Olympic champions shine in action-packed penultimate day of European Athletics Team Championships

Olympic gold medallists Wojciech Nowicki, Miltiadis Tentoglou and Daniel Stahl proved they are in fine form on the penultimate day of the European Athletics Team Championships, which are being held as part of the European Games 2023.

Tentoglou, a Tokyo 2020 gold medallist, came first in the men’s long jump, leaping 8.34m into a headwind of 1.3 to secure an impressive victory in Poland.

He will once again be seen as one of the favourites for gold at August’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

“It felt very good, a strong jump with a 1.34 negative wind is great for me,” the Greek athlete said after the competition. “I’ve never jumped so much in such bad wind and you can see because no one else cleared 8 metres today and I jumped 8.30 - so I feel great.”

If the home crowded needed lifting, they found their reason as Poland’s Nowicki threw 79.71m to win the hammer throw competition. His effort was over three metres more than his nearest competitor Thomas Mardal of Norway.

Nowicki is a two-time Olympic medallist with his gold in Tokyo coming five years after he won bronze at Rio 2016. He also looks in strong form heading towards the Worlds in August as he seeks to upgrade the silver he won in Oregon in 2022.

Among a slew of other strong performances in these championships, Sweden’s Stahl showed the talent that made him an Olympic champion with victory in the men’s discus, throwing 67.25m to secure the win.

Ana Peleteiro taking it step by step as she returns from competition after maternity

Spain’s Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Ana Peleteiro put in a strong performance having recently returned to competition after becoming a mother.

The 27-year-old finished seventh with a farthest jump of 13.67 metres, and spoke after the competition about building herself up as she aims to reach peak condition in time for the World Championships.

“After becoming a mother, it’s difficult to come back and find the sensations and conditions - it‘s not easy,” she told us. “But little by little I’ll find my best.”

And while it may be tempting for her to look ahead already to the next Olympic Games that take place in 14 months in Paris, France, the athlete said she is in no mood to rush.

“Step by step,” she said when asked whether Paris 2024 was already on her mind.

The first step has been taken and the athletics world looks forward to what’s next for one of Spain’s finest athletes.

Italy lead team standings with one day left to go in Poland

Sunday 25 June will see the final day of action in the European Athletics Team Championships with Italy sitting top of the table after 25 of 37 events.

Second place belongs to the home nation Poland, after accruing 258.50 points to Italy’s 294.00. Just two points behind in the standings are Germany, who have the chance to make up ground on their competitors on the final day.

The top two represent a reverse of the positions from the 2021 edition of the championships, where Poland finished first ahead of Italy and Great Britain.