Slovenia’s Živa Remic revised her own championship record as she destroyed the field to win the women’s 800m at the Rieti 2026 European Athletics U18 Championships on Sunday (19).
Just a day after running 2:04.19 in Saturday’s semi-final, Remic set out with clear intent to take on the clock, opening up a 25-metre lead by the bell after a blistering first lap of 58.53.
Running alone, it was a pace she struggled to maintain and she showed signs of fatigue in the home straight. But she dug deep to stop the clock at a championship record of 2:03.77.
While Remic was racing against the clock, another fascinating battle unfolded behind her for silver, with seven athletes still in contention as the pack rounded the final bend.
Austria’s Magda Karall timed her race to perfection. Last at the bell, she surged through the field over the final 200 metres to take silver in a national U18 record of 2:05.88.
Ireland’s Isabelle Gaffney had stayed close to the front of the chasing pack throughout and was rewarded for her perseverance, taking bronze in 2:06.10.
"So happy"
"There is a lot of hard work in this victory, talent is only the first step to get here," said Remic afterwards.
"Without hard work and dedication you cannot run these times. This medal means a lot to me, it makes me so happy. Having my coach here is so nice, it is one of the best parts coming to this competition. He has put a lot of effort in my training and my development.
"The plan was to go my own pace. I feel the most comfortable with . It was a hard race and my legs felt a bit tired. I came to get this medal and I made it. I want to do everything to be the best version of myself, it is not so much about times and medals, but to be the best version of myself.
"What I liked about these championships was seeing all the other athletes fighting for one same and single goal: a PB and a medal. So you see that you are not the only one. Rieti was a great experience. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the racing. There was a lot of pressure on me. I will leave happy from Rieti."