European Athletics Championships Day 2 Event by Event Report
ROME, Italy – The second day (June 8) of the European Athletics Championships in Rome was marked by extraordinary performances, setting the stage for a thrilling continuation of the event. Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou and France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela delivered standout performances on the opening days, raising the bar for their competitors. Tentoglou clinched his third consecutive European outdoor title in the long jump with a world-leading and championship record leap of 8.65m (-0.3m/s), just 1cm short of the national record. Samba-Mayela dominated the 100m hurdles, securing victory with a championship record and world-leading time of 12.31 (0.8m/s). Additionally, Olympic champions Nafi Thiam, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Marcell Jacobs showcased their prowess by successfully defending their European titles, highlighting their potential for further victories as the championships unfold.
Men's Long Jump:
Tentoglou leapt to a world lead of 8.42m in the first round improving Simon Ehammer’s previous best mark by one cm. Furlani responded with a world under 20 record of 8.38m into a headwind of -0.5 m/s, which improved his previous best mark of 8.36m set in Savona on 15 May. Furlani made two very long jumps that were ruled out as fouls.
The Greek jumper extended his lead improving his world lead for the second tie in this competition with 8.49m in the third round. Furlani leapt to 8.00m in the third round. Ehammer moved into third place with 8.31m in his third attempt. Jacob Fincham Dukes from Great Britain took fourth with 8.12m.
Tentoglou improved his PB and the championship record to 8.65m in the fifth round setting the fourth best European performance in history and the championship record. The Greek star jumped 8.65m with the same wind reading of -0.3 m/s for the second time in a row in the sixth round, missing Louis Tsatoumas’ national record of 8.66m by one cm.
Miltiadis Tentoglou: “I managed to set my PB, twice the same mark. I do not know. This is impossible. I wanted to do 1 cm to improve the national record but it did not happen. My coach told after the 8.65m that I should push myself even more because I could do it. I told him that I did five jumps around 8.50m all of them and I felt tired. I gave everything. I tried but I felt very tired”.
Mattia Furlani: “It was the best competition of my career. I am proud with this competition and this fantastic crowd. It’s an important step in my career. I am improving from every point of view, but I am on the right way. I can do better. I made some technical mistakes. I have to continue working hard. Tentoglou is a great champion and fully deserves the gold medal.
Men’s shot put:
World silver medallist Leonardo Fabbri won his first European outdoor title with 22.45m improving the championships record set by Werner Gunthor in Stuttgart 1986.
Leonardo Fabbri: “I finally won a title after claiming silver and bronze medals. I felt cramps before the final and my throws in the warm-up were not very good. I tried to throw easily in the final and enjoyed myself. The goal is to fight at the same level with the US shot putters at the Olympic Games. I had to win the European gold medal and I achieved my goal”.
Defending champion Filip Mihaljevic claimed the silver medal with 21.20m. Michal Haratyk from Poland returned to the European podium finishing third with 20.94m.
Women’s 100 metres hurdles:
Cyrena Samba Mayela won the 100 metres hurdles final with 12.31 setting a world lead, the national record and the fourth fastest European time in history. The French hurdler also improved the championship record that had stood since 1986. Samba Mayela smashed her previous PB by 0.21.
Cyrena Samba Mayela: “I have never felt so alive. That is amazing Like it part of the plan. I am so happy to see that everything is functioning. By the grace of God I am able to do what I am doing right now. The atmosphere here is so cool. Everybody is screaming and enjoying. I am enjoying it too. I am just taking the vibrations. It is like fuel for me. I am looking forward to Paris. It will be the best for me. I am walking on a positive path. It is more and more encouraging”.
Ditaji Kambundji won the silver medal setting the Swiss record and the European under 23 record with 12.40. Defending champion Pia Skrzyszovska set a PB of 12.42. Cindy Sember placed fourth in 12.56 ahead of Nadine Visser (12.56).
Lavin won the first 100 metres hurdles semifinal in 12.73 ahead of European Indoor champion Ditaji Kambundji (12.79).
Cyrena Samba Mayela won the second semifinal with a French record and a European lead of 12.43. The French hurdler was the fastest qualifier.
Men’s 110 metres hurdles:
Lorenzo Simonelli won the men’s 110 metres hurdles final setting the fastest time in Europe this year and the Italian record with 13.05. Enrique Llopis won the silver medal improving his PB to 13.16. Jason Joseph from Switzerland claimed the bronze medal wit 13.43 following his gold medal at the European indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023.
Lorenzo Simonelli: “I made some mistakes in the semifinal, but I ran a perfect race in the final. I did not expect to run 13.05. After the Olympic Games in Tokyo I told that I wanted to reach the top of the world. I dedicate this title to the Italian crowd and Italian athletics”.
Martinez equalled his seasonal best of 13.29 to win the first heat. Simonelli improved his own Italian record and equalled the fastest time in Europe this year with 13.20.
Men’s 100 metres:
Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs won his second consecutive European 100m title in 10.02. Chituru Ali completed the Italian double improving his PB by 0.01 to 10.05. Raven Glave from Great Britain finished third in 10.06 beating European indoor bronze medallist Henrik Larsson from Sweden (10.16).
Marcell Jacobs: “I ran two rounds in the same day for the first time this day. I felt a cramp on my calf. I ran the semifinal easily. I expected to run faster in the final, but what mattered most her was to defend my title. The main goal is the Olympis Games in Paris. It’s the strongest Italian team ever”.
Chituru Ali: “I wanted to win. It gives me extra motivation to compete against Marcell Jacobs. I have still the Olympic Games to continue improving”.
Chituru Ali won the second 100 metres semifinal in 10.11 to reach his second consecutive European final. Owen Ansah from Germany placed second with 10.18.
Olympic and European champion Marcell Jacobs won the third semifinal in 10.05 setting the fastest qualifier for the final.
Women’s heptathlon
Nafissatou Thiam claimed her third consecutive European title setting a championships record of 6848 points.
Thiam extended her lead from 35 to 77 points over her compatriot Noor Vidts after the long jump competition.
Thiam set a seasonal best of 6.59m in the long jump to bring her total score to 4991 points.
Vidts leapt to 6.46m to maintain her silver medal position with 4914 points. France’s Auriana Lazraq Khlass set a seasonal best of 6.35m to stay in contention for the podium with 4874 points. She set three PBs and equalled another lifetime best during this heptathlon competition.
Lazraq had a gap of 32 points over Annik Kaelin, who set a Championships best of 6.84m, which equalled the national record held by Irene Pusterla since 2011.
Thiam recorded a seasonal best of 53.00m in the javelin throw on her first attempt. She threw beyond the 50 metres barrier with 50.40m and 51.50m in the following two attempts. Thiam had a gap of 209 points before the 800 metres and set a PB of 2:11.79 in the 800 metres.
Nafissatou Thiam: “I was very nervous on the first day. I felt this was the first time after a long time when I actually felt my belly. I did not know what was going on. I felt like I am 16 again. So I am glad I did my first start of the season at the big championships”.
Lazraq Khlass held onto silver medal with 6635 points ahead of Vidts with a sixth personal best in seven events. Vidts improved her PB to 6596 points. Kaelin placed fourth with 6490 points. Sara Dokter set the European under 23 record with 6490 poiunts. Sveva Gerevini improved Gertrud Bacher’s Italian record with 6379 points.
Women’s discus throw:
Sandra Perkovic from Croatia claimed her seventh consecutive in the women’s duscus with a throw of 67.04m in the opening round.
Jorinde Van Klinken won her second silver medal at these championships with 65.99m one day after finishing second in the shot put. Liliana Ca from Portugal won her first major medal at the age of 37 with a throw of 64.53m in the second round.
Sandra Elkasevic: “This gold medal means a lot to me. Here in Rome I won my seventh gold medal at the European Championship and Rome was built on seven hills. I wanted a medal for each hill. It was an amazing crowd. Thanks to the Italians and also to the Croatians who came here to support me” Men’s 5000 metres:
Jakob Ingebrigtsen won his fifth gold medal at the European Championships in 13:20.11. Ingebrigtsen went to the front ahead of the final lap and ran the final lap in 54.14. George Mills from Great Britain finished second in 13:21.38. Dominic Lobalu from Switzerland came through to take third place in 13:21.61.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen: “That is what it all about, a great stadium and a great crowd. I am very happy with my performance. I am going in the right direction. I am getting in the right direction. I am getting better and better in every race. This is championships. The level is high and I performed at my best. Right now It is all about recovering, get a good night of sleep and prepare for my next race”.
Men’s 20 km walking race:
Perseus Karlstrom from Sweden won the gold medal in the 20 km walking race in 1:19:13. Karlstrom upgraded the silver he won in Munich 2022 to gold. Paul McGrath from Spain claimed the silver medal in 1:19:31. Francesco Fortunato from Italy took bronze medal in 1:19:54 to the delight of the home crowd one day after the Italian double in the women’s 20 km walking race.
Perseus Karlstrom: “The crowd is amazing here, all the time. I have had a good connection with Italians, with Italian race walkers and of course with the good food, I also speak little Italian. When McGrath got in front ahead of me during the race, I was not nervous. It was in a very pressured situation, but I managed to keep his pace and the distance between him and me did not increase. I was feeling comfortable I felt this race is mine. Walking through the tunnel on the lats 400 metres and then entering the stadium and the stadium explodes, it such an amazing feeling. It is incredible. Racing walking is big in Italy and to beat Italian walker Francesco Fortunato is a good feeling”.
Karlstrom, who won four world championships medals (three bronze and one bronze) and a silver medal at the European Championships in Munich 2022, claimed his first European title.
Paul McGrath from Spain, who won European under 20 and under 23 gold medals in his career, took over at 7 km and built a lead of five seconds over Karlstrom. Fortunato overtook Christopher Linke from Germany. Around half a minute separated the top four walkers.
Karlstrom closed the gap on McGrath with 5 km to go. Fortunato was 15 seconds behind in bronze medal position.
Karlstrom eased away in the final 5 km and built a gap of three seconds over McGrath. Fortunato was 100 metres back. Less than one km to go Karlstrom increased his gap to 10 seconds on McGrath.
Karlstrom has become the first Swedish walker to win the gold medal at the European Championships since 1946, when John Mickaelsson won the 10000m race in Oslo.
Men’s 800 metres semifinals:
Italian indoor record holder Catalin pulled away at 600 metres to win the first semifinal in the 800 metres in 1:46.31 ahead of Elliot Giles from Great Britain(1:46.50). Olympic finalist Gabriel Tual from France took over with 300 metres to go to claim the second semifinal in 1:45.03 beating Mohamed Attaoui (1:45.19). Adrian Ben from Spain got through as a non-automatic qualifier after finishing in the second semifinal in 1:45:34.
Women’s pole vault qualifying round:
World indoor champion Molly Caudery needed just one first-time clearance at 4.50m to secure her qualifying spot for Monday evening’s final. Defending champion Wilma Murto cleared 4.40m and 4.50m in her first attempt to advance to the final. Elisa Molinarolo from Italy had a clean sheet at 4.25m, 4.40m and 4.50m to reach another major final following her ninth place at the World Championships in Budapest.
World Championships finalist Angelica Moser from Switzerland cleared 4.50 in her second attempt to reach the final. Ekaterini Stefanidi, who is seeking her fifth European Championships medal, also cleared 4.50m to reach the final. Roberta Bruni cleared 4.25m and 4.40m at the first time of asking and needed two attempts to clear 4.50m. Tina Sutej had to withdraw from the competition due to injury during the warm-up. Olympic bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw failed her three attempts at 4.25m.
Men’s 400 metres:
Belgium’s Jonathan Sacoor, world under 20 champion in Tampere 2018, won the first heat in 45.50 ahead of Edoardo Scotti (45.59).
Lionel Spitz from Switzerland, European under 23 silver medallist in Espoo 2023, won the second heat in 45.37.
Luca Sito from Italy set his PB again this season to win the third heat in a European under 23 leading time of 45.12, the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s semifinals. Sito helped Italy to European silver medal in the 4x400 mixed relay on Friday evening. Chris O’Donell advanced with 45.69 a few hours after winning the gold medal in the 4x400 mixed relay.
Women’s 400 metres:
France’s Amandine Brossier took the first heat in the women’s 400 metres in a seasonal best of 51.30. Last year’s European under 20 champion Gloria Manuel won her heat in 51.36.
Women’s 100 metres heats:
Rani Rosius from Belgium won the first heat in 11.20 missing her PB by two hundredths of a second. Rosius finished sixth in the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and recently ran a 200 metres PB with 23.21 in Brussels.
Lisa Mayer won the second heat with the same time as Rosius.
Poliniki Emmanoulidou from Greece set a PB of 11.21 to win the third heat.
Men’s hammer throw:
Olympic gold medallist and defending European champion Wojciech Nowicki from Poland led the qualifying round with 79.00m, surpassing the automatic mark of 77.00 by exactly two metres.
Yann Chaussinand from France set the second best mark with 76.84m.
Wojciech Nowicki: “I am still in training and my shape is developing but I am hoping for at least one really good throw here. I am 35-year-old so I have to adapt my body a bit. My head still wants to do it but my body is getting older”.
European under 23 champion Mykhaylo Kokhan from the Ukraine, world seasonal leader with 80.76m, threw to 77.77m in the first round to exceed the automatic qualifying mark. Bence Halasz threw 77.84m joining Kockan and Nowicki in the final.
Five-time Pawel Fajdek also got through to the the final with 75.17m.
Men’s 3000 metres steeplechase heats:
Daniel Arce from Spain, European seasonal leader with 8:12.28, ran the fastest qualifying time in the heats of the men’s 3000m steeplechase with 8:21.46. Frederick Ruppert from Germany finished second with 8:21.49. Nahuel Carabana became the first athlete from Andorra to qualify for a European Championships final.
