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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”

The final entries for the European Race Walking Team Championships in Podebrady, Czech Republic on 16 May have been published and can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/8932fb2d-89ea-4d63-9ed9-0480764abcbf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
According to the final entries, 212 athletes - 111 men and 101 women - representing 25 Member Federations will be competing across the six events which make up the programme.
Sweden&rsquo;s Perseus Karlstrom is defending his title in the men&rsquo;s 20km race walk - and he will seek to become the first man in history to win back-to-back titles in the event - but the Spaniards will begin as the overwhelming favourites for their seventh team title.
There will also be keen interest in the progress of another Spaniard Jesus Angel Garcia in the 50km race walk. At 51, Garcia is the oldest athlete entered for Podebrady and he is seeking to secure what would be a record eighth Olympic appearance in Tokyo later this summer.
Garcia is one of the greats of this event with three victories to his name. He won the inaugural edition of this competition in 1996 - one year before his teammate Manuel Bermudez was even born - in La Coruna before back-to-back wins in 2000 and 2001.
The Spaniards will also have excellent individual and team chances in the women&rsquo;s 20km race walk courtesy of the likes of Laura Garcia-Caro and Raquel Gonzalez. Reigning champion Živilė Vaiciukeviciute unexpectedly retired last year although Lithuania will be represented by her twin Monika and the very experienced Brigita Virbalyte.
The women&rsquo;s 35km race walk replaces the 50km race walk in Podebrady. Two of the continental standard bearers of the 50km race walk - Portugal&rsquo;s Ines Henriques and Italy&rsquo;s Eleonora Giorgi - are among the entrants.
Live streaming details for the European Race Walking Team Championships will be communicated next week.

Eleonora Giorgi broke the European record on her 50km race walk debut at the European Race Walking Cup in Alytus

Eleonora Giorgi

Final entries published for European Race Walking Team Championships

The competitive road to potential third Olympic titles in Tokyo later this summer will begin in earnest at the European Throwing Cup in Split, Croatia on 8-9 May for both Poland&rsquo;s Anita Wlodarczyk and Barbora Spotakova from the Czech Republic.
Both days of the European Throwing Cup will be streamed live on the European Athletics website and European Athletics YouTube channel without restrictions from 10.00am CEST and with English-language commentary. The final entries for the European Throwing Cup can also be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/da501c67-93aa-4667-b5d1-90725225a51f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Wlodarczyk is unquestionably the most dominant female hammer thrower in history and the many times global champion and world record-holder is seeking to add even more lustre to her unparalleld career by becoming just the second athlete in history - male or female - to win three Olympic hammer titles later this season.
The Pole has been out of action since June 2019 after undergoing knee surgery but Wlodarczyk made her competitive return to the throwing circle in a low-key competition at her training base in Antalya, Turkey at the start of the month. In her first competition in 685 days, Wlodarczyk launched the hammer out to a respectable 73.87m.
But a sterner challenge awaits Wlodarczyk in Split where she faces a line-up including France&rsquo;s Alexandra Tavernier who will have aspirations of succeeding the venerable Pole as Olympic champion in Tokyo. Tavernier has already extended her French record to 75.38m this season which is in excess of the event record held by Wlodarczyk at 75.05m.
It seems appropriate that Wlodarczyk should begin the final chapter of her competitive career at the European Throwing Cup as the Pole emerged at the very same event - and at the very same venue - in 2008 with a surprise victory over world champion Betty Heidler from Germany. Wlodarczyk won again the following year when she set her still-standing event record.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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The hammer line-up also features Belarus&rsquo; Hanna Malyshik, who won the 2019 edition of the European Throwing Cup in Samorin, and Wlodarczyk&rsquo;s compatriot Malwina Kopron who won a bronze medal behind her at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.
The women&rsquo;s javelin is arguably the strongest event of the weekend which brings together the last three European javelin champions: Christin Hussong from Germany, Tatsiana Khaladovich from Belarus and Barbora Spotakova from the Czech Republic.
Like Wlodarczyk, Spotakova - who turns 40 next month - is looking to win her third Olympic javelin title next month after back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2012 before a bronze in 2016. If she succeeds, she would emulate the achievements of her compatriot and former coach Jan Zelezny and she would also become the oldest female Olympic champion in athletics history.
Spotakova competed sparingly last summer but the world record-holder demonstrated she will still be a factor on the global stage after producing her first 65 metre-plus throw in three years with 65.19m in Ostrava.&nbsp;
While Spotakova seldom competes at the European Throwing Cup - her first and only appearance dates back to 2005 - Khaladovich and Hussong will be picking up their rivalry from the 2019 European Throwing Cup. On a cold March afternoon albeit with favourable wind conditions in Samorin, Khaladovich threw 65.89m to defeat Hussong&rsquo;s best mark of 65.47m.
The line-up also features three more women with lifetime bests over the 67 metre-line, including Poland&rsquo;s Olympic fourth-placer Maria Andrejczyk from Poland (67.11m), Turkey&rsquo;s Eda Tugsuz (67.21m) and Hanna Hatsko from Ukraine (67.29m).
Also watch out for Austria&rsquo;s Victoria Hudson who leads the European list with a recently set national record of 64.68m and world U20 record-holder Elina Tzenggo from Greece, the youngster of the field at 18.
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With reigning Olympic and European champion Sandra Perkovic absent, domestic hopes will be largely shouldered by reigning European U23 champion Marija Tolj in the discus.&nbsp;
Tolj won the U23 division in Samorin two years ago and while she is eligible to defend that title in Split, the 21-year-old has opted to step up to the senior division having recently extended her lifetime best to 63.39m.
Two of the standout names in the line-up are Portuguese record-holder Liliana Ca who leads the European list with 66.40m and the very experienced German Shanice Craft, a three-time European bronze medallist who also won gold at the 2019 European Throwing Cup.
The Germans should also feature prominently in the women&rsquo;s shot put courtesy of their duo of Sara Gambetta and Katharina Maisch. The line-up also includes European outdoor bronze medallist Aliona Dubitskaya from Belarus and European indoor finalist Maria Belen Toimil from Spain who smashed the national record in qualifying with 18.64m.

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - JULY 08:  Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland in action during the final of the womens hammer on day three of The 23rd European Athletics Championships at Olympic Stadium on July 8, 2016 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

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Focus of attention on world record-holders Spotakova and Wlodarczyk in Split

Today (5) marks one month to go until the European 10,000m Cup makes its much-awaited return to the calendar on Saturday 5 June.&nbsp;
But while the event could not take place as initially scheduled in conjunction with the Night of the 10,000m PBs in London due to safety and sanitary concerns, the University of Birmingham stepped in earlier this year and will thus play host to some of the continent&rsquo;s leading distance runners.
According to preliminary entries, a total of 163 athletes from 35 Member Federations - as well as an Athlete Refugee Team - will take to the start-line at the University of Birmingham Athletics Track which is situated towards the south-west of Great Britain&rsquo;s second biggest city by population.
The final entries will be published at the end of the month but France was one the first countries to formally announce their team which features reigning European 10,000m champion Morhad Amdouni. Amdouni finished second to Germany&rsquo;s Richard Ringer in a memorable race at the 2018 European 10,000m Cup in London where the top seven finishers all broke the 28 minute-barrier.
In the last edition of the European 10,000m Cup in London in 2019, Italy&rsquo;s Yemaneberhan Crippa achieved a notable double by winning the individual title in 27:49.79 and leading Italy to the team title in the men&rsquo;s race.
In the women&rsquo;s race, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter retained her individual title and even though the Kenyan-born Israeli is focusing on the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics - an event in which she is the second fastest European in history - Salpeter could still make history in Birmingham. No athlete has ever won three successive individual titles at the European 10,000m Cup.
The European 10,000m Cup goes back to 1997 in terms of antiquity when it was held under its initial auspices of the European 10,000 Metres Challenge. At the first edition in Barakaldo in Spain, home favourite Julia Vaquero won the individual women&rsquo;s title while Germany&rsquo;s 1992 Olympic 5000m champion Dieter Baumann won the men&rsquo;s race.
Other notable names on the roll-of-honour at the European 10,000m Cup include Spain's Jose Manuel Martinez (2004, 2009), Great Britain's Mo Farah (2010) and Italy's Daniele Meucci (2016) on the men&rsquo;s side and multiple winners Fernanda Ribeiro from Portugal (1998, 2003), Great Britain's Paula Radcliffe (1999, 2001) and fellow Portuguese Sara Moreira (2011, 2012 and 2017) on the women&rsquo;s side.
Ribeiro and Moreira were two of the key protagonists who have helped Portugal to an unmatched 10 team titles in the women&rsquo;s race in competition history while their Iberian counterparts Spain lead the way on the men&rsquo;s side, also with 10 team titles. Hosts Great Britain, however, have dominated the women's team race in recent years, winning four of the last five titles and with the Olympic Trials being held in conjunction with the European 10,000m Cup, a strong British contingent is anticipated in Birmingham.
As well as individual and team honours, the European 10,000m Cup will also provide one of the last chances for athletes to secure ranking points and qualifying times for the Tokyo Olympics which begin in late July. The times to beat are 27:28 for the men and 31:25 for the women.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 06: Eilish McColgan of Great Britain in action in the Women's European 10,000m Cup race during the 2019 Night of the 10,000m Pbs at the Parliament Hill Athletics Track on July 06, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

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One month to go until the European 10,000m Cup

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

Reigning European U18 and U20 champion Maria Vicente from Spain smashed her national heptathlon record by almost 200 points with a European-leading score of 6304 points at the prestigious Multistars meeting in Lana, Italy on 24-25 April.
This was Vicente&rsquo;s first heptathlon as a fully-fledged senior although her principal rivals in Lana would have been familiar to the precocious Spaniard from her extensive and successful age-group career.
Vicente, 20, won the European U20 heptathlon title in Boras two years ago in a thrilling and see-sawing competition ahead of Ireland&rsquo;s Kate O&rsquo;Connor by 22 points - 6115 to 6093 points - and the Irishwoman proved to be her closest challenger once again.
O&rsquo;Connor outperformed Vicente in the last two events with outstanding individual marks of 51.61m in the javelin - little more than a metre shy of her personal best of 52.92m which places her second on the Irish all-time list for the discipline - and then a lifetime best of 2:11.76 in the 800m. The Irish athlete's brilliant performance in the 800m almost took O&rsquo;Connor from third to first in the overall standings but Vicente gritted her teeth and crossed the line in 2:18.60 to eke out victory by a mere seven points on this occasion.
Like Vicente, O&rsquo;Connor, who set four individual lifetime bests across the two days, was rewarded with a massive national record of 6297 points, adding more than 200 points to her previous Irish record tally of 6093 points which was set in Boras two years ago.
Vicente was only fourth overnight but she made sterling progress up the leaderboard over the course of the second day. 
After recording 6.41m in the long jump, Vicente smashed her javelin lifetime best with 47.83m before the points amassed from her 800m run propelled her past a tiring Marthe Koala from Burkina Faso on the leaderboard as well as countering the resolute second day challenge from O'Connor.
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"When I came here, I never thought that I could break the national record. I improved my javelin throw PB by three metres. This was the highlight of my competition this weekend,&rdquo; Vicente told World Athletics.&nbsp;
She added: "My goal is to qualify for the Olympic Games. My next competition is the combined events meeting in Arona. This year I am focusing on the heptathlon, but I could return to triple jump next year."&nbsp;
Koala dropped from first to third after concluding her heptathlon with a sluggish 2:25.72 in the 800m although she was also rewarded with an improvement of her national record with 6238 points.
Fourth at the European U20 Championships behind Vicente and O&rsquo;Connor, Holly Mills from Great Britain replicated that finishing position in Lana. However, her score of 6180 points represented a significant improvement on her previous lifetime best of 5802 points from Boras. 
The 21-year-old also set four individual outdoor lifetime bests and was the best performer in both the 100m hurdles (13.21) and high jump (1.83m).
In the decathlon, 2018 winner Martin Roe from Norway dominated proceedings with 8055 points ahead of Adam Sebastian Helcelet from the Czech Republic with 8025 points and Sweden&rsquo;s Fredrik Samuelsson with 7815 points.
Italy&rsquo;s Dario Dester, who broke the national indoor heptathlon record during the indoor campaign, was fourth with 7758 points.
Duplantis clears world leading 5.90m in Baton Rouge
In his first competition since winning the European indoor pole vault title with a championship record of 6.05m, Sweden's Armand Duplantis cleared a world outdoor leading height of 5.90m at the LSU Alumni Gold meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Saturday (24).
Duplantis cleared 5.90m on his second attempt before taking one unsuccessful attempt at 6.00m.
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At the USTAF Grand Prix meeting in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday (24), the Brits swept the women's middle and long distance events. Eilish McColgan dominated the 5000m in 14:52.44 to win by more than 20 seconds and Laura Muir eschewed the pacemakers in the 1500m to win in a gun-to-tape 4:01.54.
Muir's training partner Jemma Reekie was on the cusp of victory in the 800m but she was pipped on the line by teammate Adelle Tracey in a tactical race, 2:03.25 to 2:03.26.
European indoor 60m hurdles silver medallist Cindy Sember broke her six-year-old lifetime best in the 100m hurdles with victory at the Drake Relays in Des Moines in a European leading time of 12.57.
&nbsp;

BORAS, SWEDEN - JULY 19: Maria Vicente of Spain celebrates after winning Women Heptathlon on July 19, 2019 in Boras, Sweden. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images for European Athletics)

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Vicente smashes Spanish heptathlon record with 6304 points in Lana

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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