The initial track final of the evening delivered a stellar performance from Karsten Warholm, who maintained his dominant position in the European 400m hurdles. Accelerating around the Stadio Olimpico, he set a new championship record, 46.98 seconds, solidifying his stature as the world record holder from Norway. Surveying the stadium clock, he confirmed his prodigious and astounding endeavour.
Quick on his heels, Femke Bol equally reprised her title in the 400m hurdles with a new championship record of 52.49 seconds. The 24-year-old Dutch marvel clinched the victory with a noteworthy lead of nearly two seconds and patted herself on the back for such a gratifying performance.
Despite being in close proximity to the Paris Olympics, the European Championships proved their significance. Clearly, both Warholm and Bol are riding high on their victories in Rome, approaching Paris with pure gold aspirations.
Warholm, 28, continues his winning streak from the Tokyo Olympics which were rescheduled three years ago, where he stole the show with a world record of 45.94 seconds. This recent winning title marks his third consecutive European title, supplementing his collection of three World Championship titles.
Warholm had a 0.52 second lead over Alessandro Sibilio of Italy, who nabbed Italy’s 18th medal of the championships with a national record of 47.50 seconds. Carl Bengtstrom of Sweden also set a national record of 47.94 seconds to secure a bronze medal.
Bol, on the other hand, has set her sights firmly on the women’s 4x400m relay in the closing session on Wednesday, ready to defend her title there too. Her impressive time of 52.49 seconds makes it the fastest this year, further emphasising her Paris-based objectives.
Bol sprinted with a lead of over 10 metres. Louise Maraval of France managed to secure the silver medal with a personal best of 54.23 seconds, while Bol’s team-mate, Cathelijn Peeters, came third with a time of 54.37 seconds.
Stadium excitement was further amplified during the women’s 10,000m final as home favourite Nadia Battocletti secured her second gold medal for Italy. Battocletti also set a national record of 30:51.32, adding to her 5,000m gold. The last 600m of her run saw her leaving behind Diane Van Es of the Netherlands as 22-year-old Megan Keith nabbed the bronze medal for Britain.
In the finale, Irish competitors Anika Thompson and Laura Mooney secured 20th and 26th position respectively, with Thompson registering a time of 33:19.42 and Mooney finishing at 34:03.94.
Gianmarco Tamberi was successful in achieving gold in the high jump, living up to Italy’s hopes as he was the sole person to overcome the 2.31m record. He then uplifted the European marker to 2.34m, delighting the audience by conquering that too. Initially, he implied an ankle injury, but he then relished the enthusiastic cheer from the audience. Subsequently, he made another leap and set a novel championship record by clearing a height of 2.37m, now shifting his ambition towards Paris.
Closing Wednesday night’s session, all eyes were on reigning Olympic 1,500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen. The 23-year-old displayed a seamless tactical running display to win the 5,000m, he was beyond the entire field from the onset and seemingly invincible.
We should never conclude early when it comes to championship finals. Andrew Coscoran’s audacious and wisely timed run earned him a spot in the 1,500m final, placing him potentially close to the additional medal decisions. Coscoran, 27 from Dublin, knows it is important to negate taking chances at the 1,500m finals. He managed to avoid any untoward incidents by taking the lead just before the bell during his semi-final. A mishap ensued just after the last 400m, resulting in five of his competitors falling, a reminder of the potential havoc during the qualifying stages being so close.
Later, all five of those who tripped were readmitted to the final based on appeals, broadening the finalist circle to 17 from the standard 12, likely laying the groundwork for further competition.
With automatic qualification only extended to the first six finishers in the two semi-finals, Coscoran managed to secure the fifth spot with a time of 3:38.52. Renowned for his composed performance, Ingebrigtsen from Norway clinched the victory, impressively closing late to finish in 3:37.65.