Athletics

European Championship qualifier over: Weißhaidinger in the final!

(Bild: Thomas Windestam)

Austria's athletics star Lukas Weißhaidinger has reached the final of the discus throw at the European Championships in Rome. In Group A, he was the third-best thrower, throwing the 2.00 kg disc 63.99 m. This put him in fourth place out of both groups in the final of the twelve best on Friday evening at 9pm. "Of course I'm going to go for it!" Maybe it will be a medal?

The "Krone" reports from Rome

Lukas Weißhaidinger was optimistic after his qualification: "That was still an exhibition run. I was even able to save some energy for the evening in the qualification. That's when we really attack again. I can and must go one better." He was glad that he had been able to throw in the A group. "The discus ring was still in the shade and it wasn't as hot in the stadium as it was later in the B group."

Lukas Weißhaidinger

(Bild: Thomas Windestam)

Second European Championship gold medal
Only world record holder Mykolas Alekna threw further than the required direct distance for the final (66.00 m) with 67.50 m in the morning. The Lithuanian is therefore also the favorite going into the final competition in the evening. Alekna is still undefeated this year. Apart from Alekna, only Kristjan Ceh (Slo/65.64) and Henrik Janssen (63.99) were ahead of the Upper Austrian in the overall standings. Weißhaidinger also reached the top twelve for the third time at his third European Championship start. Six years ago, he won bronze in Berlin and finished ninth in Munich in 2022 - a disappointment for him at the time. "At least I want to do better in Rome than two years ago!"

"Top 3 is possible"
The chances of achieving this are good after his commanding qualifying performance in the Italian capital. The standard in the men's discus throw is extremely high this year. "But the top 3 is in the cards for me," announced Lukas Weißhaidinger.

As Weißhaidinger had, as hoped, been able to throw in the A group, which was scheduled for the morning, there was of course more time to relax before the final in the late evening. It was a novelty for him that the qualifiers and the final took place on the same day. However, it was not a novelty. This was already the case at the European Championships for the first time in Turin in 1934 and in Oslo in 1946. At the Olympics, this double has happened ten times - most recently in Tokyo in 1964.

Strong hurdlers
Austria's hurdles sprinters did extremely well! Both Beate Strametz and Enzo Diessl reached the semi-finals on Saturday evening with ease. Strametz even made it into the round of the best 24 as the winner of her preliminary heat with 12.99 seconds. 20-year-old Diessl, who is making his first European Championship start in the "big ones", did not miss a beat either. He finished second in his heat in 13.56 seconds. Both hurdles aces, both from Styria by the way, were very satisfied with their start and want to go one better on Saturday. Who knows, maybe they will even make it to the final - even if it will be very tough?

Isabel Posch started strongly
The women's heptathlon started at the same time as the men's discus throw. Isabel Posch did extremely well! The Vorarlberg native, who had only been given a starting place among the 24 women's heptathlon athletes after European Athletics gave in, ran the 100 m hurdles in a strong 13.56 seconds. This was her second best time of her career. Verena Mayr started with 13.56 seconds. Lena Millonig finished 15th in her preliminary heat of the 3000 m steeplechase in 9:57.50 minutes.

European Athletics Championships in Rome:
Men:
110 m hurdles, 1st preliminary heat (+0.1): 2nd Diessl 13.56 (in the semifinals)
Discus throw, qualification: Group A: 1st Alekna (Lit) 67.50, 2nd Janssen (D) 64.74, 3rd Weißhaidinger 63.99; Group B: 1st Ceh (Slo) 65.64, 2nd Stahl (Sd) 63.79. - Overall: 1st Alekna 67.50, 2nd Ceh 65.64, 3rd Janssen 64.74, 4th Weißhaidinger 63.99, 5th Stahl 63.79, 6th Okoye (Gb) 63.62.

Women:
100 m hurdles: 1st preliminary heat (-0.3): 1st Strametz (Ö) 12.99 (in the semifinals).
Heptathlon, 100 m hurdles: 1st heat (-0.3): 3. Mayr 13.93; 2nd heat (-0.1): 3. Posch 13.56.