European Athletics Championships: Battocletti Defends Her Gold, Drama for Jacobs in Birmingham
The Italian triumphs in the 5,000-meter race; the Squadra Azzurra celebrates a double victory in the shot put
Birmingham – The European Athletics Championships in England have presented Italy with a mixed bag of results. While Nadia Battocletti won gold in the 5,000 meters, the 100-meter final ended in bitter disappointment for sprint star Marcell Jacobs.
In the 5,000-meter race, Battocletti impressively defended her title. With a time of 15:37.84, the athlete from Trentino pulled away from the pack on the final lap and covered the last 200 meters in a blistering 28.2 seconds. Following her victory in Rome in 2024, this is her second consecutive European Championship title at this distance.
Her compatriot Micol Majori provided a surprise. After a race that was cautious and tactical for much of the way, she paced herself wisely and, with a strong finish, still managed to claim the bronze medal in 15:40.65 minutes. The two Italian runners then took a lap of honor together.
The men’s shot put had already brought moments of joy for Italy. Leonardo Fabbri defended his title with a throw of 22.31 meters to win gold, while Zane Weir took silver with a throw of 21.12 meters. The double medal haul underscored the strength of Italy’s shot putters on the European stage.
The evening was overshadowed by Marcell Jacobs’ withdrawal. The Tokyo Olympic champion had already felt a twinge in his adductor muscles during warm-ups and was forced to slow down significantly after about 50 meters in the 100-meter final. In the end, he could only manage seventh place. The title was claimed by Britain’s Romell Glave in 10.09 seconds.
Despite the setback in the sprint, Italy’s performance on this day was positive. With gold and bronze in the 5,000-meter race and two medals in the shot put, the Squadra Azzurra reaffirmed its status as one of the leading nations at these European Championships.
