Gianmarco Tamberi in the high jump in Silesia (© Getty Images)
For the first time in the history of the European Team Championships – even including its forerunner, the European Cup, which started back in 1965 – Italy lifted the overall team title in Silesia on Sunday (25).
Their victory was assisted by individual wins from the likes of Olympic high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi, who cleared 2.29m in what was his season opener, and European indoor champion Samuele Ceccarelli, who equalled his PB to win the 100m in 10.13.
Their compatriot Alessandro Sibilio also gained maximum points for Italy with his triumph in the 400m hurdles in 48.14 – the fastest time at this event since it changed to European Team Championships format in 2009.
Other Italian winners included shot putter Zane Weir, who threw 21.59m, and Sara Fantini, who took the women’s hammer with 73.26m.
Several athletes from other countries shone throughout the event, which was held as part of the multi-sport European Games tournament and incorporated divisions two and three of the league earlier in the week.
European champion Femke Bol won the women’s 400m flat in 49.82, while Norway’s Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen took the men’s event in 44.88. Both winning marks are the fastest ever recorded in the European Team Championships format.
The same is true of Ewa Swoboda’s winning time of 11.09 in the women’s 100m, taking maximum points for Poland, and Jason Joseph’s 13.12 in the men’s 110m hurdles, banking valuable points for Switzerland.
Sweden’s Olympic champion Daniel Stahl won the men’s discus in division one with 67.25m, but it wasn’t the best mark of the tournament in that discipline. World champion Kristjan Ceh, competing in the second division, took the title with 69.94m, beating 2017 Andrius Gudzius of Lithuania (64.94m).
Poland finished second in the first division. Along with Swoboda’s 100m triumph, there were Polish wins from Wojciech Nowicki in the men’s hammer (79.61m) and Pia Skryszowska in the women’s 100m hurdles (12.77).
Germany placed third overall, helped by victories in two of the throwing events. Olympic silver medallist Kristin Pudenz won the women’s discus with 66.84m, and European champion Julian Weber took the men’s javelin with 86.26m, winning by almost five metres.
Carolina Krafzik also won the women’s 400m hurdles for Germany (54.47), and Germany’s men’s 4x100m team took victory in 38.34.
