Werro stuns Hodgkinson as Warholm, Tamberi and Battocletti strike gold in Birmingham
Audrey Werro produced one of the performances of the championships to defeat Keely Hodgkinson in a spectacular women’s 800m final, while Karsten Warholm shattered the championship record in the men’s 400m hurdles on a memorable fifth evening at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Gianmarco Tamberi captured his fourth outdoor European high jump crown, with Nadia Battocletti, Owen Ansah and Jorinde van Klinken also celebrating gold medals.
Werro delivers after semifinal drama
The eagerly anticipated women’s 800m final lived up to its billing as Audrey Werro delivered a remarkable front-running performance to defeat Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson.
Werro had fallen during the semifinals and only reached the medal race after being reinstated, but the Swiss youngster showed no signs of hesitation in the final. Taking control from the front, she held off Hodgkinson down the home straight to win in a championship record of 1:54.81.
Hodgkinson remained within striking distance throughout but had to settle for silver in 1:55.01. Femke Broeders-Bol capped her remarkable transition to the 800m by securing bronze in 1:55.54, equalling the Dutch national record.
The leading three were in a class of their own, finishing more than three seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
Audrey Werro: “I knew I could be European champion one day. I hope to become faster and faster next year. When I was a child, my dad used to tell me that I had to be a lion. I should not be shy and let other athletes go past me, so I decided to celebrate like that when I crossed the finish line.”
Keely Hodgkinson: “It was a great race and I gave it my all. Going into that last 100m, I really thought I could catch her, but sometimes you just don’t have enough, and that was the case today. Of course, I am very disappointed, but it was a fantastic race.”
- Audrey Werro – 1:54.81 CR
- Keely Hodgkinson – 1:55.01
- Femke Broeders-Bol – 1:55.54 =NR
Warholm demolishes championship record
Karsten Warholm produced another extraordinary championship performance to dominate the men’s 400m hurdles final.
The Norwegian powered away from the field and crossed the line in 46.63, breaking the championship record and finishing more than a second clear of his nearest challenger.
Germany’s Emil Agyekum secured silver in 47.87, while Turkey’s Ismail Nezir completed the podium in 48.26. Oskar Edlund narrowly missed out on a medal, placing fourth in 48.36.
Karsten Warholm: “Honestly, this is the reason I do it—to come out here in front of people, retain the title and run a championship record, the fastest I have ever run at the championships. It is always about the big moment. It’s not as easy as it looks, and I don’t take any medal for granted, but today was extra special because nobody has ever won four in a row. I was so locked in today. At championships, the medals always matter more than the times. That is what adds to the résumé and stays forever. The times are the fun part. It’s important for me to continue building the sport in Norway. Now there is a big team of us.”
- Karsten Warholm – 46.63 CR
- Emil Agyekum – 47.87
- Ismail Nezir – 48.26
Battocletti reigns in the 10,000m
Nadia Battocletti completed her second consecutive European Championships distance double by winning the women’s 10,000m, three days after securing the 5000m title.
The Italian successfully defended both crowns she had won in front of her home crowd at Rome 2024. Battocletti made the decisive move with 250 metres remaining and quickly pulled clear to win in a season’s best of 31:41.17.
Maureen Koster of the Netherlands took silver in 31:45.76, with Belgium’s Jana Van Lent earning bronze in 31:47.81.
Great Britain’s Megan Keith finished eighth in 32:04.81 after helping to drive the pace through the middle stages. She remained at the front until around 9000m, when Battocletti, Koster and Van Lent broke away.
Nadia Battocletti: “There was a lot of wind, and I needed to be careful. The secret to the 10,000m is calmness and patience, and when I felt ready, I increased the pace. It’s perhaps the sharpest change I’ve ever made; the 5000m gave me a real boost. I never expected to reach a record of four gold medals.”
- Nadia Battocletti – 31:41.17 SB
- Maureen Koster – 31:45.76
- Jana van Lent – 31:47.81
Van Klinken completes the job
Jorinde van Klinken completed a superb championships by winning the women’s discus title.
The Dutchwoman seized control with an opening-round throw of 67.67m, a mark none of her rivals could match. She led from start to finish to add discus gold to the shot put silver she earned earlier in Birmingham.
Germany’s Shanice Craft improved to 65.72m in the third round to secure silver, while Sweden’s Vanessa Kamga produced 64.61m in round four to take bronze.
- Jorinde van Klinken – 67.67m
- Shanice Craft – 65.72m
- Vanessa Kamga – 64.61m
Tamberi rises to the occasion again
Gianmarco Tamberi claimed his fourth European outdoor high jump title with a season’s best of 2.32m on his daughter Camilla’s first birthday.
The medals were effectively decided when Tamberi, Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk and fellow Italian Matteo Sioli emerged as the only athletes to clear 2.27m.
Doroshchuk and Sioli maintained clean cards through 2.18m, 2.23m and 2.27m. Tamberi needed two attempts at his opening height of 2.18m but cleared both 2.23m and 2.27m at the first attempt.
Doroshchuk then went over 2.30m on his first try to take the lead, but Tamberi responded with second-attempt clearances at 2.30m and 2.32m. The Italian added the Birmingham crown to his previous European titles from Amsterdam 2016, Munich 2022 and Rome 2024.
Doroshchuk missed three attempts at 2.32m and took silver. Sioli was unable to clear his first attempt at 2.30m before withdrawing with a hamstring injury, but the 20-year-old still earned his first senior European outdoor medal. He had won the European U23 title with 2.30m in 2025 and taken bronze at the 2025 European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn.
Gianmarco Tamberi: “I used my mind and my power to try to do my best when it really mattered. I really needed everyone’s support tonight. I can tell you, it was not easy to come and fight when you are not ready to fight. It seemed as though the crowd supported me just as much as the British athletes. Today is the birthday of my little one—my daughter, Camilla. This is my birthday present for her.”
- Gianmarco Tamberi – 2.32m SB
- Oleh Doroshchuk – 2.30m
- Matteo Sioli – 2.27m
Ansah breaks 20 seconds to win European 200m gold
Owen Ansah powered through the home straight to capture the men’s 200m title in a brilliant wind-assisted 19.95.
The performance made Ansah the first German man to break the 20-second barrier over 200m, although the following wind means the time cannot be ratified as a national record.
Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes claimed silver in 20.16, while bronze was shared by Eseosa Fostine Desalu and defending champion Timothé Mumenthaler. Both athletes recorded 20.26, with neither separable even at the thousandth of a second as each clocked .251.
- Owen Ansah – 19.95w
- Zharnel Hughes – 20.16w
- Eseosa Fostine Desalu – 20.26w (.251)
- Timothé Mumenthaler – 20.26w (.251)
Sulek-Schubert leads heptathlon overnight
Adrianna Sulek-Schubert holds a narrow advantage following the opening four events of the women’s heptathlon.
The Polish athlete ended the first day with 3,968 points, placing her just 24 points ahead of the Netherlands’ Sofie Dokter, who won the 200m in 23.05. Ireland’s Kate O’Connor remains firmly in contention in third with 3,926 points, only 42 behind the leader.
Sophie Weißenberg occupies fourth with 3,911 points, with Emma Oosterwegel fifth on 3,865 ahead of the final three events.
- drianna Sulek-Schubert – 3,968 points
- Sofie Dokter – 3,944 points
- Kate O’Connor – 3,926 points
- Sophie Weißenberg – 3,911 points
- Emma Oosterwegel – 3,865 points
Morning Session Report - Heats and Qualifications
Duplantis safely through pole vault qualification
World record-holder Armand Duplantis cleared 5.60m to book his place in the men’s pole vault final. The Swede will be joined by Emmanouil Karalis, Bo Kanda Lita Baehre and Belgium’s Ylio Philtjens, who all maintained clean cards through 5.60m.
Italy smash championship record in men’s 4x400m heats
Italy won the opening men’s 4x400m heat in 2:58.10, setting a championship record, European lead and national record. The previous championship record of 2:58.22 had been set by Great Britain in Split in 1990. Edoardo Scotti and Lorenzo Benati produced Italy’s fastest splits, both clocking 44.1.
Belgium finished second in a season’s best of 2:59.35, while Germany secured the third automatic qualifying place in a season’s best of 3:01.07. Hungary finished fourth in a national record of 3:01.24.
The Netherlands came through to win the second heat in 3:00.98, with Jonas Phijffers running the anchor leg in 44.38.
France finished second in a season’s best of 3:01.17, and Great Britain advanced automatically in third with 3:01.24. Poland followed in 3:01.33, ahead of Spain in 3:01.41. The two fastest non-automatic qualifying places went to Hungary and Switzerland, the latter clocking 3:01.91.
Great Britain and the Netherlands win women’s 4x400m heats
Great Britain dominated the opening women’s 4x400m heat, winning in 3:22.25—more than four seconds ahead of Spain (3:26.41) and France (3:26.44). Belgium finished fourth in a season’s best of 3:26.59.
European 400m hurdles silver medallist Emily Newnham ran the opening leg in 50.8 before 400m hurdles finalist Lina Nielsen clocked 49.8 on the second leg.
European 400m hurdles champion Emma Zapletalová produced a 49.3 split on the second leg as Slovakia improved its national record to 3:27.02.
The Netherlands won the second heat in 3:25.00. Italy finished strongly to take second in 3:25.99, ahead of Germany (3:26.24) and Norway (3:27.71).
British duo win men’s 1500m heats
Great Britain’s Jake Heyward won the opening men’s 1500m heat in 3:35.49, holding off world champion Isaac Nader (3:35.67) and France’s Azeddine Habz (3:36.06).
Jake Wightman covered the final lap in 52.37 to win the second heat in 3:41.57, ahead of Germany’s Robert Farken (3:41.65) and Sweden’s Samuel Pihlström (3:41.84).
Hügli breaks Swiss record in javelin qualification
Leonie Hügli set a Swiss record of 62.33m to surpass the automatic qualifying mark of 61.00m in the women’s javelin.
Germany’s Julia Ulbricht produced the second-best mark of the round with 60.86m, while Croatia’s Sara Kolak advanced with 60.82m. Türkiye’s Esra Türkmen also surpassed 60 metres with 60.43m.
Elina Tzengko, the 2022 European champion, progressed with a season’s best of 59.85m. Two-time European silver medallist Adriana Vilagoš qualified with the 10th-best mark of 57.25m, but Olympic silver medallist Maria Andrejczyk missed the final after placing 18th overall.
