As the European Athletics Championships draw to a close, the finals start stacking up. The penultimate day is usually the best, and in front of a packed Olympiastadion in Berlin, the continent's finest did not fail to impress. On a glorious Saturday evening, history was written, records were broken, and the home crowd went home happy.
German Gold Rush
After a slow start, the hosts had started to collect precious metal. Arthur Abele had won gold in the decathlon, which was followed by Thomas Röhler and Christin Hussong in the men's and women's javelin. Super Saturday would see Germany's best evening yet, with two golds as well as a silver and a bronze.
The first gold of the evening was in the men's high jump, where home favourite Mateusz Przybylko thrilled the home crowd with a stunning display.
With a clean card all the way up to his winning height of 2.35 metres, the 26 year old Rhinelander equalled his lifetime best to claim the gold ahead of Belarussian Maksim Nedasekau and Authorised Neutral Russian Ilya Ivanyuk. He then attempted a new German outdoor record of 2.38 metres, but it would be a leap too far. His assault on Carlo Thränhardt's 34-year mark of 2.37 will have to wait.
The German leaping was not just high, but long. Soaring out to 6.75 metres, Malaika Mihambo finally fulfilled the promise she had shown as a junior.
In a competition full of drama, the Heidelberg-born 24 year old's jump proved decisive, but she would have some nervous moments as her opponents closed in on her in the latter stages of the competition. Ukrainian Maryna Bekh had everybody on edge as she recorded 6.73 in her final jump, and Britain's Shara Proctor also saved her best until last with 6.70.
As the women's discus approached its conclusion, it looked it was going to be a third gold in the field for the Germans. But having looked off form all evening, Croatian favourite Sandra Perković hurled the one kilo disc out to a distance of 67.62 metres with her penultimate attempt, powering past home favourites Nadine Müller (63.00) and Claudine Vita (61.25).
Just to add to the drama, the third German, Shanice Craft, edged out her team mate Vita for the bronze with a final throw of 62.46 metres.
Polish Delight
Poland have had a fantastic week in Berlin, and had heir best evening yet with three stunning gold medals, including two for one-lap sprinter Justyna Święty-Ersetic.
As the evening got underway, Święty-Ersetic stormed to the tape in a time of 50.41 seconds, faster than any other European this season. In the final straight, the Pole has far too much strength that Greek María Belibasáki, whose brave run rewarded her with a national record time of 50.45. In third place was Dutchwoman Lisanne de Witte, who also set a new national record of 50.77.
The Poles' dominance of the track continued in the men's 800m, where defending and two-time European Champion Adam Kszczot achieved a magnificent three-peat with a time of 1 minute 44.59 seconds. The 28 year old from Opoczno was far too strong for Swede Andreas Kramer and 2017 World Champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse from France, who had to settle for the minor medals. With a time of 1:45.03, Kramer also set a new national record.
Poland's third gold of the evening came in the women's 4x400m relay, where Święty-Ersetic claimed her second win of the evening with a stunning final charge. After solid runs from her three team mates, the individual champion looked as though she had not raced just a couple if hours earlier. With a patient anchor leg, the 25 year old powered past France to finish in 3:26.5, with defending champions Great Britain grabbing the bronze.
More delight for the Ingebrigtsens
Just the evening before, seventeen year old Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway claimed the 1500m title, making him the third of three brothers to win the same event at different European Championships. If this was not historic enough, he then looked as fresh as a daisy to claim the 5000m title with a time of 13:17.06 - just over a second and a half ahead of elder brother Henrik.
With middle brother Filip injured and unable to start, the rest of Europe did manage to get a medal, in the shape of Frenchman Morhad Amdouni.
If Jakob Ingebrigtsen's 1500m and 5000m double was not impressive enough, he also became - if my statistical knowledge is correct - the youngest-ever double gold medallist at a senior international athletics event.
Triple gold for the Borlée brothers
If the Ingebrigtsen family could take home a case full of medals, the Borlée brothers from Belgium were out to match them. Having won silver and bronze in the individual event, Kevin and Jonathan Borlée were joined by youngest brother Dylan in the 4x400m relay.
Together with Jonathan Sacoor, the Borlée trio put together a truly professional performance, finishing in a time of 2:59.47, a season's best European mark. Great Britain grabbed the silver, ahead of Spain who faded badly in the final straight.
It was the first time that three brothers have won gold in the same relay squad, at any senior championship.
Sadly there is no younger Borlée brother to create a family quartet, but elder sister Olivia was no slouch herself. Now retired from competition, she was one of the quartet that claimed a surprise silver medal for Belgium in the 4x100m relay at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. That silver was later upgraded to gold, following the disqualification of the Russian quartet for doping.
Asher-Smith on the cusp of history
There was one other event on this dramatic evening in Berlin, with British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith storming to a new national record as she retained the women's 200 metre title.
After showing so much promise for so long, Asher-Smith has shown that she is the real deal this season. After smashing the British record in the 100 metres and also setting a season's world best earlier in the week, she pulled off the same feat in the half-lap sprint as well.
With Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands left trailing in her wake, Asher-Smith crossed the line in 21.89 seconds, a quarter of a second in front of the Dutchwoman. The Dutch also claimed the bronze, with Jamile Samuel clocking a personal best time of 22.37.
Asher-Smith's two barnstorming sprints mean that she is the first woman to claim the sprint double at the European Championships since Schippers in 2014, and the eleventh in all. Should she win a third gold in the sprint relay later today, she will match the record held by East Germans Petra Vogt (1969) and Katrin Krabbe (1990).
Given what we now know about the drug-addled East German sports regime, it will be the first untarnished golden treble.
Comments