Italy replayed Tokyo 2020 at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships as a men’s 4x100m team comprising three of the four who won Olympic gold secured a resounding victory in the final track event.
To huge acclaim Filippo Tortu brought the baton home for the hosts, just as he had in Japan, crossing in 37.82, the fastest European time of the season, to earn Italy’s 11th gold of these Championships – six more than their previous best in Split 1990.
As predicted by their talismanic high jump winner of the previous evening, Gianmarco Tamberi, the home team have aimed for the top of the medal table and succeeded. Their medal total of 24 is four more than the previous best total by a championship host, achieved six years ago in Berlin by Germany.
Italy’s concluding victory began with a smart first leg from the only team member not to have competed in Tokyo - Matteo Melluzzo - who passed on to individual Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, who flew down the back straight and passed to Lorenzo Patta, who made the final transfer to the European individual silver medallist Tortu who brought the baton home to huge acclaim.
The Netherlands took silver in 38.46, with bronze going to Germany in 38.52.
As Volare began to ring out through the stadium, with Sweden’s pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis making his narrowly unsuccessful attempts at a concluding world record of 6.25m the medals table settled into its final form.
France finished second with four golds in their total of 16, followed by Great Britain, with four golds in a total of 13, and Norway with four golds - including two from Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500/5000m - and a total of seven.
Darryl Neita, so disappointed with silver in the individual women’s 200m final, brought the baton home for gold in the women’s 4x100m as Great Britain won in a time of 41.91, the fastest European time of the season.
Victory was set up by a fine first leg from the individual 100m champion Dina Asher-Smith, with Desiree Henry and Amy Hunt playing their full parts in the enterprise.
Britain were chased home by France, who took silver in 42.15, with Dutch last-leg runner Tasa Jiya snatching bronze in the last stride, clocking 42.46, from a Swiss team who were subsequently disqualified after anchor runner Sarah Atcho relinquished the baton just metres before crossing the finish-line.
Double gold for Bol and Doom with 4x400m triumphs
Earlier on the final night Femke Bol had claimed her second gold, and third medal, of these championships as she anchored the Netherlands to victory in a hugely anticipated women’s 4x400m final – but Ireland, two of whose team had beaten the Dutch in the opening day’s 400m mixed relay, made it too tight to be comfortable.
The Irish had hoped that the efforts of their first three runners – Sophie Becker, individual silver medallist Rhasidat Adeleke and Phil Healy – might be enough to hand last-leg runner Sharlene Mawsdley a little leeway to hold off the inevitable challenge of the 24-year-old world 400m hurdles champion and world indoor 400m record-holder. But that did not come to pass.
Adeleke did her utmost on the second leg but was able to hand over only a one-metre lead to Healy, who then ran her heart out before handing over to Mawdsley, who began around five metres behind Bol.
The expectation was that Bol would do as she has so often before and stretch her lead to 20 or 30 metres by the finish-line.
But this did not come to pass either, as Mawdsley - so disappointed at her showing in the individual - became an energised, committed relay beast once again. So much so that, for a few tantalising moments, it seemed she might even be challenging the Dutch marvel halfway down the home straight.
Bol was not to be gainsaid, however, and crossed in 3:22.39, the fastest European time of the season, although her split of 50.45 suggested she had something in hand.
“I think I am falling in love even more with Italy after this Championship,” said Bol. “I wanted to give all my own for our team and we took this amazing victory. I feel a lot of enthusiasm: my teammates did a great job and I made sure to complete their job.”
Mawdsley, whose split time was 49.84, crossed for silver, taking a full two seconds off the Irish record with a time of 3:22.71. It was the first time Ireland had won four medals at a European Athletics Championships.
Individual champion Alexander Doom anchored Belgium to the men’s 4x400m title. Belgium’s fourth win in this event in the last six European Athletic Championships.
A winning platform was laid by Jonathan Sacoor - fourth in the individual – with a 45.00 opening leg, followed by Robin Vanderbemden with 45.92 and Dylan Borlee – sixth in the 400m final – with 45.05.
With baton in hand at the front of the field, Doom - also the world indoor champion - was always going to be a difficult man to overcome. And despite the urgings from a passionate home crowd, Italy’s fourth leg runner Alessandro Sibilio, who had earned 400m hurdles silver the previous night in a national record of 47.50, could never quite bridge the gap.
Running a perfectly judged leg, Doom pulled clear in the finishing straight, clocking a split of 43.88 to take gold in 2:59.84. Scotti, a 400m semifinalist ran an inspired split of 44.46 to take Italy to silver in 3:00.81, following solid legs by Luca Sito (45.13), Vladimir Aceti (45.35) and Riccardo Meli (45.87).
It was just enough to hold off bronze medallists Germany by 0.01 with a rampaging final leg from Emil Agyekum, sixth in the 400m hurdles final, with a split of 44.04.
Mike Rowbottom for European Athletics
