If you thought that Norway’s World Champion Karsten Warholm, still just 22 years old, would be discouraged by his repeated defeats to Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba on the Diamond League circuit, forget it.
He set his 10th national record in the 400 m Hurdles by outlasting Turkey’s defending European Champion, Yasmani Copello (TUR), 47.64-47.81 on Thursday evening in Berlin (GER). The time was 1/100th faster than he ran to win the London Diamond League meet on 21 July.
“This was fantastic!,” he said afterwards. “After my World title, I am European champion now! It sounds like where I should be.
“I love Germany. Thank you for the support. It feels so good, I am so happy. It was a tough race. I had enough to give on the last 100 m. I am so pleased that it went my way. This was my main race. I will take one day off and see what tomorrow will bring.”
Warholm will race in the flat 400 m on Friday and ran 44.91 to win his semi on Wednesday. He has a lifetime best (and national record) of 44.87 from last year and will be dangerous from lane six!
Turkey had plenty to cheer about also, as World Champion Ramil Guliyev won the 200 m in a lifetime best, national record and meet record 19.76, moving him to no. 4 on the year list. He’s now no. 18 all-time, 0.01 ahead of Trinidad’s Ato Boldon (19.77) among others!
There was no earth-shattering finish to the men’s javelin, but 2016 Olympic champ Thomas Rohler of Germany won impressively with his third-round throw of 89.47 m (293-6), ahead of countryman Andreas Hoffmann (87.60 m/287-5). The surprise was that World Champion Johannes Vetter (GER) ended up fifth (83.27 m/273-2) and Estonia’s Magnus Kirt collected the bronze at 85.96 m (282-0).
One of the more amazing stories in the Euros was the women’s 10,000 victory by Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter in 31:43.29, well ahead of Susan Krumins (NED: 31:52.55). Chemtai Salpeter was born in Kenya and came to Israel to care for the children of the Kenyan ambassador in 2009.
Now 29, she earned Israeli citizenship in 2016 and married her coach, Israeli Dan Salpeter, then ran in the Rio Marathon, but did not finish. She’s no. 2 on the world list for 2018 from her 31:33.03 win in the European Cup earlier this year, and now, European Champion.
Other highlights:
- Men’s Long Jump: Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou lept from third to first on his fifth-round jump to win at 8.25 m (27-0 3/4) ove Germany’s Fabian Heinle (8.13 m/26-8 1/4).
- Men’s Discus: A great competition with reigning World Champion Andrius Gudzius (LTU) taking the lead in round one at 65.75 m (215-8) and then improving to 67.19 m (220-5) in round three. But then Sweden’s Daniel Stahl unleashed a toss of 68.23 m (223-10) in the fourth round that looked like it might be the winner. Down to the final throw of the event, Gudzius came up big at 68.46 m (224-7) to win the gold and move Stahl to silver.
- Men’s Decathlon: This was supposed to be a showcase for France’s Kevin Mayer, but after three fouls in the long jump on the first day, the event was open. Instead, it was Germany’s Arthur Abele who performed best, piling up 8,431 for his first major title. Russia’s Ilya Shkurenyov finished second with 8,321.
- Women’s Pole Vault: Greece’s Ekaterina Stefanidi has had an injury-plagued season, but she was ready when it counts, winning at 4.85 m (15-11) and up to equal-fourth on the world list for 2018.
The European Champs results from Berlin are here.
