Norway’s Karsten Warholm on Tuesday fired out a broadside at Olympic contenders in the run-in to the Paris Games by winning a third successive European Athletics Championships title in Rome as a galaxy of global stars showcased some scintillating form.
Warholm, the Olympic champion and a three-time world gold medalist, timed 46.98 seconds for the victory.
“I felt strong and I was in control,” Warholm said. “Now it’s back to training and keep on pushing.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
“This is a good step on the road, but this is more to build confidence and get the gold medal. In Paris I’ll try to be as sharp as possible,” he said.
It was the first of four stunning championship records in a heady night of track and field at the Stadio Olimpico, with a large, raucous, flag-waving crowd in to support Team Italy captain Gianmarco Tamberi in the high jump.
The performance of the night arguably came in a thrilling men’s triple jump competition.
Defending champion Pedro Pichardo, the Olympic and 2022 world champion, went out to a Portuguese record of 18.04m to better Jonathan Edwards’ previous championship best of 17.99m.
However, Spain’s Jordan Alejandro Diaz Fortun fired back in his penultimate jump with a massive 18.18m championship record.
The winning distance was the third longest in history: Only the UK’s Edwards with his 18.29m world record from 1995 and the US’ Christian Taylor have gone further.
“Seeing Pichardo jumping 18m was a motivation to jump even further, because nobody came to these championships to finish second or third,” Diaz Fortun said.
Back at the hurdles, Dutch star Femke Bol nailed a second women’s title in 52.49 seconds, also a championship record.
“I worked hard for these championships and I arrived here in good shape,” Bol said. “I believe I can be even better at the Olympics.”
While the crowds have been sparse for some sessions at the cavernous Olympic Stadium, there was no such fear given the presence of Tamberi. Even Italian President Sergio Mattarella was present.
Ever the showman, the world and Olympic champion was afforded a standing ovation as he entered onto the track.
The Italian, as is occasionally his wont, left the left half of his face unshaved. Hushing the baying crowd gathered behind the jumping arena, Tamberi sailed over his opening effort of 2.22m to huge applause.
A couple of blips at 2.29 and then 2.33m saw him gamble and skip up. It paid off as Tamberi went on to seal a third European title in a championship record of 2.37m, far ahead in class from the rest of the field.
“I knew I was in a superb shape and I proved it,” Tamberi said. “I pretended to be injured and hid springs in my shoes. I think some people fell for it. I did great things. Now it’s time for the Olympics.”
Additional reporting by AP
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