A total of 13 champions were crowned on a record-breaking penultimate day of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Saturday (15).
Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez produced the fourth longest jump in history to win the triple jump title with 18.15m to put Jonathan Edwards' world record of 18.29m on notice. Another notable barrier was broken with Germany’s Julian Weber breaking the 90 metre-barrier to regain his javelin title with a championship record of 90.40m.
On the track, Sweden’s Andreas Almgren delivered a front running performance par excellence to erase the longest-surviving championship record from the books. Almgren clocked 27:23.44 to rewrite Martti Vainio’s previous mark of 27:30.99 which had endured since the 1978 European Athletics Championships.
Amy Hunt won her third gold medal of the championships in the women’s 4x100m and there is every chance she will aim for a fourth tomorrow in the mixed 4x100m. The British team also featured Dina Asher-Smith who won her tenth medal to equal Irena Szewinska’s record as the most bemedalled athlete in European Athletics Championships history.
Romell Glave and Henriette Jaeger also added to their respective medal tallies. Glave provided the first half of a British double in the 4x100m as he anchored the hosts to victory in the men’s 4x100m in 38.45 while Jaeger dispatched a credentialed field in the women’s 400m, improving her national record to 49.04 to win by exactly one second for her second title of the championships.
The race walks also delivered a plethora of records as the half marathon and marathon events were held for the first time in any major championships. Spain’s Maria Perez won the women’s half marathon race walk in a world record of 1:30:06 with Italy’s Sofia Fiorini also coming home comfortably inside the world record target time with 3:15:11.
Day six champions
Men’s 1500m - Stefan Nillessen (NED)
Men’s 10,000m - Andreas Almgren (SWE)
Men’s 4x100m - Great Britain & NI (GBR)
Men’s half marathon race walk - Paul McGrath (ESP)
Men’s marathon race walk - Massimo Stano (ITA)
Men’s triple jump - Andy Diaz Hernandez (ITA)
Men’s javelin - Julian Weber (GER)
Women’s 400m - Henriette Jaeger (NOR)
Women’s 4x100m - Great Britain & NI (GBR)
Women’s half marathon race walk - María Pérez (ESP)
Women’s marathon race walk - Sofia Fiorini (ITA)
Women’s high jump - Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR)
Women’s heptathlon - Kate O’Connor (IRL)
Stat of the day
Julian Weber achieved the first ever 90 metre-plus throw with the current specification javelin at the European Athletics Championships. With his sixth throw, Weber threw 90.40m to move from second to first and displace Steve Backley’s long-standing championship record of 89.72m which had stood since 1998.
Surprise of the day
Two-time European U23 1500m champion Stefan Nillessen seized his biggest title so far. With a 53.5 last lap, Nillessen blasted past the British duo of Jake Wightman and Jake Heyward who ultimately faded out of medal contention altogether.
Quote of the day
Alexandrina Mihai (ITA): “I am very happy with the silver [in the half marathon race walk]. I love that we came to Birmingham for this race as I am a huge fan of Peaky Blinders. My season is over now so I can rest and enjoy my holiday before we go again. But first I have to go and find the Peaky Blinders spots in Birmingham”
Photo of the day
A huge Irish contingent in the Alexander Stadium eagerly awaits the conclusion of the heptathlon in which Kate O'Connor won Ireland's second gold medal of the championships.
World records set (2)
Women’s half marathon race walk - 1:30:06 Maria Perez (ESP)
Women’s marathon race walk - 3:15:11 Sofia Fiorini (ITA)
European records set (3)
Women’s half marathon race walk - 1:30:06 Maria Perez (ESP)
Women’s marathon race walk - 3:15:11 Sofia Fiorini (ITA)
Men’s marathon race walk - 2:56:49 Massimo Stano (ITA)
Championship records set (6)
Women’s half marathon race walk - 1:30:06 Maria Perez (ESP)
Women’s marathon race walk - 3:15:11 Sofia Fiorini (ITA)
Men’s 10,000m - 27:23.44 Andreas Almgren (SWE)
Men's half marathon race walk - 1:23:23 Paul McGrath (ESP)
Men’s marathon race walk - 2:56:49 Massimo Stano (ITA)
Men’s javelin - 90.40m Julian Weber (GER)
World leads set (5)
Women’s half marathon race walk - 1:30:06 Maria Perez (ESP)
Women’s marathon race walk - 3:15:11 Sofia Fiorini (ITA)
Men’s marathon race walk - 2:56:49 Massimo Stano (ITA)
Men’s triple jump - 18.15m Andy Diaz Hernandez (ITA)
Men’s marathon race walk - 2:56:49 Massimo Stano (ITA)
What to watch tomorrow?
The last 10 champions will be crowned in Birmingham 2026. The programme begins on the streets of Birmingham with the men's and women's marathons taking place on a technical course in the centre of the host city. The line-ups feature Alisa Vainio from Finland in the women's race and Germans Richard Ringer and Amanal Petros in the women's race.
In the stadium, Armand Duplantis will be targeting his fourth successive European title and the hosts will have high hopes for medals in the women's 1500m and long jump courtesy of Georgia Hunter Bell and Jazmin Sawyers and all three relays, including the mixed 4x100m which makes its major championships debut in Birmingham.