Karsten Warholm equalled Harald Schmid’s haul of three European 400m hurdles titles in Rome two years ago the Norwegian begins as the outstanding favourite to extend his reign in the event in Birmingham.
And this won’t be the only event in which Warholm will have medal ambitions as a strong Norwegian team which is also likely to include Henriette Jaeger will be making their debut in the mixed 4x400m on the first evening of the championships.
European record - Karsten Warholm (NOR) 45.94
European lead - Karsten Warholm (NOR) 46.61
Championship record - Karsten Warholm (NOR) 46.98
Roma 2024 results
Karsten Warholm (NOR) 46.98
Alessandro Sibilio (ITA) 47.50
Carl Bengström (SWE) 47.94
Five to watch
- Karsten Warholm (NOR)
- Emil Agyekum (GER)
- Owe Fischer-Breiholz (GER)
- Carl Bengström (SWE)
- Alessandro Sibilio (ITA)
Warholm might not dominate the event globally with the same vigour but on the European stage, the 30-year-old remains the standard bearer in the event.
Since the 2016 Olympic Games when Warholm made the semifinals in his first full season in the event, he has only been beaten once by a European - in the final of the 2022 World Athletics Championships when he finished seventh on his return from injury.
Incredibly, Warholm holds the 33 fastest times in history by a European 400m hurdler with one of his latest entries including a season’s best of 46.61 for victory in the London Diamond League on the same track where Warholm won his first world title in 2017.
Warholm leads the 2026 European list by almost one second from Germany’s Emil Agyekum who has improved to 47.45 this year to surpass Schmid’s venerable national record of 47.48 which dated all the way back to the 1982 European Athletics Championships in Athens.
In the unlikely scenario that Warholm falters, Agyekum is the man who is most likely to capitalise. He has broken the 48 second-barrier four times in 2026 and finished just one place behind Warholm in sixth in the final of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year.
Warholm and Agyekum are the only two Europeans to have broken the 48 second-barrier this year although Agyekum’s compatriot Owe Fischer-Breiholz is on the verge of joining this club. He won the European U23 title in Bergen last July in a championship record of 48.01 and has clocked 48.08 this year.
The entry-list also includes the silver and bronze medallists from two years ago: Italy’s Alessandro Sibilio and Sweden’s Carl Bengström who set national records of 47.50 and 47.98 respectively in that final behind Warholm.
Bengström forms part of a strong Swedish duo in the event alongside Oskar Edlund who has improved to 48.26 this year.
Other prospective medal contenders include Spanish record-holder Jesús David Delgado who has improved to 48.11 this year, Slovenia’s European U23 bronze medallist Matic Ian Guček and the Turkish duo of Ismail Nezir and Berke Akçam, both of whom are former world U20 champions.
Meanwhile, the home challenge is led by six-time British champion Alastair Chalmers.