World record-holder and Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh opened her campaign for a third successive title at the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships on Friday (7), navigating the women’s high jump qualifying with only a single jump required.
The Ukrainian made minimal fuss in sailing over 1.89m at the first attempt and that was enough to book her place in Sunday’s (9) final, where Tia Hellebaut’s 18-year-old championship record of 2.05m must be under threat.
“I feel like this championships is just so much different comparing to my first European indoors in Poland (Torun 2021),” said Mahuchikh afterwards. “There was the young girl that did not have a lot of experience in the high jump. But now, I am trained for it. I am still young but I feel like I have a lot of experiences and I like that atmosphere on the track.”
Serbian 19-year-old Angelica Topic, a silver medallist behind Mahuchikh outdoors last summer at Roma 2024, also enjoyed a smooth qualification with a flawless card of clearances at 1.80m, 1.85m and 1.89m.
Klaver thrills home crowd in 400m heats
Home favourite Lieke Klaver qualified from the women’s 400m heats in fine style, winning heat two in 51.52. European leader Henriette Jæger of Norway also progressed untroubled, winning heat five in 52.04.
But there was bitter disappointment for British champion Amber Anning who looked impressive winning heat one in 51.03, but was later disqualified for a lane infringement.
The semifinals will take place on Friday (7) evening. Afterwards, Jæger said: “Let’s see in these championships if I manage to keep my shape. Sure, I want to win, but Lieke Klaver is running in front of her home crowd, so I think she also really wants to win. Let’s see.”
In the men’s event, European leader Attila Molnar won heat two in 45.86 and stays on track to win Hungary’s first men’s gold at the European Athletics Indoor Championships for 40 years. European U20 bronze medallist Maksymilian Szwed of Poland set a personal best of 45.60 to win heat one and qualify fastest.
Werro speeds through 800m heats
The women’s 800m qualifiers were topped by Switzerland’s twice European U20 champion Audrey Werro who won heat four in a quick 2:00.92. Istanbul 2023 silver medallist Anita Horvat made more serene progress, winning heat two in 2:08.71.
In the men’s event, Spain’s European leader Elvin Josué Canales looked impressive, winning heat four in 1:45.93. Belgium’s Elliot Crestan also caught the eye, winning heat two in 1:46.57. Bronze medallist two years ago in Istanbul, he recently set a European indoor 600m best of 1:14.92, so is in excellent shape.
Mihambo seeking to add to glittering collection
In the women’s long jump, reigning European gold medallist Malaika Mihambo qualified for Saturday’s (8) final at the first attempt. The German banked a safe 6.68m leap in the opening round, 3cm in excess of the automatic qualification mark.
In her glittering career, the European Athletics Indoor Championships is one of the few titles Mihambo has yet to win.
Italy’s Larissa Iapichino, European indoor and outdoor silver medallist, also progressed with a second round 6.76m. Iapichino is seeking to follow in the spike marks of her mother Fiona May, who won this title in Valencia 1998.
Meanwhile, Italian duo Andrea Dallavalle and Andy Diaz Hernandez and Germany's Max Heß, the leading three men's triple jumpers in the world currently, all only needed one attempt each to reach Saturday's (8) final with 16.87m 16.74m and 16.72m respectively, each doing just enough to go beyond the automatic qualification standard of 16.70m to qualify.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics