In the lead up to the European Athletics Team Championships, we take a closer look at the contenders. Spain are hosting the event for the first time ever and with the momentum of recent years will be optimistic of their best ever result in the 1st Division in Madrid on 27-29 June.
From a heavy reliance upon their traditional strength in distance running, the Spanish are now a much more solid line up with leading contenders across a range of disciplines. Can they reach the podium for the first time ever?
Flashback to 2023
In placing fourth at the Silesia 2023 European Athletics Team Championships, Spain enjoyed their best ever result. One of the highlights was Thierry Ndikumwenayo’s thrilling victory in the men’s 5000m, outsprinting Sweden’s Andreas Almgren to win in 13:25:48 with European 10,000m gold medallist Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy left trailing in third.
Track record
Historically, Spain have been a consistent performer in the European Athletics Team Championships without being spectacular. In the first six editions, they placed between 7th and 9th in the top division. Following their best-ever result of fourth in Silesia 2023 and they will be hopeful that the home environment will inspire them to the podium in Madrid 2025.
- Leiria 2009, Portugal (7th Place)
At the first ever edition since taking over from the European Cup, Spain put in a typically strong display in the distance races. Miguel Quesada (men’s 800m), Jesús España (men’s 3000m), Nuria Fernández (women’s 1500m) and Dolores Checa (women’s 5000m) all chalked up wins.
And it could have been more, but with a rule brought in for the 3000m, 5000m and 3000m steeplechase that saw the last athlete eliminated at certain lap markers. Spain’s Natalia Rodríguez crossed the line as a victor in the women’s 3000m, but she was later disqualified for being the last placed athlete with three laps to go.
But for España, it was the start of three successive victories at the event, winning the men's 3000m again in Bergen 2010 and Stockholm 2011.
- Lille 2017, France (5th place)
Until Lille 2017, Spain depended heavily on their endurance runners to score the bulk of the points. But in the French city, Olympic silver medallist Orlando Ortega stormed to victory in the men’s 110m hurdles, as did the men’s 4x400m team. There were also medals for Igor Bychkov (silver, men’s pole vault), Eusebio Cáceres (silver, men’s long jump) and Pablo Torrijos (bronze, men’s triple jump). It helped project Spain to their highest position to that point.
- Silesia 2021, Poland (5th place)
In a closely fought competition, Spain were always in the thick of the action with a remarkable 21 top three placings, but only two outright victories via Asier Martínez (110m hurdles) and Fernando Carro (men’s 3000m steeplechase).
Martínez went on to win gold at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships and bronze at the Oregon 2022 World Athletics Championships. Although fifth, they were only 14.5 points behind winners Poland.
Key Athletes
- Paula Sevilla – women’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m, 400m
After a breakthrough indoor campaign, winning bronze in the women’s 400m at Apeldoorn 2025, Sevilla played a starring role in Spain’s brilliant performances at the World Relay Championships in Guagnzhou, China.
She ran the third leg for the women’s 4x100m team, who set a new national record of 42.18 in the heats before finishing second in the final. She then ran the opening leg for the 4x400m team who won a superb gold in 3:24.13, for another national record. The Madrid programme features men’s and women’s 4x100m and a mixed 4x400m and if Sevilla and her teammates can replicate their form, it could really ignite the home crowd.
- Ana Peleteiro – women’s triple jump
Motherhood has not slowed up the effervescent Peleteiro. Bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympic Games, along with husband and French international triple jumper Benjamin Compaoré, she welcomed a daughter into the world in December 2022. She spent a year on the sidelines in 2023. But has since become European champion indoors and outdoors at Rima 2024 and Apeldoorn 2023.
- Jordan Díaz – men’s triple jump
On becoming eligible for Spain in 2024, Díaz became claimed both the Olympic and European titles, the latter with 18.18m, placing his third on the all-time list for the event.
- Enrique Llopis – men’s 110m hurdles
With silver at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships and a fourth-place finish at the Olympic Games, Llopis is continuing a growing heritage of Spanish sprinter hurdlers following Ortega and Martinez.
- María Vicente – women’s long jump, women's triple jump
One of the great prospects of multi-events, Vicente’s meteoric rise through the international athletics ranks was stopped in its tracks when she ruptured her Achilles at the Glasgow 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
As a gold medallist at European U18, World U18, European U18, World U20 and European U23 level, she is a rare talent and having made her return to the sport this year, her presence could be a real fillip for the home team.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics