Germany has named a team of 81 athletes to represent the nation at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships, with an array of medal contenders across multiple disciplines from 10-16 August.
The team is headlined by two-time European champion and former Olympic and world champion Malaika Mihambo, who will compete in the women's long jump for the sixth time at a European Athletics Championships.
World champion Leo Neugebauer heads the German challenge in the decathlon, hoping to add a European title to the world gold and Olympic silver he has accrued over the last two seasons.
In the men's hammer throw, Merlin Hummel can also be confident of adding continental silverware to the world silver he won last year.
In the distance races, Germany can also look to the 3000m steeplechase with optimism. In the men's event, Frederik Ruppert and Karl Bebendorf have taken the discipline to a new level in Europe in recent years.
Ruppert became the first European to break the eight-minute barrier when he set a new European record of 7:57.80 in Rabat this year. Bebendorf has also clocked 8:05.55 in Paris in June. The duo are comfortably the two fastest athletes in Europe this year.
In the women's event, Gesa Felicitas Krause, who won this title in Amsterdam 2016 and Berlin 2018, is enjoying a new lease of life and is the second fastest European this year.
She will also have her eye on a fifth medal at what will be the sixth European Athletics Championships of her storied career.
In the men's marathon, Germany will be spearheaded by Amanal Petros, who won world silver last year in Tokyo, and Richard Ringer, who won gold in the marathon at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships.
The teams for the relays as well as any other additional selections based on the final Road to Birmingham rankings will be announced on Friday.
Responding to the selection, Dr Jörg Bügner, DLV Board Member for Competitive Sports, said: "The German Championships in Bochum have shown us once again how much quality, dynamism and optimism there is currently in German athletics.
"The athletes have presented themselves in excellent form in recent weeks and have earned their tickets to Birmingham with strong performances. The anticipation for the European Championships is huge.
"We travel to Birmingham with a team that includes experienced medallists as well as young athletes who can make a splash on the big international stage.
"Our aim is to perform as a united team and to challenge at the top of the medals table. If we can fulfil our potential in the Alexander Stadium and on the streets of Birmingham, I'm convinced we'll produce many strong performances.
"For us, the European Championships will be a success if the team performs to its potential, we achieve as many top placings as possible and showcase German athletics through courageous and inspiring performances. We want to take the next step in our development towards the Olympic Games."