One more day he can reserve great satisfaction for Italy’s athletics team, the fourth which sees many Italians involved, some of whom have a good chance of aiming for the podium. Sara Fantini in the hammer throw final, the new name Luca Sito in the 400 meters, Filippo Tortu in the 200 and Osama Zoghlami in the 3000 steeplechase they have a good chance of aiming for the medal but it is also the day of the debut of Pietro Arese and Federico Riva in the 1500s, by Eloisa Coiro and Elena Bellò in the 19th century, While Alessandro Sibilio and Ayomide Folorunso they are aiming for the final in the 400 hurdles.
MORNING SESSION. She took the decathlon immediately with the 100m, then with the long jump and the shot put in the morning session. The reigning German champion returns to the scene for the continental competition Niklas Kaul, the Estonian Janek Oiglane and the French Kevin Mayer, two-time world champion and world record holder. Another Estonian athlete, Johannes Erm, can boast the best European score of 2024, followed by the Germans Nowak and Wolter, with the absence of number one Neugebauer. The U23 category sees the participation of the Norwegians Sander Skotheim, 22, and Markus Rooth, 23. The Italian record holder Dario Dester, sixth in Monaco two years ago, enters the race together with his Italian teammate Lorenzo Naidon, also capable of exceeding 8000 points.
The qualification of the pole vault is highly anticipated. Armand Duplantis seeks third success and aims to equal two other great names of the past, the French Renaud Lavillenie and the German Wolfgang Nordwig, the latter winning over fifty years ago. The Swedish phenomenon, current world record holder with 6.24 metres, appears on the platform together with the two medalists from Munich 2022, the German Bo Kanda Lita Baehre and the Norwegian Pal Haugen Lillefosse. Prices are high for the other German Torben Blech and for the Greek Emmanouil Karalis, world indoor bronze. There are those who aspire to a good European Championship the Turkish Sasma, the French Collet and the proven Polish Lisek, who, however, has never reached the podium in a European summer championship. The Italian athletes called up are the promising young man Simone Bertelli and the more expert Claudio Stecchi, recovering from many physical problems.
In the women’s javelin (qualifications in two groups) the young surprises of Europe in Monaco, the Greek Elina Tzéngo and the Serbian Adriana Vilagos, they will try to replicate the exploit at the Olimpico. The favorite for the best seasonal results is the Austrian Victoria Hudson, but the news is represented by the recent Spanish naturalization of the Cuban Yulenmis Aguilar, which seems to have all it takes to aim high. There are also those looking for the perfect launch the Czech Ogrodnikova, the Polish Andrejczyk, the Latvian Sietina and the Norwegian Borge. Also present is the German Hussong, winner of gold in Berlin in 2018. Federica Botter is competing for Italy.
The adventure of the 200 women begins with the batteries. The Swiss Mujinga Kambundji will defend the title won in Monaco, even if so far he has not shown the same brilliance as in past seasons. Among the competitors, the leading British one is Daryll Neita, who starts with the underdogs. Given the seasonal trend, a medal seems possible even with less than stellar weather. Among the possible candidates for the podium there is also the young Norwegian Henriette Jaeger. Also competing are the Italian Dalia Kaddari, already bronze in Monaco with the relay, and the Spanish Jael Bestue. Also underway for Italy Irene Siragusa.
Following the heats of one of the most anticipated races of the entire European Championship, that of 1500 meters. The Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, after dominating the 5000m, he is looking for his third consecutive gold, but this time he will not have to contend with the British pair who beat him in the past at the world championships, Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr. To counter the Norwegian phenomenon, there are the compatriot Narve Gilje Nordås, bronze at the world championships, the British Neil Gourley, the young Dutchman Niels Laros and a series of other specialists, including the Italians who are experiencing a golden period, such as the new Italian record holder Pietro Arese, Federico Riva and Ossama Meslek. A very close race is expected, although Ingebrigtsen remains the favorite for the gold medal.
The adventure also begins specialists of the 800 women, with batteries. British star Keely Hodgkinson aims to repeat the success obtained two years ago and to equal the two gold medals of the Yugoslavian Nikolic in the 70s and the Ukrainian Pryshchepa in more recent times. The extraordinary form she showed in Eugene in the Diamond League confirms the superiority of the 22-year-old Briton, who therefore starts as the favourite. Many female athletes are able to reach the final and compete for positions behind Hodgkinson, including the Italians Eloisa Coiro and Elena Bellò, the Finnish Maattanen, the British Alexandra Bell and Erin Wallace and the Slovak Gajanova. Switzerland will not be able to count on Werro’s talent, but they can rely on another promising U23 on the rise, Rosamilia.
The morning session will conclude with two sets of semifinals in the men’s and women’s 400 hurdles. In the men’s race the star Karsten Warholm he is the super favorite after his double between 2018 and 2022, aiming to match German Harald Schmid’s three consecutive golds. Among the members, we find French Wilfried Happio, the last silver winner, and the Turkish Yasmani Copello, who got the last bronze. Furthermore, the presence of numerous talented athletes stands out, including the blue one Alessandro Sibilio, Olympic finalist and temporary seasonal leader after an excellent debut in Ostrava with a time of 48.25, until Warholm opened the season with an impressive 46.70 in Oslo. Among the most promising contenders we find the Slovenian Matic Ian Gucek, who set the national record shortly after Sibilio’s performance in Ostrava, the Estonian expert Rasmus Magi (winner of a silver ten years ago) and the Irish veteran Thomas Barr, bronze medal in Berlin and constantly improving times despite a less brilliant start to the season. The other Italians at the start are Giacomo Bertoncelli and Mario Lambrughi.
In the women’s 400 hurdles, the presence of star Femke Bol suggests a possible, almost predictable encore for the Dutch, one of the most admired figures in world athletics. In Rome, her compatriot joins her Cathelijn Peeters, while in this specialty Italy can count on the national record holder Ayomide Folorunso, the progress of Alice Muraro and the consistently good performance of Linda Olivieri, not very brilliant but yesterday in battery. Among the favourites, we find Ukraine Anna Ryzhykova, which was on the podium in the two previous editions (Ukraine took home a medal on four out of five occasions in the decade from 2012 to 2022), together with the Norwegian Amalie Iuel and the British Lina Nielsen.
EVENING SESSION. We start with the high jump of the decathlon, which will continue later with the fifth and final test of the opening day, the 400 meters. Scheduled at 8.15pm the women’s pole vault final. The competition features most of the protagonists of the European Championship from two years ago, when the Finnish Wilma Murto won over the Greek Katerina Stefanidi (winner of two European outdoor titles, as well as the Olympic and world titles in the previous decade) while the Slovenian Tina Sutej had to withdraw due to injury. The British team is currently at the top of the seasonal rankings Molly Caudery, indoor world champion. Among the best specialized athletes we find the Italians Roberta Bruni and Elisa Molinarolo, the Czech Svabikova and the Swiss Moser.
They will then compete the semi-finals of the women’s 200 with all the big names on the track, then a very interesting match for Italy, the women’s hammer throw final where the blue Sara Fantini, Italian record holder and third place two years ago, finds herself challenging world record holder Anita Wlodarczyk, who boasts four consecutive European titles, absent two years ago due to injury. The best seasonal athletes are separated by about three meters, a gap that is also involving the Finnish Kosonen and the Moldovan Marghiev. Watch out for Danish Jacobsen, the best yesterday in qualifying.
We proceed to the final of the 400 men. Among the favourites, highlighted by their results and performances, the Belgian indoor world champion stands out Alexander Doom and the British Charlie Dobson, whose record speaks for itself: although he has not often run the 400 meters (he has participated in only six official events without ever competing in heats or semi-finals), he has won every time. There are Italian athletes chasing a prestigious result Edoardo Scotti and Luca Sito, returning from their exploits in the 4×400 mixed race.
In the women’s 400m finalPolish Natalia Kaczmarek is aiming for the top step of the podium after winning the silver medal two years ago, behind the Dutch Femke Bol, this year entered in the 400 hurdles. Among the most anticipated there is also the other Dutch one Lieke Klaver and the Irish Rhasidat Adeleke. A last minute surprise is the eighteen year old Czech Gloria Manuel, while the Norwegian Jaeger presents herself as another strong medal card. The Italian athletes competing are Alice Mangione, Anna Polinari, fired up by the silver in the 4×400 mixed race, and Giancarla Trevisan.
There are no Italians, after Elena Vallortigara’s disappointing qualification in the final of the tall women. Another first-rate star in the world firmament present in Rome is the Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh, world and European champion. At the European Championship he finds the challenge with the rising talent of the Serbian Angelina Topic, daughter of art and winner of bronze two years ago. The race is full of athletes who have achieved important results, from the Bulgarian Demireva (Olympic silver in Rio), to the Slovenian Lia Apostolovski (world indoor bronze in 2024), up to the Ukrainian Iryna Gerashchenko. Watch out for Turkish outsider Buse Savaskan.
Another final to follow, that of the 3000 men steeplechase. The Finn looks out from the top of the Monaco rankings Topi Raitanen, the Italian Osama Zoghlami and the Spanish Daniel Arce, the latter with the best seasonal performance. In this race, which has provided surprises several times, as in the recent case of Raitanen and in the past of another Finn, Keskisalo, other continental talents also stand out. Among the best athletes on the continent we find the Italian Yassin Bouih, the Germans Ruppert and Bebendorf, the French Bedrani and Miellet, and the British Pearce.
At the end of the evening, the Frenchman Pablo Mateo stands out as the main favorite for the men’s 200m. He recorded the best time of the season (20.03) and demonstrated constant physical form. Next to him, another name to consider is that of Ryan Zeze, flanked by German Joshua Hartmann. Among the members, we find only the blue one Filippo Tortu among the protagonists of the podium at Munich 2022, an athlete with Olympic experience and a notable world silver in the 4×100 relay in both Tokyo and Budapest. Fausto Desalu represents Italy with the best time of the season, taking the Olympic gold with him. The focus is also on Timothé Mumenthaler, a Swiss whose performance is on the rise, and the Israeli Blessing Afrifah.
