Finland’s Alisa Launonen ended the first day of the heptathlon with a narrow lead over her competitors with 3699 points following dominant displays in the 100m hurdles and 200m on Thursday (16) at the 2026 European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti.
Launonen entered the championships as the favourite after setting a PB of 6011 points earlier this year, and has managed to hold off an inspired Svea Funck from Germany, for now.
In the first heptathlon event of the day, the 100m hurdles, there were an incredible 10 PBs broken and although Launonen was slightly adrift of her 13.26 PB, the Finn led the way in the 100m hurdles.
Launonen, who has also entered the individual 100m hurdles at these championships, ran 13.33 in the final heat to take the win, while Germany’s Funck and Poland’s Aleksandra Kondratowicz followed her through the race to clock PBs of 13.43 and 13.58.
But then in the high jump Funck equalled her PB of 1.78m to take her points total over 2000 after just two events and claim the top spot.
Launonen, who has a 1.81m PB, only jumped 1.75m to take second in the high jump ahead of Great Britain’s Leanna Elliot who cleared the same height but on her third attempt to set a new PB.
The Brit had been in 18th after the 100m hurdles, but her PB jump bumped her up to fourth with 1828 points after the two events, while Finland's Isabella Tuulari sat in third with 1829 points.
In the shot put it was Ireland’s Emer Purtill who took the event win with 15.26m ahead of the Netherlands’ Fleur Favre who threw 15.16m – making them the only two athletes to surpass 15 metres.
Launonen, threw 13.08m for 10th, Funck threw a PB of 13.45m for seventh, and Elliot only managed 9.77m for 19th.
But that did mean Funck held the overall lead over Launonen heading into the final event of the first day for the heptathletes, the 200m.
Launonen took the event win again in 24.06 ahead of Switzerland’s Ambra Corciulo who clocked the second fastest time overall with 24.73 while Funck ran the third fastest time of 24.85, lifetime bests for all three athletes.
The Finnish athlete’s dominant run narrowly bumped her ahead of Funck in the overall standings by just 28 points as she comes up just shy of the 3700 points mark by just one.
Behind Launonen's first day total of 3699 points, Funck finished day one on 3671 points with Favre and Corciulo third and fourth overnight with 3573 points and 3540 points.
After Enni Virjonen won gold in Banska Bystrica two years ago, Launonen's campaign to take back-to-back European U18 titles in the heptathlon for Finland will continue on Friday (17) starting with the long jump at 8:35 am (CEST).
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