The European Athletics Championships ended in Birmingham on Sunday, August 16, with a finish that summed up a week of tight racing: Italy won the men’s 4×400 metres relay by three-hundredths of a second over Great Britain, 2:59.16 to 2:59.19, with the Netherlands third in 2:59.49.
The seven-day championships at Alexander Stadium, which began on August 10, closed with five track finals and both marathons on the final day.
Britain’s area record in the mixed relay
The host nation had plenty to celebrate earlier in the evening. Great Britain won the mixed 4x100m relay in 39.97 seconds, an area record, ahead of Germany (40.11) and Spain (40.42). Three teams — Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium — failed to finish after baton problems in a frantic race.
Georgia Hunter Bell added a British gold in the women’s 1500m, controlling the final in 4:07.78. Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska took silver in 4:08.80 and Portugal’s Patricia Silva bronze in 4:09.22.
Dutch women deny the hosts again
The women’s 4x400m went to the Netherlands in 3:21.10, with Great Britain second in 3:21.68 and Italy third in 3:23.57 — another podium for the British squad, but not the gold the home crowd wanted.
German double in the steeplechase and marathon
Germany’s Frederik Ruppert won the men’s 3000m steeplechase in 8:25.33, holding off Luxembourg’s Ruben Querinjean (8:25.61) with teammate Karl Bebendorf third in 8:26.65.
On the roads, Amanal Petros gave Germany the men’s marathon title in 2:09:11, just ahead of Italy’s Pietro Riva (2:09:18) and Israel’s Gashau Ayale (2:09:21) after a close finish. The women’s marathon was far more decisive: Finland’s Alisa Vainio won in 2:22:26, almost five minutes clear of Hungary’s Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth (2:27:21), with Britain’s Abbie Donnelly taking bronze in 2:27:33.
Final-day results at a glance
- Men’s 4x400m: Italy 2:59.16, Great Britain 2:59.19, Netherlands 2:59.49
- Women’s 4x400m: Netherlands 3:21.10, Great Britain 3:21.68, Italy 3:23.57
- Mixed 4x100m: Great Britain 39.97 (area record), Germany 40.11, Spain 40.42
- Women’s 1500m: Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) 4:07.78, Klaudia Kazimierska (POL) 4:08.80, Patricia Silva (POR) 4:09.22
- Men’s 3000m steeplechase: Frederik Ruppert (GER) 8:25.33, Ruben Querinjean (LUX) 8:25.61, Karl Bebendorf (GER) 8:26.65
- Men’s marathon: Amanal Petros (GER) 2:09:11, Pietro Riva (ITA) 2:09:18, Gashau Ayale (ISR) 2:09:21
- Women’s marathon: Alisa Vainio (FIN) 2:22:26, Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth (HUN) 2:27:21, Abbie Donnelly (GBR) 2:27:33
What comes next
With the European season winding down, many of Birmingham’s medallists now turn to the autumn road-racing calendar and to building towards next year’s global championships. For the relay squads in particular, the margins seen on Sunday — three-hundredths of a second in the men’s 4x400m — will be a reminder of how much a single changeover can decide.