by Stuart Weir
Michal Haratyk, winner in Men’s shot put, photo by European Athletics
Fans in Silesia, EA Team Championships, photo by European Athletics
This is Stuart Weir’s report on day 2 of the European Team Championships. Look just how close it was! A few bungled baton exchanges and the party is over.
Poland retains European Teams title
Poland with home advantage retained the title as top European athletics team on a second day where fortunes fluctuated. The format is simple 18 individual events for men and 18 individual events for women plus 4 by 100 and 4 by 400 relays, making 40 events in all. One athlete from each country competing in each event with effectively one point for the team for each athlete defeated. The results reflect not just the strength of the countries but the ability of the country to persuade its top athletes to compete for national pride in an event where there is no prize money.
Scores Final
1 Poland 181.5
2 Italy 179
3 Great Britain 174
4 Germany 171
5 Spain 167
6 France 140
7 Portugal 97.5
Poland won 10 of the 40 events in the two-day event. These were the Polish winners.
Women
100m Pia Skrzyszowska (Poland) 11.25
400m Natalia Kaczmarek (Poland) 51.36
4 by 400m Poland 3:26.37
100m Hurdles Pia Skrzyszowska (Poland) 12.99
3000m SC Alicja Konieczek (Poland) 9:35.63
High Jump Kamila Licwinko (Poland 1.94)
Men
High Jump Nobert Kobielski (Poland) 2.24
Pole Vault Robert Sobera (Poland) 5.65
Shot Put Michal Haratyk (Poland) 21.34
Hammer Pawel Fajdek (Poland) 82.98
The next European team Championships are in Madrid, 2023
