European Athletics U20 Championships 2023: Serbian Adriana Vilagos wins women's javelin gold

Posted : 11 August 2023

At the European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem, Serbian thrower Adriana Vilagos extended her impressive collection of major titles on Thursday (10).

The 19-year-old was heavily favored to secure the women's javelin gold, having previously claimed the world U20 title in both 2021 and 2022. Despite initial pressure, she displayed her prowess in the fourth round with a remarkable throw of 58.38m, dispelling any uncertainties.

Vilagos, who had won silver at the same championships two years ago and bronze at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships in the senior category, achieved another significant milestone in her young career. Croatia's Veronika Sokota earned silver with 55.41m, while Hungary's Fanni Kover clinched bronze with 53.09m.

Switzerland's Audrey Werro fulfilled her role as pre-race favorite by successfully defending her women's 800m title. Following the approach that had earned her the 1500m gold on Wednesday evening, Türkiye's Dilek Kocak led at the bell.

However, Werro surged past with 300m remaining, gradually widening her lead around the turn. Great Britain & Northern Ireland's Abigail Ives pursued her, but couldn't match the prowess of the Swiss athlete, who secured a comfortable victory in 2:03:38. Ives took silver in 2:05.89, and Kocak managed to hold onto bronze in 2:06.21.

Werro remarked, “I have a very strong finish, so I was confident about finishing fast. I aimed for the medal and a good time. I focus on my race without concerning myself with others' opinions. Winning the title was the primary objective, and I'm pleased with the result."

In the men's 400m hurdles, a dominant Finnish performance took center stage. Jere Haapalainen and Antti Sainio secured a remarkable Finland 1-2 finish. Employing a synchronized surge down the home straight, they overcame early leaders Anouar Bourahla of France and Nikola Kostić of Croatia.

Running from lane eight, Haapalainen executed his strategy perfectly, setting a national U20 record of 50.02. Sainio mirrored his tactics, achieving a lifetime best of 50.19. Bourahla clinched bronze, also achieving a personal best of 50.33.

Haapalainen shared, “I trusted my feelings today and knew my finish was strong, so I stayed calm and focused. These U20 championships have been amazing; everything went perfectly. I love the venue, and our team has a great energy."

In an impressive display of front-running, Sweden's Moa Granat secured the women's 400m hurdles title. Leading from the start, she outpaced the field, bettering her silver from two years ago in Tallinn with a time of 56.58.

Ukraine's Olha Mashanienkova pursued Granat but couldn't catch up, settling for silver in 56.83. A fierce battle for bronze ensued between Romania's Alexandra Stefania Uta and Great Britain & Northern Ireland's Emily Newnham, both timed at 57.02. Uta clinched bronze by a mere 0.004 seconds.

In the men's 3000m steeplechase, Spain's Sergio Del Barrio secured European U20 gold, adding to his European U18 title in the 2000m steeplechase last year. While he held a significant lead going into the final lap, his performance weakened after the final water jump. Despite a strong finish from France's Pierre Boudy, Del Barrio held on to win by 0.23 seconds in 8:46.81. Hungary's Ferenc Soma Kovács secured bronze in 8:47.50.

Sara Winburg's excellent performance in the women's pole vault culminated in a personal best clearance of 4.25m, earning her the gold medal. This achievement marked Sweden's fifth gold medal, a record haul for the nation at the European Athletics U20 Championships. Lithuania's Rugilė Miklyčiūtė and Italy's Great Nnachi shared silver with 4.15m. Miklyčiūtė's performance also set an outright national record.

European Athletics U20 Championships 2023: Serbian Adriana Vilagos wins women's javelin gold

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