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Spain&rsquo;s Oscar Husillos famously was the first man across the line in the 2018 World Athletics Indoor Championships 400m final, clocking what would have been a European indoor record of 44.92 only to be later disqualified for a lane infringement.
Three years later, almost to the day, Hussillos finally got some consolation for that disappointment in Birmingham and climbed to the top of the podium at a major international championships when he took the 2021 European indoor title over two laps of the track in the Polish city of Torun. In an interview with the Spanish federation website (<a href="https://www.rfea.es/web/noticias/desarrollo.asp?codigo=13249#.YFysIK9KhPY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the original in Spanish can be read here</a>, and an edited version is published below), Husillos talked about his win in Torun and making the Spanish 400m record his own this coming summer. 
Congratulations on your first 'official' international title. Would you say this win puts behind you the pain of what happened in Birmingham in 2018?
What happened during the 2018 indoor season is difficult to forget. The European title went a long way to healing the scars of what happened in the world indoor championships final&hellip;. but all of this is part of sport and of an athlete's life, there are good and bad moments, and whether or not what happened in Birmingham was absurd is part of that.
To what extent would you say that you have now overcome what happened in Birmingham psychologically? 
I've never had moments of despair as such. It is more related to how I feel and my training marks. I write down all the training sessions that I do and when I look at the ones I did in that year (in 2018) well, I feel bad. But I think that sooner or later I will be back to that level and that I can run that way again.
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In the Torun heats, it was only the first two in each heat that went forward to the semi-finals. What do you think about this system and not having a fastest non-automatic qualifiers? It was a novelty that only athletes with a big Q and not a little q progressed. When we were talking between the coaches and the (Spanish) athletes beforehand, we said that there would be no problem; that it was not necessary to worry about it as we believed all three of us (Husillos, Lucas Bua and Samuel Garcia) would get through and we believed that none of us would have any problem ... but when you see your teammates with marks of 46.9 and 47.0 being left out of the next round, and other athletes have got through with 47.5, it feels a little unfair because it&rsquo;s now obvious that some first round races were more difficult than others.
In the semi-finals, you had to face Pavel Maslak (CZE), Tony van Diepen (NED), and Vladimir Aceti (ITA). Maslak had just beaten you in Madrid and Van Diepen was the bronze medallist from Glasgow 2019 so how did you deal with it?
I saw the draw and talked about it (with the coaches). We knew it was the toughest semi of the three, with four of the top seven in Europe this year. But the issue remained the same; it is a European championship and nobody is going to make it easy for you. The only thing that changed was the strategy, the plan was to win the race in a fast time to get a better lane in the final (although Husillos actually finished second in his semi and won in the final from lane four).
In the final you went out at an what might have been a suicidal pace pace, and passed the 200m at 21.32. What was your thinking behind that? 
Suicidal start? It's possible that it might have turned out that way but I thought out my strategy and decided that I should be the fastest (over the first 300 metres) and I knew that if I took the inside lane and managed to hold it until the last 50 or 60 metres, then it would be difficult for the others to overtake me because I would have a clear run to the line and everyone else would have to come around me. In short: the plan I made with my coach (Luis Angel Caballero) turned out perfectly!
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Your 200m split of 21.32 in Torun was very close to what you did in the semifinals and final in Birmingham (21.30 and 21.26) and was faster than Karsten Warholm (21.35) when equalled the European indoor record with 45.05 to win in Glasgow. What does that data tell you?
In truth, this data tell me little because I know that I was not in good shape as I was in 2018 or as Warholm was in 2019. I only know that the best strategy for the race was to make a very fast first lap and then risk everything on the second lap to keep the inside lane. I also knew that I was not the athlete in the best physical shape in the final but that doesn&rsquo;t always win you championships and medals, and what I do know is how to execute a good strategy in an indoor 400.
Your personal best is 44.73 and the Spanish record is 44.69. Is this summer the moment to snatch that record from (2016 European 200m champion) Bruno Hortelano?
Of course, without any doubt. It is one of the goals of the summer and I would be lying if I told you that I am not thinking about the Spanish record. I finished just fourth-hundredths behind Bruno in that 2018 race in Moraralaz (the Madrid suburb where Hortelano set the record and Husillos got his PB), and that has been a little thorn in my side. I&rsquo;m not obsessed but I want the record, and with good preparation I see myself able to do so.

TORUN, POLAND - MARCH 06: Gold medalist Oscar Husillos of Spain celebrates following his victory in Men's 400 metres during the second session on Day 2 of European Athletics Indoor Championships at Arena Torun on March 06, 2021 in Torun, Poland. Sporting stadiums around Poland remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors.on March 06, 2021 in Torun, Poland. (Photo by Piotr Hawalej/Getty Images)

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Husillos: "I was not the athlete in the best physical shape but that doesn’t always win you championships"

Keely Hodgkinson&rsquo;s assured performance in becoming European indoor 800m champion just four days after her 19th birthday made her the youngest British winner at the championships for more than half a century.&nbsp;
Only Marilyn Neufville, who was 17 when she won the 400m at the 1970 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Vienna in a world best of 53.01, has been a younger British gold medallist.&nbsp;
But in crossing the line in 2:03.88, a last lap of 28.23 taking her comfortably clear of the very experienced Polish duo of Joanna Jozwik and Angelika Cichocka, Hodgkinson also emulated one of the achievements of her mentor, Jenny Meadows.&nbsp;
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Meadows, whose husband Trevor Painter coaches Hodgkinson, was European indoor 800m champion exactly ten years earlier in Paris, although unlike her young charge she was robbed of the full glory of that moment. She finished second on the day in 2:00.50 behind Russia&rsquo;s Yevgeniya Zinurova, who clocked 2:00.10.
A year-and-four-months later, silver turned golden for the Wigan-born athlete as Zinurova&rsquo;s performance, and that of the Russian who finished behind Meadows, Yuliya Rusanova, was discounted due to doping violations.&nbsp;
It was a richly deserved but sadly delayed moment of triumph for an athlete who had earned world bronze in Berlin two years earlier in her personal best of 1:57.93 and an upgraded European silver medal in Barcelona the year before.&nbsp;
Speaking to the BBC after her race in Berlin, Meadows commented: "It proves you should never say never, you should always believe in yourself. If you work hard and keep the faith, good things will happen.&rdquo;&nbsp;
That heart and commitment has contributed to the development of Great Britain&rsquo;s latest middle-distance winner, who earlier this year set a European indoor U20 800m record of 1:59.03.
Hodgkinson's ability to produce the goods in championship racing had been established well before Torun through her gold medal at the 2018 European Athletics U18 Championships in Gyor, Hungary followed in 2019 by bronze at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Boras, Sweden.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always thought it doesn&rsquo;t matter how old you are, as long as you&rsquo;re healthy and doing things right you can be capable of anything,&rdquo; said Hodgkinson in the wake of her Torun victory. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve just got to believe in yourself and not be intimidated by the older girls.&rdquo;&nbsp;
In the years to come Painter and Meadows believe Hodgkinson is capable of beating Kelly Holmes&rsquo;s long-standing British record of 1:56.21. But for the moment this level-headed athlete, born, like her mentor, in Wigan, is focusing on other targets.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not really looking at those expectations,&rdquo; said Hodgkinson, who started a criminology with psychology degree at Leeds Beckett University in the autumn. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just going to carry on and try and enjoy it and put myself forward with the senior girls because it&rsquo;s OK saying: &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s get to the Olympics.&rsquo;&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Reaching Tokyo is an utterly realistic target for a young woman who won the British outdoor title last year with a typically tactically astute display. She has a current outdoor best of 2:01.73 although that mark looks hugely likely to be reduced sooner rather than later.&nbsp;
Meadows confirms that the current intention is for Hodgkinson to seek to add a European U20 gold to the bronze she currently has by taking part in this year&rsquo;s edition in Tallinn, Estonia from 15-18 July &ndash; as a possible precursor for her Olympic debut in the Japanese capital.
&ldquo;We sat down at the end of last season to plan for the 2021 year and it was always the plan to peak in August, whether that be the Olympic Games or the World Junior Championships,&rdquo; Meadows told European Athletics.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;The European U20 Championships was on the plan as a championship to win and would therefore be a good stepping stone along the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;She has golds from the European U18 Championships and now European Indoors so Keely is keen to add the European U20 title too. We will see how the season progresses before we commit to finalising our targets.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hodgkinson remarked in Torun how Painter and Meadows were happy for her to take responsibility for her own performances and to become &ldquo;her own athlete.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Meadows confirms this approach: &ldquo;We had total confidence in Keely&rsquo;s ability to handle the championships both from a physical and mental point of view.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Despite the pandemic, we had managed to fit in most aspects of training during the winter period through being quite innovative and adaptable. Luckily we have a lot of experience of being adaptable and we make sure we explain things to Keely regarding objectives of sessions and future direction so that she &lsquo;buys in&rsquo; to the plan and can be confident knowing the process she is going through.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;We knew therefore that all the training she needed had been completed going into Torun and she had all the tools she needed.&rdquo;
And these tools, plus some guidance from one of the greatest British 800m runners in history, could take her a very long way in the sport.

TORUN, POLAND - MARCH 07: Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain (R) celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the Women's 800 metres final during the second session on Day 3 of the European Athletics Indoor Championships at Arena Torun on March 07, 2021 in Torun, Poland. Sporting stadiums around Poland remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Piotr Hawalej/Getty Images)

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After breakthrough in Torun, Hodgkinson sets sights on Tallinn and Tokyo

In the sixth and final episode of European Athletics&rsquo; mini-documentary series My Story, Germany&rsquo;s Malaika Mihambo narrates her journey from fulfilling the vast potential she displayed as a junior to becoming the reigning world and European champion in the long jump.
&ldquo;Maybe I started dreaming about being number one when I was 12 but these were just dreams,&rdquo; remembered Mihambo who took up athletics during summer school when she was a youngster
Mihambo has gone on to dominate the event in the last two seasons but the German candidly admits there were times as a younger athlete when she struggled with self-doubts and fears.
&ldquo;When I was a younger athlete, I was often struggling with myself, that I was also not believing in my potential,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Dealing with all those thoughts and getting to know myself has helped me to become a better athlete.&rdquo;
Mihambo explained how journalising, reflecting and meditating has helped her to fulfil her potential and how meditation played a key part in her winning jump at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. After two rounds, Mihambo found herself on the cusp of elimination before producing the longest jump of her career so far with her third attempt.
On her winning third round jump, Mihambo said: &ldquo;I just started to meditate and then I just let go of everything in that moment...I was certainly quite happy with the distance of 7.30m!&rdquo;
The episode can be watched in full below.
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Mihambo: “When I was 12 I dreamt of being number one but these were just dreams”

As predicted, there was a Polish winner in the women&rsquo;s hammer on the second day of the European Throwing Cup in Split, Croatia on Sunday (9) but on this occasion Malwina Kopron had the beating of her more illustrious compatriot Anita Wlodarczyk.
Still in the very early stages of her comeback after knee surgery, Wlodarczyk assumed an early lead with 72.37m in the second round but Kopron responded in the fourth round with 72.82m to usurp the world record-holder. Neither athlete improved with their remaining throws.
&ldquo;I feel really good but I&rsquo;m tired. The competition was more than two hours long. I&rsquo;m tired but I&rsquo;m really proud of myself,&rdquo; said Kopron, who won a bronze medal behind Wlodarczyk at the World Athletics Championships in 2017.
She added: &ldquo;Today my technique wasn&rsquo;t too good. In training I had better results and I thought I would maybe throw 75 metres. It&rsquo;s my first competition though and I hope for better results in Ostrava.&rdquo;
Wlodarczyk will also compete in Ostrava on 19 May and the standard bearer of the event for more than a decade now is pleased with how her comeback is gathering pace on the path to a possible third Olympic gold medal in Tokyo this summer.
&ldquo;I am coming back onto the circuit after two long years which were very tough and painful for me. If someone told me at the time I will come back like this, I would hardly believe it! But now I am sure it is possible. The most important thing is that I feel good in training,&rdquo; said Wlodarczyk, a winner of the European Throwing Cup in 2008 and 2009.
&ldquo;We have planned everything towards Tokyo where I want to fight for my third gold like Barbora &Scaron;pot&aacute;kov&aacute;. I believe I can still throw far. It was very emotional to come back to Split after 13 years when I won with 71.84m. Of course it is harder to motivate yourself because I miss the crowd like in Beijing or so but we have to enjoy all my competitions.&rdquo;
European leader Alexandra Tavernier from France finished third with 70.55m while reigning champion Hanna Malyshik from Belarus had to relinquish her title in fourth with 70.42m.
There was movement in the standings in the last round of the discus as Hungary&rsquo;s Janos Huszak extinguished the prospect of a rare Icelandic victory at the European Throwing Cup by reaching out to 65.35m on his sixth attempt.&nbsp;
This mark comfortably bettered the lead which had been held by Iceland&rsquo;s Guoni Valur Gudnason since the second round with 63.66m. And while pleased to come away with the victory, the Hungarian was disappointed to narrowly miss the Olympic qualifying standard of 66.00m.
&ldquo;Coming here, my aim was to throw 66 metres. But it is just the start of the season and I think I can add some distance at the next competition. The victory is a nice stepping stone towards this season,&rdquo; he said.
Eleventh after five throws, Czech Republic&rsquo;s Marek Barta slingshotted himself up to third in the overall standings with his sixth round throw of 63.33m to overtake the likes of Germany&rsquo;s David Wrobel and reigning champion Philip Milanov who were fourth and fifth respectively.
The women&rsquo;s discus was the last event to be showcased and it also reached a dramatic conclusion. Liliana Ca supplanted Germany's Shanice Craft with her sixth round throw of 62.80m although there was very nearly another twist in the plot as her compatriot Ines Rodrigues came within one centimetre of Ca to ensure a Portuguese one-two in the event. Craft had to settle for third with 62.05m.
Another outstanding result came from Serbia&rsquo;s Adriana Vilagos who won the U23 women&rsquo;s javelin by more than four metres with 60.22m at the age of 17. Not only was Vilagos making her international debut, she was competing against throwers more than five years her senior.
&ldquo;I am so happy,&rdquo; said the former handball player. &ldquo;My goal for this competition was to throw over 58 metres so I&rsquo;m so happy to throw over 60 metres. I didn&rsquo;t expect to be first.&rdquo;
Full results can be found <a href="https://liveresults.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

SPLIT, CROATIA - MAY 09: Malwina Kopron of Poland competes in the Women’s Hammer throw Final during day 2 of the European Throwing Cup on May 9, 2021 in Split, Croatia. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)

Womens Hammer 20

Kopron defeats Wlodarczyk in the hammer at the European Throwing Cup

Maria Andrejczyk from Poland produced the standout performance of the weekend at the European Throwing Cup in Split, Croatia on Sunday (9) with an incredible first round throw of 71.40m in the javelin.
The Pole&rsquo;s lifetime best and national record stood at 67.11m from the qualifying round of the 2016 Olympic Games before this afternoon but that mark was ameliorated by more than four metres with an effort which left Andrejczyk visibly shocked and her rivals incredulous.
Not only did Andrejczyk smash her lifetime best, she consigned Mariya Abakumova&rsquo;s event record of 69.34m to history and became just the fifth woman in history to break the 70 metre-barrier with the current specification javelin. She almost surpassed this vaunted barrier again with her fourth effort which landed at 69.68m.
Andrejczyk was only 20 when she set her now-surpassed lifetime best of 67.11m at the 2016 Olympic Games but her budding career stalled badly after she had to undergo shoulder surgery the following season. After two or three seasons in the wilderness, Andrejczyk has suddenly installed herself as the early gold medal favourite for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
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&ldquo;I feel overwhelmed right now. I was expecting something but 71 metres? It feels great to open the season with such a result but I hope there is more to come. We still have the Olympics,&rdquo; said Andrejczyk who credits her performance to being injury free and healthy.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This is the first year since 2016 which I have prepared without any injuries or health problems. This year, I have completed each training cycle successfully and finally I&rsquo;ve been able to do the hard work without any problems. I think that was the main key to achieve such a great result.&rdquo;
Andrejczyk moved to third on the world all-time list behind Barbora Spotakova&rsquo;s 72.28m and ex-world record-holder Osleidys Menendez from Cuba with 71.70m but despite being within one metre of world record territory, the Pole is not thinking about revising the record books.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think right now about the world record. I think about the hard work I need to do before the Olympics,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It was a really good throw; I put my whole self into that throw but I still know I can work on the run-up. There are still things to fix so me and my coach will be working on it.&rdquo;
Andrejczyk's next major competition will be the European Athletics Team Championships Super League on home soil in Silesia on 29-30 May.
Reigning European champion Christin Hussong from Germany was a distant second albeit with a creditable season&rsquo;s best of 66.44m with Belarus&rsquo; Tatsiana Khaladovich, her predecessor as European champion, third with 62.88m.
Full day two results can be found <a href="https://liveresults.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

SPLIT, CROATIA - MAY 09: Maria Andrejczyk of Poland competes in the Women�s Javelin throw Final during day 2 of the European Throwing Cup on May 9, 2021 in Split, Croatia. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)

Womens Javelin 32

Andrejczyk stuns with 71.40m javelin at the European Throwing Cup

Germany&rsquo;s Johannes Vetter continued his spectacular start to the season with another phenomenal series of throws on the first day of the European Throwing Cup in Split, Croatia on Saturday (8).
Vetter surpassed the 90 metre-line with his very first throw of the competition which gave rise to further speculation that the 2017 world champion might threaten his world lead of 91.50m and quite possibly his event record of 92.70m.&nbsp;
And even though Vetter did not improve on his opening throw of 91.12m, the German produced six valid throws which averaged out at 88.66m - a distance nobody else has surpassed thus far in 2021. He also surpassed the 90 metre-line with his second attempt at 90.43m to duly accomplish the pre-competition goal set by his coach Boris Obergfoll.
&ldquo;I felt good today,&rdquo; said Vetter. &ldquo;It was quite tough because the runway was too soft for my speed and bodyweight. It was a little bit slippery and the wind was not that good but I asked my coach at the beginning of the week what the goal should be for the week: he told me two times over 90 metres so I think I did a good job.&rdquo;
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Vetter&rsquo;s next competition will be the Ostrava Golden Spike on 19 May when he will look to continue to ride his fine early season momentum.
&ldquo;I just try to keep myself relaxed, I just want to improve from competition to competition and I think I did a good next step today. My next competition is in Ostrava so hopefully I can improve there. The plan is to continue to improve through until the Olympic Games so let&rsquo;s see how it goes,&rdquo; said Vetter.
And while the javelin was very much a one-man show with Vetter the leading protagonist, there were some good throws behind the German. Moldova&rsquo;s Andrian Mardare improved his national record to 86.66m in the third round - a mark only surpassed by Vetter in European Throwing Cup history.&nbsp;
"We are very satisfied because this is a qualifying for the Olympic Games,&rdquo; said Mardare. "Over 85 metres was our goal with my coach [Valeriu Lungu] and we hope to repeat this all season."
The first German victory of the day in the senior events came from former heptathlete Sara Gambetta who set an outright lifetime best of 18.86m in the third round of the shot put which was staged in the dramatic setting of the city&rsquo;s Amphitheatre which dates back to the second century.
Gambetta was almost eclipsed in the sixth round by a last ditch effort from the tall Belarusian Aliona Dubitskaya but pleasingly for the German, her mark landed seven centimetres short of Gambetta&rsquo;s mark at 18.79m.
&ldquo;I feel very happy. We worked a lot on the technique in the last few weeks and I&rsquo;m so happy I could achieve the Olympic standard as well,&rdquo; said Gambetta. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a nice place to have a competition. For us, we always have some special places because we don&rsquo;t need the stadium so I like it and I like the weather. It&rsquo;s perfect!"
With home favourite Filip Mihaljevic a late withdrawal from the shot put, Romania's Andrei Toader won the senior title with a lifetime best of 20.83m ahead of Portugal's Francisco Belo (20.47m) and Turkish veteran Esref Apak, 39, clinched the victory in the hammer with 75.99m ahead of Great Britain's Chris Bennett with 75.36m.
On his season's debut, four-time world champion Pawel Fajdek from Poland had to settle for fourth with 74.48m.
Full day one results can be found <a href="https://liveresults.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

SPLIT, CROATIA - MAY 08: Johannes Vetter of Germany competes in the Men�s Javelin throw Final during day 1 of the European Throwing Cup on May 8, 2021 in Split, Croatia. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)

Mens Javelin 08

Vetter launches javelin to 91.12m on day one of the European Throwing Cup

The European Athletics Council has today (8) awarded Madrid, Spain as host for the European Athletics Team Championships Super League in 2023.
The Council also decided to award the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships to Espoo, Finland and the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships to Cluj-Napoca, Romania. All of the bidders made their final presentations to the Council online while the meeting itself was held at the Palace Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland, the first such in-person meeting of the European Athletics Council since Istanbul, Turkey in 2019 due to the pandemic.
The awarding of the 2023 European Team Championships Super League to Madrid, Spain is with the caveat that European Athletics is still in discussions with the European Olympic Committee on the possibility of athletics being showcased at the 2023 European Games via the inclusion of all leagues of the European Team Championships. These talks are ongoing and should they prove successful Madrid will be offered the opportunity to host the European Team Championships Super League in 2025.
Commenting on the Council decisions European Athletics Interim President Dobromir Karamarinov said: &ldquo;I am very pleased that the Council could finally meet in person here in Lausanne, the home of the IOC and of European Athletics, after nearly 18 months of online meetings. I am very happy that the Council decided unanimously to award the 2023 European Athletics Team Championships Super League to Madrid, the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships to Espoo, and the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships to Cluj-Napoca. 
"I offer my congratulations to the three member federations of Spain, Finland and Romania. We look forward to visiting you in what will be a busy year for European athletics in 2023.&rdquo;
Commenting on the discussions surrounding the European Games 2023, European Athletics CEO Christian Milz said: &ldquo;Today the Council took very clear decisions on the three bids for 2023 but the awarding of the European Athletics Team Championships Super League to Madrid was taken in the full and transparent knowledge that should our discussions with the European Olympic Committee conclude successfully concerning the European Games 2023, Madrid will be offered the opportunity to host the European Athletics Team Championships Super League in 2025 instead of 2023.&rdquo;

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Madrid awarded 2023 European Athletics Team Championships Super League

Less than two months after anchoring the Netherlands to victory in the 4x400m at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Tony Van Diepen did so again on the global stage at the World Athletics Relays in Silesia on 1-2 May.
In an unchanged team to the one that won gold in Torun, Van Diepen safely took hold of the baton from youngster Ramsey Angela but with the South African, Japanese and Botswanian teams still in close contention for the title.
Van Diepen drew on all of his experience on the last leg, keeping something in reserve through the first half as South Africa&rsquo;s Oscar Mavundla blasted past the tall Dutchman at the start of the back straight.
But as the bend started to unfurl, Van Diepen - who has a sub-1:45 lifetime best in the 800m - moved wide in the last 125 metres before powering to an unopposed victory for the Netherlands in 3:03.45 by exactly one second from Japan (3:04.45) and Botswana (3:04.77).
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After running a 44.9 leg in the heats, Van Diepen was timed at 45.47 in the final on a cold and sometimes blustery evening in the Silesian Stadium which was far from ideal for sprinting.
Even though she didn&rsquo;t come away with a medal for her efforts, double European indoor champion Femke Bol was one of the standout - if not the standout - athlete of the weekend.
Joining forces with Van Diepen, Nour Wardenburg and training partner Lieke Klaver, the Netherlands qualified for the Olympic Games in the mixed relay by reaching the final in Silesia with Bol contributing a second leg split of 50.72.
Just over two hours earlier, Bol posted a 49.71 split for the Netherlands in the 4x400m heats - the fastest time by a woman across the weekend - and despite a 50.58 split which took the Netherlands from sixth to first in the final, the Dutch had to settle for fourth in 3:30.12 behind surprise champions Cuba (3:28.41) and Poland (3:28.81).
Poland were missing some of their leading runners, including European outdoor champion Justyna Swiety-Ersetic, but European U23 champion Natalia Kaczmarek produced an excellent anchor leg of 50.59 to take the Poles from fourth to second. Great Britain &amp; NI were third in 3:29.27.
Italy had an excellent weekend with two largely unexpected victories on the second day in the mixed 4x400m relay and the women&rsquo;s 4x100m.
Anchored by Davide Re, the Italians took a gun-to-tape victory in the mixed 4x400m in 3:16.60 from Brazil (3:17.54) and the Dominican Republic (3:17.58) before European U20 100m champion Vittoria Fontana propelled Italy to victory in the women&rsquo;s 4x100m final in 43.79 ahead of Poland and the Netherlands who were both timed at 44.10.
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A poor final exchange between Nadine Visser and Naomi Sedney almost certainly cost the Netherlands the victory in the women&rsquo;s 4x100m and potentially a third victory for Italy in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m final as well. Their team which included Marcell Lamont Jacobs and Filippo Tortu clocked 39.21 behind South Africa who won in 38.71.
In other events, recently crowned European indoor 800m champion Patryk Dobek and Olympic 800m finalist Joanna Jozwik joined forces to win the mixed 2x2x400m relay ahead of Kenya and Slovenia. The hosts also won the women&rsquo;s 4x200m title in 1:34.98 with Marlena Gola anchoring the hosts to victory ahead of Ireland.
Germany pipped Poland in the shuttle hurdles relay and the Germans also won the men&rsquo;s 4x200m final by a commanding margin from Kenya.
The Silesian Stadium will next play host to the European Athletics Team Championships Super League on 29-30 May.
Full results <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-relays/silesia21/timetable/bydiscipline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

CHARZOW, POLAND - MAY 02: Tony Van Diepen of Netherlands celebrates after winning the 4x400 Metres Relay race on Day Two of the IAAF World Athletics Relay Silesia21 at the Merchant logo Slaski Stadium on May 02, 2021 in Charzow, Poland. (Photo by Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images)

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Van Diepen anchors the Netherlands to 4x400m victory at World Athletics Relays

In her first race of the season, Norway&rsquo;s Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal blasted to a 14:39 5km clocking just outside Jessheim in Norway on Saturday (1).
If ratified, Grovdal&rsquo;s time will improve the official world record held by Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chepkoech by four seconds. Great Britain&rsquo;s Beth Potter ran 14:41 in early April although that time is yet to be ratified.
The race took place on a 1.6km looped course and Grovdal won by more than one minute from Amalie Saeten in 15:56.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This is not really that surprising because her training has been going very well,&rdquo; said her coach Knut J&aelig;ger Hansen as quoted by NRK.
He added: &ldquo;It is difficult to say anything about her Olympic chances, but she is in such good shape that she can be in a final. She can run at a higher pace now without getting tired. She has trained very well for many years now, and that is the main reason.&rdquo;
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This was Grovdal&rsquo;s second successive record-breaking performance on the roads after concluding her abbreviated 2020 campaign with a 30:32 10km clocking to smash the Norwegian record held by the legendary Ingrid Kristiansen.
Grovdal won a bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase, the event in which she came to prominence as a teenager in the late 2000s, but she is planning to focus on the 5000m and 10,000m this summer.
Grovdal will race over 10,000m next weekend when she will attempt to secure the Olympic qualifying time of 31:25.00.
Sondre Nordstad Moen also ran a solo 61:54 half marathon.

CHIA, ITALY - DECEMBER 11:  Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal arrives durig the Senior Women race ceremony of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships Chia 2016 on December 9, 2016 in Chia, Italy.  (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images for European Athletics)

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Grovdal storms to 14:39 5km on her season’s debut

European Athletics celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2020. Now, as we look to the future, we are embarking on a digital transformation journey and have a vacancy for an enthusiastic, talented and highly-motivated individual to join our small passionate team at our headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland as a Digital Product Manager.
The full job description can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/custom/downloads/6a4ba982-bf32-41cc-837c-8e19b0dcbc5e/Digital%20Product%20Manager%20-%20Job%20Description.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Interested candidates should apply by sending their CV with a covering letter to Sylvain Jolliet, Head of Finance and Human Resources at (sylvain.jolliet@european-athletics.org) by midnight CEST on 23 May 2021. Applications after this date will not be considered.
European Athletics is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, colour, religion, or gender.

Job Vacancy - Digital Product Manager

European Athletics has signed a long-term agreement with Atos as&nbsp;their Official Digital Partner in a deal which extends until 2024.
The first results of this collaboration were witnessed at this year&rsquo;s European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland from 4-7 March 2021 where Atos designed and developed a new digital ecosystem to manage data for the event &ndash; a first for a major European Athletics event.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Atos will be looking to deliver further innovative digital services to increase the online audience and reach at athletics events in Europe. In Torun, Atos was already able to support European Athletics by processing and publishing the schedule and results for all events, enabling athletics fans to view all official competition information live on the European Athletics website.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The first version of the new digital platform included a website with a headless content management system (CMS) for faster and more flexible content delivery than a traditional CMS. The new solution which is currently being designed will help to increase audience and collect new datasets of fan interaction, with the aim to reinforce personal experiences and increase fan participation.&nbsp;
With the support of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), digital agency Sr. Burns and wTVision, the number of live TV hours viewed in Torun jumped by an average of nearly 20 percent in several key markets, compared to the previous edition in Glasgow two years ago.&nbsp;
As European Athletics&rsquo; Official Digital Partner, Atos was involved in the conception and delivery of a remote mixed zone concept, enabling media to book virtual interview rooms and provide them with exclusive access to athletes. This facilitated the Europe-wide coverage of the event by media who were not able to be on-site due to travel restrictions.
On the collaboration, European Athletics CEO Christian Milz said: &ldquo;European Athletics was already working with Atos as our Official Timing and Data Partner to deliver timing, scoring and results at our events.&nbsp;Now with this new agreement Atos becomes our Official Digital Partner allowing us to take our relationship to the next level, where we intend to build a true digital offering in order to better serve the European athletics fans.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Patrick Adiba, Global Head of Olympic Games and Major Events at Atos, said: &ldquo;As the governing body for athletics in Europe, European Athletics has to meet the ever-growing demands of fans and the sports market. With over 30 years&rsquo; experience in the sports industry, our mission is to serve the sports and major events ecosystem with innovative technology to create amazing immersive experiences for spectators both inside and outside the venue.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Our objective is to fully support European Athletics to win in the &lsquo;new normal&rsquo; with an integrated digital fan experience."&nbsp;
Beyond Torun 2021, Atos will continue working with European Athletics and the EBU to meet the ever-growing demands of fans and media for athletics content.&nbsp;

TORUN, POLAND - MARCH 07: Athletes start for the Men’s 3000 Metres final during the second session on Day 3 of the European Athletics Indoor Championships at Arena Torun on March 07, 2021 in Torun, Poland. Sporting stadiums around Poland remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for European Athletics)

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European Athletics signs long-term Official Digital Partner deal with Atos

Although the Baltic nations of Latvia and Estonia are hardly among Europe&rsquo;s largest countries, the athletics federations in the two are playing outsized roles in the promotion of European Athletics&rsquo; I Run Clean anti-doping education programme and providing leadership examples for other federations in the fight against doping in sport.
The two federations were among the first in Europe to make the completion of the eight I Run Clean e-learning modules mandatory for athletes at the national level, leading to significant increases in the number of users registered on the platform, and the Estonian Athletics Association (EKJL) is currently partnering with 10 other organisations working to develop the programme and take clean sport messages to new target audiences.
After making I Run Clean certification a condition for obtaining a new athlete&rsquo;s license in 2018, the Latvian Athletic Association (LVS) extended the requirement so that from 2020 even existing license-holders in the U20 and senior categories needed to be certified in order to compete.
Since that decision, the number of Latvian users registered on the I Run Clean platform has grown to more than 1,700, which is at least 75% of the country&rsquo;s approximately 2,200 licensed athletes and the highest uptake rate for any federation.
According to General Secretary Dmitrijs Milkevics, the LVS started its I Run Clean cooperation prior the programme&rsquo;s official launch back in 2017 by working with the national anti-doping agency to translate the contents of the e-learning programme from English to Latvian.
&ldquo;After several anti-doping rule violations in our sport, we decided to become more involved in educating athletes and coaches about clean sport and anti-doping rules and we saw a good opportunity to implement I Run Clean in our educational system,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;We believe the content is important in creating understanding of the rules and procedures as well as other information needed to be actively involved in the fight against doping in sport.&rdquo;
Further north in Estonia, the EKJL made the completion of the I Run Clean e-learning programme mandatory for athletes taking part in national championships from the start of this year and has seen the number of users from the country registered on the platform jump from 188 to more than 630 in just three months, despite the limitations on the national competition programme due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
EKJL General Secretary Sirje Lippe, who is also working on ethical compliance education as a member of the World Athletics Governance Commission, was initially concerned that grassroots athletes might view implementation of the new requirement negatively and be difficult to persuade but says there have been no difficulties so far.
&ldquo;I think our athletes see completing the programme as a part of a professional approach to their training and preparation. For us in the federation, I Run Clean is not a temporary campaign, it is an established part of the sport at every level,&rdquo; said Lippe.
&ldquo;Now we see a lot of our coaches registering to go through the e-learning programme because they are themselves interested and because they want to know what the athletes are learning,&rdquo; she added.
As a partner in the I Run Clean development project, which is co-funded with a &euro;324,000 grant from the European Commission&rsquo;s Erasmus+ programme, the EKJL is helping to build on this interest through the creation of new e-learning modules and workshops for coaches and others in the athlete support network.
The federation is currently leading one of the project&rsquo;s main work packages, which includes producing content and hosting 30 volunteers from six countries later this year in Tallinn for a training camp to prepare them to deliver the workshops when they return back home.
&ldquo;We believe I Run Clean is already an excellent tool for working with athletes and we are happy to be an active partner in the project to disseminate it further and bring more people in our sport into this important conversation,&rdquo; said Lippe.
The I Run Clean anti-doping education programme was launched in 2017 and certification is now a mandatory entry requirement for all athletes wishing to take part in future European Athletics championship events.
Available in 26 languages, I Run Clean is also open to grassroots athletes and anyone, young or old, who is interested in knowing more about clean sport.
To date more than 21,000 individuals across Europe have registered on the I Run Clean e-learning platform and nearly 16,800 have completed the programme and received I Run Clean diplomas.
For more information and to take part in the programme visit <a href="https://www.irunclean.org/Home/Cultures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.irunclean.org</a>.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, 11 partners led by European Athletics and the Paris-based Agency for the Development of Athletics in Europe will be conducting a project to expand I Run Clean.
The project deliverables include new modules for the I Run Clean e-learning programme as well as local workshops for athletes, coaches, athlete support personnel and parents that will be led by trained ambassadors in Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
For more information, please visit <a href="https://www.iruncleanproject.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.iruncleanproject.eu</a>.

Skjermbilde 2017 08 04 Kl. 14.08.25

Baltic federations embrace I Run Clean programme

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SPAR has been the principal sponsor of European Athletics since 1996, becoming synonymous with the sport during this period. Athletics is a sport where personal endeavour is combined with team participation to achieve success, and SPAR identifies with this principle through its national partners by ensuring that consumers enjoy shopping at SPAR. SPAR retailers continue to develop the brand through sponsorship awareness and through the critical link with individual athletes who are also customers of independent retailers. SPAR is proud to be involved with European Athletics, an organisation which strives to bring passion and enthusiasm for their sport to viewers, spectators and participants.

Spar

Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland began its partnership with European Athletics in 2008 as a top-tier sponsor of all Major Events and the European Athletics U23 and U20  Championships. Le Gruyère is a very high quality natural cheese that has been produced for many centuries in an artisanal method without any additives. VIP guests, athletes and fans have the opportunity to taste this magnificent cheese at European Athletics events sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland. 

Le Gruyere

Toyo Tires is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers. Toyo Tire Corporation was founded in 1945 in Osaka, Japan. In 1975, the manufacturer opened its European headquarters in Germany. The product range includes winter, summer and all-season tyres for motor vehicles as well as van tyres and special off-road products. The philosophy of Toyo Tires is to combine driving pleasure with top performance. This is reflected in each of the products, as well as in its close partnership with European Athletics.

Toyo Tires

With around 4000 items, LIQUI MOLY offers a global, uniquely broad range of automotive chemicals: motor oils and additives, greases and pastes, sprays and car care, glues and sealants. Founded in 1957, LIQUI MOLY develops and produces its products exclusively in Germany where it is the undisputed market leader for additives and is repeatedly voted the best oil brand. The company sells its products in more than 150 countries and generated €569 million in sales in 2019.

Liqui Moli

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been the Official Broadcast Partner of European Athletics since 1981. During this 40-year partnership, the outstanding collaboration between both organisations has always been focused on developing European Athletics into a more attractive product for television, spectators and athletes. Through its operational department Eurovision Services, the EBU is continuously working to promote athletics by offering the most comprehensive coverage of European Athletics events all over Europe.

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees and an annual revenue of approximately €12 billion. It is the European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, and the group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 73 countries. A pioneer in decarbonisation services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonised digital environment for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

Atos is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic and  Paralympic Games. It is also the Timing-Scoring, Results and Operations provider of European Athletics events since 2017, and European Athletics Official Digital Partner for their new digital platform (web and mobile).


Atos

Mondo has designed and produced prefabricated athletics tracks since 1948 and has been a European Athletics partner since 1988. They have combined their skills in the pursuit of a shared goal: to support the growth of athletics with passion and innovation. Mondo’s athletics surfaces offer uniform dynamic response and complete control over stride, rhythm, and balance for every athlete. The advantages of Mondo’s prefabricated track surfaces include optimal performance for athletes regardless of climate and environmental conditions. Mondo operates a careful selection of its raw materials for its track surfaces and constant production as we care about athletes’ health. Mondo products have passed UL Environment Tests for more than 10,000 volatile chemical agents and have attained GREENGUARD Gold certification.

Mondo

Opened in 1909 and magnificently restored, the Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne combines Art Nouveau and modernity with genuine panache. Featuring tailor-made service and unbeatable comfort, this legendary venue is located a short walk from the shores of Lac Leman and offers every guest the absolute luxury of feeling truly at home. The Hotel Royal Savoy is proud to be the Preferred Hotel Partner of European Athletics in Lausanne since 2016, offering valuable support and accommodation services to European Athletics business activities throughout the year.

Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne

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Van Diepen anchors the Netherlands to 4x400m victory at World Athletics Relays

Grovdal storms to 14:39 5km on her season’s debut

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