One has to go back to 2018 for the previous European athletics championships, the ones planned for Paris in 2020 having been cancelled (perhaps in an excess of caution) due to the epidemic. I was somewhat apprehensive before the beginning of this year's championships. A little bit over a month after the World Championships (and for the british and cypriot athletes, with the Commonwealth Games in between) one could fear hard choices on behalf of the athletes favouring the World's over the European's. Well, my fears turned out to be unjustified. The 2022 Europeans were of a very high level, the only negative point being the organisation of the results. European Athletics have some things to learn from World Athletics on this point. Can you imagine that there were no photo-finish images included in the official results? I had to go painstakingly through the videos (as always, I am recording everything) in order to find the relevant photo-finish images.
The 2022 edition of the Europeans saw a triumph of the Greek team who obtained the 4th position in the medal classification with four gold and one silver medal. (Just for comparison, my adoptive country, France, was 22nd without a gold medal, following the withdrawal of Mayer and the millisecond decision in the 100 m hurdles which relegated Martinot-Lagarde to second place). The success of the greek colours were mainly due to the exceptional feat of A. Drisbioti (I definitely reject the unpronounceable transcription of her name to Ntrismpioti) who won both women racewalking events, the 35 km and a few days later the 20 km.
It is true that women have had only few occasions to contest two events in major championships, since the 50 km was added in the 2017 World's and was transformed to 35 km (along with the men's race) starting from this year. Be that as it may, Drisbioti's accomplishment is unique, athough to be fair, peruvian racewalker Kimberly García did win the two women's races in Oregon. Drisbioti's success compelled me to write about racewalking, which, as the readers of this blog know well, is a no-no. (But as I explain on each and every occasion, while I reject the discipline, I have a great respect for the athletes who train hard for this unnatural event).
It was not clear whether M. Jacobs would be in top shape after having withdrawn before the semis in Eugene. But the fears were exaggerated and Jacobs obtained another major title winning the race with 9.95 s, equalling the championships record.
The women's race was more eventful. M. Kambundji was leading up to 90 m, where curiously she lost her coordination allowing Luckenkemper and Neita to come to her level. The photo-finish saw Luckenkemper winning the race in 10.99 s with Kambundji second with the same time (they differed by milliseconds) Neita being third in 11.00 s.
Kambundji took her vengeance in the 200 m that she won in 22.32 s, while Asher-Smith (who limped to the finish line in the 100 m) was second in 22.43 s. The men's 200 m was won by Hughes (who was second in the 100 m) with 20.07 s, F. Tortu winning the bronze medal. In fact it is somewhat bizarre to see Tortu, a sub-10 100 m runner, focusing on the longer distance, but I think that it is the presence of Jacobs in the 100 m that pushes him to seek (and, in this case, to obtain) success in the 200 m.
World bronze medalist Hudson-Smith completed his medal collection with a european gold (after having obtained silver in the Commonwealth Games) running in 44.53 s. F. Bol attempted something that was never done before in a major championship, winning both the flat and the hurdles 400 m. And she did succeed. Winning the flat race was in theory the most difficult part due to the presence of the polish specialists and her teammate L. Klaver. Bol won in 49.44 s, ahead of Kaczmarek 49.94 s, while Klaver, running in the 8th lane started way too fast and she did not have any reserves when it came to the final sprint fading from 2nd to 6th in 50.56 s. The one athlete I remarked was R. Adeleke of Ireland who, running in lane 1, was in medal contention up to 300 m, finishing 5th in 50.53 s. I will keep an eye open for her.
K. Hodgkinson was the favourite for the 800 m and won the race after taking the control of it at the bell. (Of course, being the favourite does not guarantee anything as Hodgkinson herself learned to her detriment, having lost the Commonwealth title to Moraa whom she had beaten at the World's). R. Lamote added another european silver to her collection after the ones won in Amsterdam and Berlin.
The men's race saw the victory of Mariano García (I have to specify his given name since there are so many Garcías in the spanish team) in 1:44.85. The surprise winner of the world 1500 m title, J. Wightman, decided to try his hand in the shorter distance and he managed to obtain silver in 1:44.91. It is clear, given his powerful finish, that his victory in Eugene was not a fluke. Once more P. Dobek did disappoint me exiting at the semis.
The women's 1500 m was won by L. Muir who really dominated the race assuming the control with two laps to go. She won in 4:01.08 ahead of C. Mageean (I must keep an eye open for her) and S. Ennaoui who confirmed her excellent shape of the World's finishing third.
At this point I cannot refrain from reporting a Commonwealth Games conflict. Muir participated not only in the 1500 m (which she won ahead of Mageean) but also in the 800 m finishing third with L. Goule fourth. And then the Jamaican team protested claiming that Goule did in fact beat Muir. The photo-finish, with a blow-up of the pertinent part is shown below. And my question is the same as always: why do the judges strive to separate the athletes by doubtful milliseconds instead of accepting that in some cases they can declare a dead heat? Milliseconds linked to a human-eye appreciation are pushing track events towards unfairness.
J. Ingebrigtsen won both the 1500 m and the 5000 m as he had done four years ago. Only this time that was not a real surprise, the 18 year old talent in Berlin is now, at 22, the best miler in the world. The 1500 m was a fast race that did not leave any chance to the challengers and which was won in 3:32.76. The 5000 m was rather tactical (13:21.13) but even fast finishers like Katir and Crippa could not match Ingebrigtsen's speed and had to settle for silver and bronze.
K. Klosterhalfen created the surprise, to the spectators delight, winning the 5000 m in 14:50.47, beating Y. Can who had won the 10000 m a few days before (in 30:32.57). Klosterhalfen was 4th in the longer distance, where the medals were won by E. McColgan (she also won bronze in the 5000 m) and L. Salpeter (who after her success in the marathon in Eugene opted for the distance where she had won gold in Berlin, this time having to content herself with bronze).
The women's marathon was won by A. Lisowska, essentially unknown prior to Munich, in 2:28:36 while the men's race was won in a spectacular finish by R. Ringer in 2:10:21.
The fact that Ringer comes from track events (he had won european bronze in 2016 over 5000 m) explains his capacity to change gear at 200 m from the arrival. Two israeli runners obtained silver and bronze bringing the total to an astonishing four israelis in the first 10 finishers.
Men's 3000 m steeple was a boring race won by Raitanen in 8:21.80. The days of the european supremacy in this event are, alas, long past. On the contrary the women's race was a most interesting one where the future winner and pre-race favourite, L. Gega, took control of the race from the outset, never relinquishing it. Gega has a long experience in leading races and, now that she found her real specialty, she is making the maximum of it. She was never threatened, winning in 9:11.31, a championships record. I was keeping an eye on T. Güvenç, who finished 5th in the final but who, I believe, has real potential.
The men's 110 m hurdles was again a sad millisecond story. Martinot-Lagarde and Martinez finished together in 13.17 s but the photo-finish "gods" managed to find a one millisecond difference between the two offering gold to Martinez. How can these people sleep during the night knowing that they are spoliating athletes of their rightful rewards? France had three athletes in the final garnering silver with S. Zhoya falling at the 10th hurdle.
C. Sember was the favourite of the women's 100 m hurdles but she hit the second hurdle and was essentially out of the race. The race was won by P. Skryszowska in 12.53 s, ahead of L. Kozak 12.69 and D. Kambundji (the younger sister of Mujinga) who managed to overtake N. Visser at the 9th hurdle winning bronze in 12.74.
Bol won the 400 m hurdles in 52.67 s (a championships record) with Tkachuk and Ryzhykova completing the podium.I was keeping an eye on A. Iuel who ran an excellent 54.68 s in the semis but she could do no better than 5th in the final.
Before the men's 400 m hurdles the same tv commentators who were giving a chance to Bol over McLaughlin were discussing the possibility of Happio beating Warholm. What nonsense! Happio is a great hurdler but Warholm is a class of his own and he showed it in Munich winning with great ease in 47.12 s. Eugene is a thing of the past, due essentially to Warholm starting late the competition season and injuring himself on his first outing. Mind you, I do not imply that life will be easy for him now that Dos Santos is progressing. Given the great talent of the latter, Warholm will find himself in trouble already in 2023 and the record may change owner, but as far as Europe is concerned Warholm is still the indisputable number one. The men's low-hurdles race was another occasion for a photo-finish disaster. Just have a look. (Warholm is out of the frame and Happio is well ahead of the other three but how can one distinguish between Copello, Vaillant and Abuaku: again through those pesky milliseconds).
Great Britain won, as expected the men's relay in 37.67 s, ahead of France the bronze medal going to an astonishing Poland, profiting perhaps from the fact that the german team did not finish. The fortune were reversed in the women's race. Great Britain and France did not finish the race and Germany won in 42.34 ahead of Poland (again!) and Italy. The team of Spain that finished 5th in the World Championships could do no better than 4th in Munich. Great Britain won also the men's 4x400 m, in 2:59.35, with Belgium once more on the podium thanks also to an impressive anchor by D. Borlée (44.49 s). France was third.
The Dutch team won the women's 4x400 m relay. As expected, Klaver and Bol were impressive with 49.20 s split for the first, the latter anchoring in 48.52 s. Poland was second and Great Britain third. The women's team of Belgium was just outside the medals (in a national record of 3:22.12) despite a great 49.33 s split by H. Ponette.
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