Gianmarco Tamberi, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Nafi Thiam win gold on Day 4 at European athletics championships - As it happened 

After torrential rain marred the start of the evening session, spectators at the Olympiastadion witnessed some exciting performances on day four of the 2022 European athletics championships on Thursday (18 August) in Munich.

Several gold medallists from Tokyo 2020 put on a show during the night, starting from Norway's middle distance star Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who added the men’s 1500m title to the 5000m crown he won on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old retained the title he won four years ago in Berlin and he wasn't the only one.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Nafissatou Thiam proved to be in a league of her own in the heptathlon, while Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki dominated the men's hammer throw final.

Gianmarco Tamberi showed again he can always deliver on the big occasions: the Olympic champion avenged his fourth place at the Worlds in Oregon by claiming his second European gold in the men's high jump.

However the hearts of thousands of German fans were broken after Olympic and world long jump champion Malaika Mihambo failed to retain her European title in front of the home crowd

Read on to find out how the action unfolded.

22:40 – Tamberi soars to second European title

Gianmarco Tamberi returned to the top of the podium in a major event for the first time since Tokyo 2020.

The Italian was the only jumper to clear 2.30m to take his second European gold following his success in Amsterdam six years ago.

The 30-year-old celebrated by showing his ring finger and said he'll celebrate this win with his fiancee Chiara before marrying her in two weeks.

Tamberi matched the feat achieved by fellow Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs on Tuesday: "We both had a difficult season and were not able to express our full potential, so this is a great result for all Italian athletica," he said.

Both local favourite Tobias Potye and world bronze medallist Andriy Protsenko jumped over 2.27m with the German taking silver on countback.

22:35 – Vuleta beats defending champion Mihambo in the long jump

Serbia’s Ivana Vuleta set the best mark of the night on her first jump (7.06m) and didn’t look back: it's the second continental title for the 32-year-old, who was world indoor champion early in March.

Olympic and world champion Malaika Mihambo wasn’t able to best her rival and fell short by just three centimetres: the 28-year-old, whose preparation was disrupted by Covid, settled for silver, missing out on a back-to-back European gold.

Bronze went to Jazmin Sawyers of Great Britain (6.80).

21: 20 - Nafi Thiam celebrates birthday eve in style

The women's heptathlon ended the way Nafi Thiam wanted it to by defending her heptathlon European title. The Belgian finished the final event (800m) 10th but it was enough for the two-time Olympic champion to take gold.

With a total 6623 points, having topped high jump, she finished ahead of Poland's Adrianna Sulek (6532) and Switzerland's Annik Kalin (6515).

21:12 - Nowicki defends title in men's hammer throw

Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki of Poland successfully defended his European crown with a world lead mark of 82.00m on his fifth and last attempt.

Hungary's Bence Halasz won silver with a personal best of 80.92, with Norway's Eivind Henriksen taking bronze with 79.45.

21:55 - Deutschland delight in the women's 5000m final

Germany's Konstanze Klosterhalfen had a home crowd and she did not disappoint them. The 25-year-old rose to the occasion to clinch gold in front of ecstatic German fans.

After crossing the line in 14:50.47, she still had enough energy to run full pace around the stadium with her nations flag.

Turkey's Yasemin Can backed up her 10,000m gold from earlier in the week with silver, followed by Eilish McColgan of Great Britian who added bronze to her 10,000m silver.

21:35 - Ingebrigtsen does the double

Jakob Ingebrigtsen had eyes on two prizes at the European athletics championships and he's done just that.

The Norwegian won the men's 1500m in emphatic fashion and broke the championship record that had stood since 1994. The 21-year-old clocked 3:32.76.

"This crowd is great," he said after doing his lap of honour. "With all the Norwegian flags this feels like home. It's been a good championships."

Great Britian's Jake Heyward (3:34.44) crossed the line second for silver followed by Spain's Mario Garcia (3:34:88).

Having moved to the front before completing the first lap, the Olympic champion in this distance did not relinquish the lead. The win is his second of the event having won the 5,000m title on Tuesday.

21:15 - Tears and cheers for Germany

It was an anxious wait for Alexandra Burghardt after her 200m semi-final race but the local star is through to Friday's (19 August) final and is looking to add to her Beijing 2022 bobsleigh silver medal from earlier this year.

There was also heartbreak for the German fans as Jonas Wagner failed to clear 2.18m in the high jump.

READ: German sprinter Alexandra Burghardt: Transitioning to bobsleigh came "very naturally"

20:20 - Action underway

The rain has eased and the athletes are in the stadium.

Olympic high jump gold medallist Gianmarco Tamberi can be seen warming up along with the other male high jumpers. Meanwhile the men's 200m semifinal races are underway.

19:45 - Competition delayed due to weather conditions

The crowd is in full voice but there is yet to be any athletes on the track and field warming up at inside Olympiastadion.

Unfortunately a severe weather warning has suspended the start of the competition.

After beautiful sunsets and warm summer evenings earlier in the week in Munich, Thursday (18 August) rain, thunder and lightening has arrived.

There is set to be at 15 minute delay to the track events which are now anticipated to start at 20:30.

European athletics championships - Day 4 finals on Thursday 18 August: Schedule

(All times are in Central European Summer Time. UTC+2):

20:05 High Jump Men’s Final

20:10 Hammer Throw Men’s Final

20:58 Long Jump Women’s Final

21:05 1500m Men’s Final

21:25 5000m Women’s Final

21:55 800m Women’s Heptathlon Final