Poland’s Hubert Troscianka smashed the world U20 decathlon record with 8514 points to win gold at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere on Friday (8) evening.
Tampere 2025 is being live streamed on the European Athletics website courtesy of Eurovision Sport.
Troscianka made headlines last night with an exceptional world U20 decathlon 400m best of 46.21 - a time which has not been surpassed in either the heats of the semifinals of the individual 400m - and the Pole put Niklas Kaul’s world U20 record of 8435 points firmly into view with another record-breaking display in the javelin.
In a seesawing contest with Dutchman Luuk Pelkmans, Troscianka recaptured the overall lead after clearing a lifetime best of 4.80m in pole vault before all but sealing the title in the javelin with a championship best of 68.87m, a feat which was applauded lustily by a fervent and knowledgeable Finnish crowd.
Troscianka needed to run faster than 4:40.76 to break Kaul’s record which he set at these championships in Grosseto 2017 and the Pole achieved this with aplomb, stopping the clock at 4:28.59 to take his score up to a world record-breaking 8514 points. The 19-year-old follows in some esteemed footsteps including not just Kaul but also Simon Ehammer who won this title in 2019 and European record-holder Kevin Mayer in 2011.
Luuk Pelkmans, who led the European U20 list prior to Tampere, came away with silver and a lifetime best of 8293 points with Switzerland’s Leon Krummenacher winning bronze, also with a lifetime best of 7972 points.
But just as large and generous were the cheers for Switzerland's Nevis Thommen who gamely limped around the 1500m in 6:37.83 to complete his campaign.
Rada through but Radova goes out
European U18 champion Michal Rada sauntered into the 400m hurdles final as the fastest qualifier across the three semifinals. Rada eased down considerably after navigating the final barrier, stopping the clock at 50.22.
Rada leads the European U20 list with 49.08 and the championship record of 49.23 could certainly be within the 18-year-old’s grasp. The Czech might also have the long-standing European U20 record of 48.74 on his radar.
However, there won’t be a repeat of the 2024 European Athletics U18 Championships in Banska Bystrica where Michal Rada and his twin sister Nina swept the 400m hurdles titles within 10 minutes.
The latter went out in the semifinal stages of the women’s 400m hurdles in which notable qualifiers included Estonia’s Viola Hambridge who set a national U20 record of 57.16 to qualify fastest for the final ahead of fellow semifinal winners Alexandra Stefania Uta from Romania (57.40) and reigning world U20 champion Meta Tumba from France (57.45).
A triumvirate of Czechs qualified for the men’s 400m final although the fastest qualifier was France’s European U18 silver medallist Milann Klemenic who set a lifetime best of 46.30 to win ahead of Czechia’s Tomas Horak (46.81) and Matthew Galea Soler (46.84) who made history by becoming the first ever Maltese athlete to reach a European U20 final on the track.
Other semifinal winners included fellow Czech Ondrej Loupal who also set a lifetime best of 46.36 and Ireland’s European U18 bronze medallist Conor Kelly who kept something in reserve in winning the first heat in 46.58.
2022 European U18 champion Charlotte Henrich looks set to go head-to-head with reigning European U18 champion Anastazja Kus for the 400m title tomorrow. Just as she was in the heats, Henrich was the fastest across the three semifinals in 52.39 although Kus looks to have plenty in reserve, easing to victory in her semifinal in 53.13.
The youngest athlete in the entire field was the fastest qualifier for the women’s 800m final.
Only 15, Ziva Remic won her heat in 2:02.98 to seal her passage through to Sunday’s final alongside the likes of Great Britain’s Shaikira King (2:04.48), Germany’s Jana Marie Becker (2:05.36) and Spain’s European U20 leader Marta Mitjans (2:05.78) who all won their respective heats.
