European Athletics U23 Championships Day 1: Dutch athlete Alida van Daalen wins double gold in women's shot put

Posted : 14 July 2023

In the 100m semifinals, the Netherlands' Raphael Bouju won the second semi of the men's event, proving her speed in her legs. Hungary's Boglarka Takacs improved her national record, while the Netherlands' world U20 bronze medallist N'Ketia Seedo won the second semifinal.

Megan Keith produced a gutsy front running performance to land gold in the women's 5000m final, despite losing contact with Spain's Maria Forero and the Netherlands' Amina Maatoug.

In the 400m, Keely Hodgkinson's campaign away from her specialist 800m distance continued apace, with her British teammate Yemi Mary John impressing the most.

In the men's 400m, Håvard Bentdal Ingvaldsen looked even more accomplished, with the pair sharing a new stadium record. The championship record of 45.02 looks equally vulnerable in Espoo.

Alida van Daalen of the Netherlands demonstrated her dominance in the women's shot put at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo. Achieving a lifetime best of 18.32m in her final attempt, van Daalen threw over 18 meters three times in a single competition for the first time in her career. With her sights set on surpassing her previous achievements, van Daalen expressed her enjoyment and credited her new coach for helping her transition from discus to shot put.

Serena Vincent from Great Britain secured the silver medal with a personal best of 16.92m, while Emilia Kangas of Finland took home the bronze with a throw of 16.75m. This victory marked the beginning of a successful night for the Netherlands.

In the 100m semifinals, Dutch athletes delivered outstanding performances. Raphael Bouju won the second semifinal in a wind-assisted time of 10.01 seconds, responding to Jeremiah Azu's impressive 10.04-second victory in the first semifinal. Bouju expressed his motivation to run a sub-10-second time in the final and break the Dutch record of 9.91 seconds.

Hungary's Boglarka Takacs set a national record by winning the first semifinal of the women's 100m in 11.14 seconds, while N'Ketia Seedo from the Netherlands emerged victorious in the second semifinal with a time of 11.20 seconds. These performances set the stage for an exciting 100m final on Friday.

In the women's 5000m final, Megan Keith of Great Britain displayed an impressive front-running performance to claim the gold medal. With three laps remaining, Keith made a decisive move that only Eloise Walker from Scotland, Maria Forero from Spain, and Amina Maatoug from the Netherlands could match. Keith's final kick with 300 meters to go secured her victory, while Forero took silver and Maatoug secured the bronze.

Keely Hodgkinson from Great Britain continued her strong performance outside her specialist 800m distance, finishing second to Zoe Sedney from the Netherlands in the first semifinal of the women's 400m. Hodgkinson's teammate Yemi Mary John, the world U20 gold medallist, impressed with a dominant victory in the second semifinal.

In the men's 400m, Håvard Bentdal Ingvaldsen of Norway comfortably won the second semifinal with a time of 45.35 seconds, while Attila Molnár from Hungary matched that time in the first semifinal. Both athletes shared a new stadium record, setting the stage for an exciting final on Friday.

European Athletics U23 Championships Day 1: Dutch athlete Alida van Daalen wins double gold in women's shot put

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