Greece’s Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou delivered a routine victory in the men’s long jump on day 1 of the Balkan Championships in Volos on Saturday (26) in front of his adoring home crowd.
The championships are being live streamed on the European Athletics YouTube channel.
The world and European champion produced a second round leap of 8.07m (-0.9m/s) and it was enough to win gold ahead of Bulgaria’s European indoor champion Bozhidar Sarâboyukov, whose best effort was 7.90m (-0.8m/s).
Tentoglou passed on his remaining jumps, content to bank gold and reserve energy for the coming weeks towards September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Andreas Trajkovski of North Macedonia was third in 7.77m (0.0m/s).
Španović and Tzengko win gold
In the women’s triple jump, another world long jump champion was triumphant. Serbia’s Ivana Španović, the defending gold medallist from Budapest 2023, won with 14.12m (+1.0m/s), just 2cm clear of former European U23 champion Elena Andreea Talos of Romania. Greek champion Oxana Koreneva was third with 14.00m.
Another great Greek hope delivered on the expectations. 2022 European javelin gold medallist Elina Tzengko won gold with 62.83m.
Ukraine’s Oleksandr Pohorilko won a quality men’s 400m final in 45.10 ahead of Slovenia’s Rok Ferlan in 45.26. Former Balkan champion Mihai Dringo of Romania was third in 45.29. In the women’s one lap final, Croatia’s Veronika Drljačić added the Balkan outdoor title to the indoor one she secured in Beograd, Serbia in February.
In the women's 800m Türkiye's Dilek Kocak won in 2:01.73 to quickly add another title to her collection following her 1500m victory at the Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships six days' prior
European indoor champion Andrei Rares Toader edged out Serbia’s Armin Sinančević by 4cm to win the men’s shot put with 20.74m.
There was a closely contested hammer competition won by Türkiye’s Özkan Baltaci with 75.72m, just 32cm clear of Croatia’s former world youth champion Matija Gregurić. Third place went to Baltica’s countryman Halil Yilmazer with a personal best of 75.01m. Recently crowned European U23 champion Iosif Kesidis of Cyprus was sixth with 71.51m.
Gumilar runs personal best to win men's 100m
The 100m titles were won by Slovenia’s Jernej Gumilar who won the men’s race in a personal best of 10.23 (+1.4m/s) and Greece’s Rafailia Spanoudaki Chatziriga who took the women’s race in 11.31 (+1.6m/s).
The host nation won both the men’s and women’s 4x100m titles. But in the mixed 4x400m relay, an excellent third leg by Oğuzhan Kaya gave Türkiye the advantage and Gulsah Cebeci managed to hold off a late charge from Greece’s Elimpiona Zenegia to grab gold in 3:24.66, Greece were just 0.20 behind and third-place Ukraine alo in close attendance in 3:25.28.