what I really came for."

Čeh retains discus crown with championship record

Kristjan Čeh successfully defended his European discus title with a dominant performance highlighted by a championship record of 72.51m.

The Slovenian broke the previous championship record twice during the final. He opened with 70.83m before improving dramatically to 72.51m in the third round, putting the competition beyond the reach of his rivals.

World record-holder Mykolas Alekna took silver for Lithuania with 69.89m, while Germany’s Henrik Janssen produced a season’s-best 69.53m to earn bronze.

Three-time world champion Daniel Ståhl finished outside the medals in fourth place with 68.22m.

Kristjan Ceh: “I am not surprised. I was expecting this. I knew what I could do from training - that I can throw very, very far, even the national record. I was expecting throws on such a level. It was a very exciting competition. I would say this was the competition with the highest level there has been in the history of these championships. We had perfect conditions for the discus, a perfect circle and everybody just had great throws. When you throw alongside these guys it is like another boost. I have a lot of respect for my opponents. I know them well and I know that they are capable of throwing long distances. My wife was crying with happiness when I saw here in the crowd. We have done some great work this year. But she will surely tell me that there were some reserves in my throws at 72m - it was not a perfect one. Maybe after two days we will have a technical analysis.”

Neugebauer holds off Kaul for decathlon title

Leo Neugebauer became European decathlon champion after holding off a tremendous final-day challenge from compatriot Niklas Kaul.

The reigning world champion and Olympic silver medallist accumulated 8611 points across the two-day competition, finishing only 38 points ahead of Kaul, the 2022 European champion.

Neugebauer built his advantage through a series of powerful performances, including 17.13m in the shot put, 7.82m in the long jump and 54.31m in the discus. He then did enough in the concluding 1500m to preserve his narrow lead.

Kaul finished with a season’s-best 8573 points to complete a German one-two, while Norway’s Sander Skotheim took bronze with a season’s-best total of 8433.

Jeff Tesselaar produced a fast 1500m and finished fourth with a personal-best 8378 points, narrowly missing the podium.

Leo Neugebauer: “It means the world. Is my first Europeans and to come out with a gold - it couldn't have gone better. Decathlon is never easy and this one was especially hard, but in this discipline (decathlon), you know there will be ups and downs. It was quite chaotic to be very honest, even though I had quite a lead going into the last 1500m. I knew everything could happen in that 1500m and I gave it my everything to stay in touch and finish first”.

Derkach produces career-best jump for gold

Dariya Derkach saved her best performance for the fourth round of the women’s triple jump final, soaring to a personal best and European lead of 14.60m.

The Italian had been in control since opening with a wind-assisted 14.53m, but strengthened her grip on the competition when she produced the best legal jump of her career.

Belgium’s Saliyya Guisse secured silver with 14.46m, while Aleksandra Nacheva earned bronze for Bulgaria with a best effort of 14.40m.

Čeh arrived in Birmingham as the defending champion and left with another European title—as well as a championship record more than three metres beyond the mark that had stood at the beginning of the evening.

Women's Pole Vault Final

Angelica Moser delivered a perfect performance through 4.80m to capture the European women’s pole vault title.

The Swiss star cleared every height from 4.45m to 4.80m on her first attempt, with her winning clearance matching her season’s best. With the gold medal secured, she raised the bar to 4.85m but was unable to clear it.

Finland’s Wilma Heltelä claimed silver with 4.75m, while France’s Marie-Julie Bonnin completed the podium with 4.70m.

Former Olympic, world and European champion Ekaterini Stefanidi cleared 4.60m at the third attempt to finish sixth. 

Women's 3000m Steeplechase Final

Gesa Felicitas Krause added another chapter to her remarkable European Championships career by winning a dramatic women’s 3000m steeplechase final in 9:12.69. It is a third European 3000m steeplechase title for Krause, who adds Birmingham 2026 to her previous victories in 2016 and 2018.

Krause, Lea Meyer and defending champion Alice Finot traded the lead during the closing stages before the race changed dramatically at the final water jump. Meyer fell while still firmly in medal contention and, although she recovered quickly, ultimately had to settle for fourth place.

Krause took full advantage, powering clear over the closing metres to secure another European crown. Finot claimed silver for France with a season’s-best 9:14.24, while Germany’s Olivia Gürth completed the podium in a season’s-best 9:15.33.

Gesa Felicitas Krause: “I'm so delighted. It's been an amazing night. I am so happy with gold again eight years since Berlin. It's been a long time, a long journey. Moments like these are what you fight for. I love the ups and downs (in the sport) because they make you great.

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Day 4 Heats, Qualification and Semi-Final Report

Women’s 800 metres semifinals

World world leader Audrey Werro was leading after taking the field through 400m in 58.8. She held the inside line through the 600m mark in 1:28.52 before she tripped and took a tumble after appearing to be accidentally clipped. Gabija Galvydite was also involved in the incident. Jemma Reekie came through to win the semifinal in 1:58.61 ahead of French record holder Anais Bourgoin (1:58.84) and Veronica Vancardo (1:59.14). Werro got up and jogged across the finish line in 2:35.35. This is not the first time that Werro has fallen in a major event. She fell in the final of the European indoor Championships in Apeldoorn in March 2025. 

After the race, Werro and Gabija Galvydytė were reinstated following the incident in the opening semifinal. As a result, ten athletes rather than the originally scheduled eight will line up in Friday’s final.

Audrey Werro: “It's such a shame what happened as I'm in really good shape. I really don't know what happened. I will watch it on the video but I can't really explain it. This is the reason why. I finished the race and it's always important to go until the end. Now we will see what happens”

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson controlled the second semifinal from the front and claimed the win in 1:57.38. Femke Bol Broeders finished just eight hundredths of a second behind in 1:57.46. Eloisa Coiro claimed the third automatic qualifying spot in 1:57.74 after breaking Gabriella Dorio’s 46-year-old Italian record with 1:57.56 in the heats. Valentina Rosamilia from Switzerland and Clara Liberman from France advanced to the final as the fastest non-automatic qualifiers with 1:58.16 and 1:58.19 In the second semifinal.

Keely Hodgkinson: I hope Audrey Werro is OK and she'll be in the final tomorrow.  I was happy simply to get through another 1:57 race safely: I am looking forward to running a clean, competitive final.

Femke Bol Broeders: “The technical part is still quite new for me but I am happy to make it through. One of the reasons I love the 800m is because I love to race”.

Men’s 200 metres semifinals

Eseosa Desalu from Italy won the first semifinal equalling his PB with 20.08, beating Oskars Grava from Latvia (20.27) and German record holder Josha Hartmann (20.36)

Zharnel Hughes won the second semifinal in 20.05, missing his season’s best by just one hundredth of a second. Defending European champion Timothé Mumenthaler from Switzerland set a PB of 20.09. Delvis Santos from Portugal improved his lifetime best to 20.23.

Owen Ansah from Germany won the third semifinal setting the fastest time across the three semifinals with 20.04. William Reais placed second in 20.35. Nineteen-year-old Italian champion Filippo Dezza clocked the same time improving his PB to 20.35 to clinch one of the two non-automatic qualifying spots on time. 

Riku Illuka from Finland set a national record with 20.38 but he missed out on the final. 

Men’s 200 metres heats

German record holder Joshua Hartmann claimed the win in the first heat with 20.61. Norway’s Kenny Emi Tijani Ajayi finished second in a PB of 20.70 edging Lithuania’s Gadiminas Truskauskas (20.72)

Italian champion Filippo Dezza led the qualifying round with 20.60 on his debut at these championships at the age of 19.  

Portugal’s Delvis Santos won the third heat in 20.70 ahead of Italy’s Eduardo Longobardi (20.91) and Andreas Ofstad Kulseng (21.05). 

The highest-ranked athletes have been pre-seeded into the semifinals.

Women’s high jump

Fifteen women cleared 1.91m to qualify for the final. World record holder and Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Christina Honsel and Morgan Lake, Iryna Gerashchenko, Elena Kulichenko, Angelina Topic and Marta Zodzik had a clean sheet clearing all heights until 1.91m on their first attempts to qualify safely for the final. Kulichenko, Karmen Bruus, Merel Maes, Asia Tavernini, Idea Pieroni, Ella Junnila and Morgan Lake set their season’s best marks at 1.91m to advance to the final.  

Women’s 400 metres semifinals

Lieke Klaver won the first women’s 400 metres semifinal in 49.71, just 13 hundredths of a second shy of her season’s best of 49.58. Yemi Mary John from Great Britain took the second automatic spot in 50.33. Isabelle Black from France finished third in 50.7. Black is the daughter of British star Roger Black (Olympic silver medallist in Atlanta 1996 and world silver medallist in Tokyo 1991 in Tokyo 1991 and French sprinter Elisa Devassoigne,.

European champion Natalia Bukowiecka from Poland stormed to a win in the second semifinal in a season’s best of 49.57, the fastest qualifying time. Bukowiecka set the fastest time ever recorded in a semifinal in European Athletics Championships history. Gloria Lurdes Manuel from Czechia, fourth in the European Championships final in Rome in 2024 at the age of 18, finished second breaking the 50 seconds barrier with 49.81. Charlotte Henrich from Great Britain took third place in 50.51. Myrte Van der Schoot finished fourth improving her PB to 50.75. 

Norwegian record holder Henriette Jaeger won the third semifinal in 49.80. Jaeger anchored Norway to gold in the mixed 4x400 relay. Amber Anning from Great Britain clinched the second automatic spot in a season’s best of 49.96. Paula Sevilla from Spain and Helena Ponette from Belgium improved their PBs to 50.21 and 50.31 to secure the two non-automatic qualifying spots. 

Lieke Klaver: "I'm feeling good, a bit hot. In the final, I need to run a good race then we can see what the result is. Right now I'm feeling good. I'm Dutch so the weather doesn't bother me - we know snow, rain, wind, thunder, sun and heatwaves. So I'm prepared for anything."

Men’s javelin throw

Julian Weber from Germany, European champion in Munich 2022, led the qualifying round with 84.02m in his first attempt. His compatriot Nick Thumm qualified with the second best mark with 83.49m ahead of Dawid Wegner from Poland (82.40m). 

Men’s 3000 metres steeplechase heats

Osama Zoghlami from Italy, European silver medallist in Munich 2022, came through to win the first heat in the men’s 3000 metres steeplechase in 8:34.52. Nicolas Marie Daru from France finished 0.08 behind in 8:34.60. European record holder Frederick Ruppert from Germany safely advanced to the final in 8:35.46. 

Daniel Arce came through to take the win in the second heat in 8:34.47 ahead of Norway’s Remy Shyns (8:34.69), France’s Baptiste Fourmont (8:34.64) and Luxembourg’s Ruben Querinjean (8:35.07). Leo Magnusson from Sweden (8:35.12), Karl Bebendorf from Germany (8:35.26) and Italian athletes Yassin Bouih (8:36.25) and Ala Zoghlami (8:36.52) completed the eight automatic qualifiers.