Yesterday, August 16, marked the final day of the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. The final proved to be spectacular, featuring new records, dramatic finishes, and a fierce battle for the top spot in the medal standings right up until the very last event.
Once again, Armand Duplantis emerged as the evening's main star. The Swedish athlete won the pole vault with a mark of 6.15 m, setting a new European Championships record and securing his fourth consecutive European title. Emmanuel Karalis claimed the silver medal with a result of 6.00 m.
British athlete Amy Hunt concluded the tournament with an impressive performance. Her victory in the mixed 4x100m relay marked her fourth gold medal at a single European Championship. The British team also set a new European record with a time of 39.97 seconds.
In the women's 1500m race, British runner Georgia Hunter Bell took the victory. She executed a very strong final lap, crossing the finish line first with a time of 4:07.78.
One of the most thrilling conclusions unfolded in the women's long jump event. Italian athlete Larissa Iapichino claimed victory with a leap of 7.00 m, while Great Britain's Jazmin Sawyers finished just one centimeter behind her at 6.99 m. Remarkably, the top five athletes were separated by a mere six centimeters.
The marathons took place in the morning. Finland's Alisa Vainio won the women's race with a time of 2:22:26, significantly improving the championship record. In the men's event, Germany's Amanal Petros was victorious, clocking 2:09:11.
Two more individual gold medals were awarded yesterday to Germany's Frederik Ruppert in the 3000m steeplechase and Croatia's Sara Kolak in the javelin throw.
The ultimate team narrative was decided in the championship's very last event. Italy won the men's 4x400m relay, which propelled them to finish first in the overall medal standings with 10 gold, 6 silver, and 6 bronze medals—a total of 22.
Great Britain finished second, with Germany in third place.
Summary:
Duplantis was magnificent once again, Hunt secured four gold medals, a single centimeter made all the difference in the long jump, and Italy clinched the overall championship victory right at the finish line.
