At the 27th European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, Slovenian discus thrower Kristjan Čeh secured the gold medal on August 13, 2026, with a championship-record throw of 72.51 meters, according to competition reports. Čeh dominated the field as the only competitor to surpass the 70-meter mark during the event.
Kristjan Čeh Shatters Discus Championship Record
Kristjan Čeh, 27, delivered a stellar series in Birmingham, opening with a 70.83-meter throw before launching his winning mark of 72.51 meters on his third attempt, as reported by track and field coverage. According to the same reports, his final throw measured 70.68 meters, comfortably securing the title and surpassing the previous championship record by 2.73 meters. This performance follows his strong season opener in April, where he recorded a throw of 72.61 meters—ranking seventh on the world all-time list.
Lithuanian world record holder Mykolas Alekna finished in second place with a throw of 69.89 meters, according to event results. Germany’s H. Jansen claimed third place with a mark of 69.53 meters, while veteran Finnish thrower D. Ståhl rounded out the top four.
Multi-Event and Sprint Victories in Birmingham
In the men’s decathlon, German athlete and Tokyo world champion L. Neugebauer captured his first European title with a total score of 8,611 points, according to competition data. Neugebauer’s individual marks included 10.90 seconds in the 100 meters, 7.82 meters in the long jump, 17.13 meters in the shot put, 1.99 meters in the high jump, and 48.81 seconds in the 400 meters on the first day. His second-day campaign featured 14.94 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, 54.31 meters in the discus, 4.90 meters in the pole vault, 60.10 meters in the javelin, and 4 minutes 38.36 seconds in the 1500 meters.
British sprinter A. Hunt claimed victory in the women’s 200 meters with a time of 22.19 seconds (+0.7 wind), completing a sprint double after her earlier win in the 100 meters, as reported from the championships. Hunt previously earned the silver medal at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships.
Middle-Distance and Hurdle Highlights
Ireland’s M. English won the men’s 800-meter final with a time of 1 minute 45.26 seconds, following a semifinal performance where he set a new championship record of 1 minute 43.49 seconds, according to meet records. In the women’s 400-meter hurdles, Slovakia’s E. Zapletalová secured a decisive victory with a time of 52.91 seconds, building on her bronze-medal finish at the Tokyo world championships.
The 27th European Athletics Championships continue through August 16, 2026, at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, featuring ongoing competition across remaining track and field events.
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