Italy’s Diego Nappi and Germany’s Judith Bilepo Mokobe cut through strong headwinds to win the 200m finals at the Tampere 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships on Saturday (9).
Tampere 2025 is being live streamed on the European Athletics website courtesy of Eurovision Sport.
Running in lane five, Nappi exploded from the blocks and quickly began to make up the stagger to Spain’s Oriol Sanchez.
Coming into the home straight, Nappi had Portugal’s Pedro Afonso in close contention. But as they battled down the home straight, Nappi had he more fluent stride and Alfonso began to look ragged. Nappi took gold in 20.77 (-2.9m/s), with Alfonso taking silver in 20.85 and Sanchez bronze in 21.03.
"I am very satisfied with the way I managed to run this race," said Nappi afterwards. "I felt very well in the bend and in the last 100m, I had a head wind, so it was a bit more difficult. But I am the winner so all is good. Tomorrow is my birthday and this is the best gift I received - this year and also in my entire life.
"I think I will call my grandparents. My parents are here, I love them. I love my team, thea are amazing. I think I am going to celebrate with them.
"The road to this medal was very difficult. I had so many injuries, I pulled my hamstring, and I did not run well. It is just amazing that I managed to get over these problems and won. I truly enjoyed the moment when crossing the finish line. I lived for this moment."
Mokobe equals personal best, then wins gold
Mokobe took gold in the women’s 200m with a sustained display of controlled sprinting into an unfavourable headwind of -2.0m/s to win in 23.40.
Earlier in the day, the German athlete had equalled her personal best of 23.11 in the semi finals and looked the form contender heading in Saturday evening’s final. Silver went to Lucy Tallon of Great Britain on a photo finish ahead of Czechia’s Terezie Táborská after both athletes were times at 23.49.
Running from lane six, Ireland’s Precious Akpe-Moses got away well and held a marginal lead into the home straight. But on her immediate inside, Mokobe’s strength began to tell, and she moved inexorably past.
Tallon in lane seven and Táborská in lane four also held their form together to overtake the tiring Irish athlete. For Táborská it meant a third European U20 bronze medal to go with the 4x100m and 4x400m relay ones gleaned at Jerusalem 2023.