Karsten Warholm retains his European 400m hurdles title in Munich (© Getty Images)
Karsten Warholm and Femke Bol might not have struck gold in their respective world finals in Oregon last month, but when it came to the European Championships in Munich on Friday night (19), they proved they are the undoubted king and queen of the continent at 400m hurdles.
Warholm and Bol produced utterly dominant displays to power to victory in respective championship records of 47.12 and 52.67, with open track between them and the rest. Warholm had come into the championships with significant doubts around him, given the time missed with a hamstring injury earlier this summer, but by the time he ripped up the back straight in the final, gobbling up the stagger on the men outside him, it was clear the Norwegian was back in form.
We won’t say back to his best, not when he has repositioned the limits of his event to such astonishing levels with that 45.94 world record last year, but still, this something more like it. He built a 10-metre advantage by the time he turned for home, and while he looked to be tying up slightly over the final two barriers, so was everyone else. His winning time of 47.12 brought him home well clear of silver medallist Wilfried Happio of France (48.56) and bronze medallist Yasmani Copello of Turkey (48.78).
“I had a very tough season with injuries so to be here and to bounce back means the world,” said Warholm. “I learned that I should never take anything like this for granted. Now I am going to enjoy it even more because it was so tough. I hope that I can be injury free and train at the high level so you can never count me out again.”
In the women’s race, all eyes were on Bol to see if the gifted 22-year-old could add to the gold she won in the 400m two days earlier, and from the first to the 10th barrier, that was never in doubt. From bronze in Tokyo to silver in Oregon to gold – twice – here in Munich, the Dutch star’s championship record of 52.67 brought her home a long way clear of Ukrainian duo Viktoriya Tkachuk (54.30) and Anna Ryzhykova (54.86).
Femke Bol on her way to completing a 400m and 400m hurdles double at the European Championships in Munich (© Getty Images)
Bol, through her elation and utter exhaustion, had mixed feelings on her magnificent double. “I am so proud to achieve the double, but I will never do it again,” she laughed. “Well, maybe. Never say never. Winning this gold is a big relief. I am very surprised to achieve such a fast time.”
The women’s 200m featured a thrilling showdown between Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, and while Asher-Smith utilised her superior 100m speed to power into the lead off the turn, Kambundji ultimately held her pace better, powering past in the last 50 metres to take her first European title in 22.32 (0.4m/s), adding to her 100m silver earlier in the week. Asher-Smith took silver in 22.43 with Denmark’s Ida Karstoft winning bronze in 22.72.
“I am on cloud nine,” said Kambundji. “I knew this race was going to be tough. Dina Asher-Smith is a great athlete, but today it was me who won. This was an amazing season for me with a great indoor season, two national records and two medals here in Munich – unbelievable.”
The men’s 200m saw British duo Zharnel Hughes and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake engage in a similar home-straight tussle for gold, one that Hughes won, clocking 20.07 (-0.3m/s) to Mitchell-Blake’s 20.17. Italy’s Filippo Tortu took bronze in 20.27.
“I knew that I was faster than other guys on the track because of my 100m,” said Hughes. “I really did the damage on the bend, I really dominated on it.”
Zharnel Hughes wins the 200m title at the European Championships in Munich (© Getty Images)
The women’s 1500m saw Laura Muir crown a busy summer of championship racing by retaining her European title in typically dominant fashion. Muir – who won bronze in the world 1500m final last month and gold over 1500m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – added another gold here with a vicious last lap that no one could live with.
Ireland’s Ciara Mageean had taken the pace out early, passing 400m in a steady 64.60, and Muir swung around the field and assumed command with two laps to run, passing 800m in 2:11.41 and 1200m in 3:15.24. By then she had the field at full stretch, with only Mageean able to go with her surge at the bell. But try as she might, the Irishwoman couldn’t match Muir around the final bend and the Briton pulled clear to win in 4:01.08, her last lap covered in 60.39.
Mageean hung on well for second to claim Ireland’s first medal of the championships in 4:02.56, with Poland’s Sofia Ennaoui third in 4:03.59.
“I knew my speed was the best for the last lap so I just tried to hold it, and to control the race then use my supply kick,” said Muir. “I hoped I could get to that line. I knew I had to run really well today to beat Ciara. It was a good battle out there, and I am just pleased I could come away with a win.”
Laura Muir celebrates her 1500m victory at the European Championships in Munich (© Getty Images)
In the men’s 3000m steeplechase, Finland’s Topi Raitanen utilised his vast range of gears on the last lap to take victory in 8:21.80, with Italian duo Ahmed Abdelwahed and Osama Zoghlami following him home in 8:22.35 and 8:23.44 respectively.
“It is unbelievable,” said Raitanen. “I knew I was one of the guys who could definitely win. I do not have the fastest times, but my race tactics were really good. I am really fast on the last lap so that was my goal. I wanted to control the race.”
In the men’s discus, 19-year-old Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania threw a championship record of 69.78m to take gold ahead of world champion Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia, who threw 68.28m for silver, with Britain’s Lawrence Okoye winning bronze with 67.14m.
Discus champion Mykolas Alekna at the European Championships in Munich (© Getty Images)
“I am really happy to win the championships,” said Alekna, whose first European title came 16 years after his father, Virgilijus, achieved the same feat. “I am still young, I expect that my journey will be a long one. Kristjan is a very strong athlete, maybe today wasn't his day but next year is going to be even better than this one. The rivalry between us will be tough.”
Ceh was gracious in defeat. “The best won today,” he said. “I normally can throw 70m easily but today it was around 68m. It did not work for me. Maybe because of the circle, maybe because of the conditions, I do not know. A medal is a medal so I will take it. Congrats to Alekna.”
The women’s triple jump saw Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk take gold with a European lead and PB of 15.02m, with Finland’s Kristiina Makela taking silver with a national record of 14.64m and Israel’s Hanna Minenko winning bronze with 14.45m. Bekh-Romanchuk had seized control with a 14.81m effort in the first round and she saved her best for the fifth round, her winning effort done with an ideal 1.9m/s tailwind.
“I am really, really happy because I felt very supported by the German fans and from my family, my husband and others,” said Bekh-Romanchuk, who finished fourth in the long jump final the day before. “Today, I won the gold medal because of them.”
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics
