Femke Bol was crowned queen of the European Athletics Championships after winning a third gold medal while anchoring the Netherlands to their first 4 × 400 meter relay title.
Swede great Armand Duplantis was again the king of the event after closing the circle with consecutive gold medals in Saturday’s pole vault.
On a rainy and action-packed Saturday night, which started with a rainbow over the Olympic Stadium, Albania captured their first ever gold medal at Women’s Chasing Euros. obstacles Luiza Gega, while Great Britain rejoiced in the titles of 800 Keely Hodgkinson and the men’s 4×400 team.
Winner of the 400 and 400 hurdles Bol came from behind and then kicked the straight for victory in a Dutch record of 3 minutes 20.87 seconds, with Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver and Lisanne de Witte.
Poland took silver and Great Britain took bronze.
“It was such an amazing race. I really enjoy racing with my girls and against other riders. This championship is special for me, “Bol said.
In a way, the hurdles sprinter mimicked his iconic compatriot Fanny Blankers-Koen, who won the 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and 4x100m relay at the 1948 Olympics, and the 100m relay at the 1950s. 200 m and 80 m hurdles.
Duplantis rose to fame with gold at the last few Euros in 2018 by improving his personal best by 12cm to 6.05m, and has never looked back outside of a silver medal at the 2019 world championships. reverses.
He won the Olympic gold medal in 2021, the indoor and outdoor world title in 2022 with his fourth and fifth career world records, at 6.20 and 6.21m respectively.
Duplantis was also untouchable for victory on Saturday with a championship record at 6.06m, beating rising German Bo Kanda Lita Baehre (5.85m) and Norway’s Pal Haugen Lillefosse (5.75m).
European indoor champion Hodgkinson has finally taken a major gold in the outdoor 800m after silver medals at last year’s Olympics, world championships and Commonwealth Games in recent weeks.
Hodgkinson ran away from all of his rivals down the straight for a comfortable 1: 59.04 victory ahead of France’s Lamote Renelle (1.59.49) and Poland’s Anna Wielgosz (1: 59.87) for Britain’s second gold in the event, 53 years after Lilian The success of the Council in 1969 in Athens.
“I think it’s more of a mental thing than entering this championship in four and a half weeks. I made sure I was on the ball – I’m just glad I performed well and managed to get away with a gold medal, ”Hodgkinson said.