Marek Zakrzewski wins first European Athletics U20 Championships gold medals in 100m and 200m

Posted : 10 August 2023

Marek Zakrzewski etched his name in history by becoming the first athlete to claim both the 100m and 200m gold medals at the European Athletics U20 Championships since Darren Campbell of Great Britain accomplished the feat in 1991.

Following his victory in the 100m event on the previous day, Zakrzewski, representing Poland, delivered an impressive performance in the 200m final, clocking a personal best time of 20.63 (+1.0m/s). Leading from the start, he powered down the home straight, maintaining a significant lead over his competitors until the finish line.

Behind him, Timo Spiering of the Netherlands secured the silver medal with a personal best time of 20.97, while Daniele Groos of Italy clinched the bronze in 21.01, also achieving a lifetime best.

A jubilant Zakrzewski expressed his excitement after his victory, describing himself as a "big athletics star" and acknowledging the significance of his achievement. He emphasized that winning both the 100m and 200m gold medals fulfilled his mission and highlighted the historical importance of his accomplishment for Poland.

The women's 200m final witnessed a closely contested race, culminating in a photo finish to determine the medalists. Sweden's Nora Lindahl surged in the closing 50 meters, diving over the line to secure the gold medal with a personal best time of 23.26 (+1.5m/s). Hungary's Alexa Sulyán and Great Britain and Northern Ireland's Success Eduan both finished with a time of 23.26, but Sulyán was edged out by a mere 0.008 seconds, settling for silver. Eduan claimed the bronze medal, replicating her result from two years prior.

György Herczeg, Hungary's emerging javelin talent, faced high expectations due to his exceptional European U20 javelin record of 84.98m set in Austria. While challenging, Herczeg demonstrated his capability by securing the gold medal with a third-round throw of 79.45m. This distance proved insurmountable for his competitors, and he opted to pass on his final three attempts, content with his first major international title.

Max Dehning of Germany earned the silver medal with a season's best throw of 78.07m, adding to his achievements as last year's World U20 runner-up. Great Britain and Northern Ireland's Michael Allison secured the bronze with a best effort of 72.44m.

In the women's 1500m, Sofia Thøgersen, the pre-race favorite, appeared poised to surpass her performance from two years ago in the 3000m at the same championships. Despite her strong effort, Turkey's Dilek Koçak managed to hold off Thøgersen's charge and clinch the gold medal by 0.22 seconds, recording a season's best time of 4:16.18. Natálie Millerová of the Czech Republic secured the bronze medal with a personal best time of 4:18.92.

The men's 3000m saw a competitive showdown between Nicholas Griggs of Ireland and Jonathan Grahn. Grahn managed to outpace Griggs in the final stretch, winning the gold medal with a time of 8:44.67. Griggs secured silver, trailing by 1.02 seconds, while Bradley Giblin of Great Britain and Northern Ireland secured the bronze with a time of 8:47.26.

Reflecting on his victory, Grahn acknowledged the challenge posed by Griggs and expressed his contentment with the win. Looking ahead, Grahn humorously speculated about the upcoming 5000m race against a strong competitor.

In the women's 3000m steeplechase, Karolína Jarošová of the Czech Republic exhibited a strong performance, leading from the final lap to secure victory in a new national U20 record time of 10:04.57. Adia Budde of Germany claimed the silver medal, mirroring her result from the 2000m steeplechase at the previous year's European U18 Championships. Greece's Vasiliki Kallimogianni secured the bronze with a new national U20 best time of 10:08.44.

Friedrich Schulze of Germany experienced fluctuations in the decathlon leaderboard, surging to the top after a season's best high jump but later dropping to eighth after the 400m event. Roko Farkaš of Croatia led overnight with 4174 points, closely pursued by Amadeus Graber of Germany in the silver medal position with 4140 points.

Marek Zakrzewski wins first European Athletics U20 Championships gold medals in 100m and 200m

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