Adrianna Sulek-Schubert tops the standings after a competitive first day of the heptathlon at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Friday (14).
In summary
- Adrianna Sulek-Schubert leads the way after four events
- Only 57 points separates the top four in the overall standings
- Katarina Johnson-Thompson is 16th after four events
The Pole won silver behind Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam in Munich four years ago and she is in contention to succeed the three-time champion, who is missing from the championships with a hamstring injury, when the heptathlon reaches its denouement tomorrow.
Sulek-Schubert has tallied a score of 3968 points across the four events and holds a narrow lead over world indoor champion Sofie Dokter from the Netherlands (3944 points). Ireland’s world silver medallist Kate O’Connor is in contention for another major medal in third overall with 3926 points with Germany's Sophie Weissenberg fourth overall with 3911 points.
Arguable pre-championships favourite Annik Kälin also remains in the medal hunt in sixth overall with 3846 points despite a slightly disappointing end to a first day which promised much when she flew to a wind-assisted 12.59 in the 100m hurdles for 1187 points.
Kälin slipped down the leaderboard across the next three events, finishing her day with a 23.54 clocking in the 200m compared to her recently set lifetime best of 23.00 from Ratingen where she improved her world lead and national record to 6819 points.
However, Kalin is likely to make up ground on leaders in the long jump which begins the second day at 10.25am. Kalin has won silver medals in the individual long jump at both the World and European Athletics Indoor Championships and she jumped a marginally wind-aided 6.96m in Gotzis, a performance which was worth 1196 points.
Competing in her first heptathlon since winning bronze at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Katarina Johnson-Thompson is 16th after four events with 3644 points.