Greece’s Eleni Iakovaki and Slovakia’s Sebastian Karp were both pushed hard by their rivals but ultimately prevailed in the women’s and men’s 400m finals at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti on Saturday (18) evening.
In the women’s 400m final, Iakovaki kept her composure as the fast-starting Hungarian Sophia Akuchi Emmanuel, who was drawn on her inside, made up the stagger on Iakovaki in the first 200 metres.
But Iakovaki had gauged her race to perfection. She rounded off the bend with a narrow lead over Emmanuel and Poland’s Zofia Pasierbek before utilising her 400m hurdles strength to extend her winning margin in the home straight.
Iakovaki stopped the clock at a massive Greek U18 best of 52.38 - a lifetime best by just over one second - to win the title by a clear margin ahead of Emmanuel who found an extra gear to hold off Pasierbek for silver in 52.80. Pasierbek was also rewarded with a lifetime best of 53.08 for bronze.
“I wanted to do this so much! When I was a kid, I wanted to hold the Greek flag. I am really excited about this gold medal. It has been 20 years since the gold of my dad, so it is crazy. My father is here now and he was supporting me. I wish I do it one day again. I hope this is just the beginning,” said Iakovaki.
Iakovaki’s father is 2006 European 400m hurdles champion Periklis Iakovakis and Eleni will be following in her father’s footsteps at next month’s World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon where she will substitute the 400m with the 400m hurdles.
In the men’s 400m, Karp became the first Slovakian man to win a gold medal in European Athletics U18 Championships history with a battling performance over his more experienced Czech rival Jakub Marek.
Drawn in lanes six and seven respectively, the two protagonists came into the home straight with Karp narrowly lead but with Marek poised on his shoulder just on his outside and seemingly ready to strike. However, the gap remained the same with Karp clinging on for a historic and hard-fought victory.
"The gold is mine!" said the jubilant winner. "I had a very fast 300m, but then I started to feel my legs and I am not very proud of my last 100m. I was trying to catch up with Jakub Marek and to be safe in the front position. But honestly, I would die if it was ten metres longer."
Karp stopped the clock at a European U18 lead of 46.53 - just 0.03 shy of the championship record set by Poland’s Stanislaw Strzelecki two years ago - with Marek adding to his European U20 4x400m from last year with an individual silver in a PB of 46.59.
Marek will be joined on the podium by his Czech teammate Lukáš Bednarik who fought off Zeb Tesselaar, the younger brother of Dutch decathlon international Jeff, for the bronze medal - 47.03 to 47.04 - to complete a Czech-Slovak clean sweep of the medals, a feat which was not lost on the winner.
"This is a great Czech and Slovak podium - we wanted it since the European Youth Olympic Festival to have the Czech and Slovak trio on the podium and now we managed it and I very excited about that," said Karp.
*Geoblocking restrictions apply in territories where Rieti 2026 is being covered by a national broadcaster