Birmingham will host the 11th women’s hammer competition at a European Athletics Championships and Finland will be targeting the top two spots on the podium after never making it to the medals before.
Krista Tervo and Silja Kosonen hold the top two spots on the start list having thrown 77.35m and 76.41m each respectively this year.
European record - Anita Wlodarczyk (POL) 82.98m
European lead - Anastasiya Maslova (BLR) 77.67m
Championship record - Anita Wlodarczyk (POL),78.94m
Roma 2024 medallists:
- Sara Fantini (ITA), 74.18m
- Anita Wlodarczyk (POL), 72.92m
- Rose Loga (FRA), 72.68m
Five names to watch:
- Krista Tervo (FIN)
- Silja Kosonen (FIN)
- Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)
- Sara Fantini (ITA)
- Rose Loga (FRA)
Last year, after being stuck in the early to mid 70 metre-range, Tervo broke through to throw a season’s best of 77.14m and has continued that success this year with hopes of challenging for a major medal.
Four of Tervo’s six competitions this year have been beyond 75 metres, including most recently in Tampere where she threw 76.28m.
Her younger compatriot Kosonen has taken gold at the European U20 and U23 Championships as well as the World Athletics U20 Championships, in addition to a fifth and fourth place at the last two senior championships.
Kosonen has also thrown over 75 metres four times this year and will be looking to improve and throw herself into the medals at just 23-years-old.
While the two Finnish athletes are the favourites for gold, they will be joined by world record-holder, three-time Olympic champion, four-time world and European champion Anita Włodarczyk.
The hammer icon will be targeting her seventh European podium after still taking silver two years ago in Rome to remind her competitors that while she may be older now, she is still a threat for medals.
But the reigning European champion Sara Fantini will be hoping to become just the second woman in this event to win back-to-back titles, with Włodarczyk being the only other woman to do so.
Fantini has competed a lot this season, throwing a season’s best of 75.62m in July, finding her best form just in time to defend her title.
France’s Rose Loga, who shared the podium with Fantini in 2024, will also be looking to upgrade her bronze having thrown a PB of 75.19m earlier this year.
But Denmark’s Katrine Koch Jacobsen will challenge the rest of the field in the medal fight after also throwing a PB earlier this year of 75.52m.
Beyond the top two, just 60 centimetres separate the third to sixth ranked athletes on the entry-list for Birmingham in what will be a tight final for those who make it through the battle to get there.