Czechia's Linda Botková broke the championship record for the second time in the 400m hurdles at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti on Saturday (18) evening.
One day after clocking 56.79 in the heats to slash more than one second off the previous championship record of 58.00 set by her compatriot Nina Radová in 2024, Botková shaved another 0.01 from that time in the semifinals with 56.78 despite easing down off the final barrier.
Still only 16 and with one full season left in this age-group in 2027, Botková is currently sixth on the European U18 all-time list and seemingly capable of making further inroads into the long-standing European U18 best of 56.01 set by Bulgaria's Radostina Shtereva at the 1983 European Athletics U20 Championships.
Botkova won her semifinal by over one second from Switzerland's Mina Hirsbrunner who held on for the second automatic qualifying spot from Great Britain's Lucia Bertacchini. Both athletes were timed at 58.11 with the Swiss edging the second spot by 0.005.
However, Bertacchini's time was significantly faster than the winning times from the following two semifinals and will safely make it through as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers for tomorrow's final.
The other semifinal winners were multiple Romanian champion Delia Ioana Astefanoaie who was rewarded with a lifetime best of 58.66 and Ireland's Elle-Kate McRae who broke the national U18 best for the second time at the championships with 58.62.
Spain's Tristan Luño was the fastest qualifier for tomorrow's men's 400m hurdles final, clocking 51.46 to win the third semifinal ahead of Austria's Zsombor Klucsik in a national U18 best of 51.55.
Luño will be joined in the final by his compatriot Mauro Seguín although the world U18 leader - who clocked 50.51 at his national championships earlier this month - was beaten into second in the first semifinal by Latvia's Markuss Celms, 51.99 to 52.09.
The 2024 final was won by Czechia’s Michal Rada in a European U18 best of 49.42.
*Geoblocking restrictions apply in territories where Rieti 2026 is being covered by a national broadcaster
