European Athletics Championships Open in Birmingham: Schilder Leads Shot Put, Hurdles Heats Deliver Drama
The 27th European Athletics Championships got under way at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium on 10 August, with over 50 nations competing across seven days of competition. The opening evening alone carried five finals, and the first sessions had already produced storylines before the main programme began.
Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands, the defending champion, led the women's shot put final after the first three throws with 20.52m. Her compatriot Jorinde van Klinken sat second at 19.64m, with Germany's Yemisi Mabry third at 19.20m. Schilder arrived in Birmingham holding the European lead of 21.09m, thrown in Shanghai in May, and as the only European woman to have surpassed 20 metres this season besides Mabry, whose best stands at 20.37m The Guardian.
Earlier in the day, seven women cleared the automatic qualifying mark of 18.20m in the shot put — four of them doing it on their very first throw European Athletics. Schilder and Italy's Leonardo Fabbri, a medal contender in the men's event, both eased through to their respective finals.
The women's 100m hurdles round one spread across three heats, with the 12 fastest times advancing to the semi-finals. Norway's Martine Kolbeinshavn Hjørnevik won the second heat ahead of Belgium's Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck. Czechia's Ester Bendova was less fortunate: she struck a hurdle early and did not finish. Italy's Celeste Polzonetti took her heat in 12.80 seconds, ahead of Denmark's Ida Beiter Bomme. Britain's Emma Nwofor crossed the line fourth in her heat in 13.04 The Guardian.
The morning sessions had already delivered a surprise. Defending hammer champion Wojciech Nowicki of Poland was eliminated in qualifying, a result that reshapes the field for that event European Athletics. In the men's 800m heats, Ireland's Mark English — a five-time European medallist and the European leader this year — cruised through. Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou, chasing a record-equalling fourth consecutive long jump title, progressed to his final.
The schedule holds marquee events across the week. The women's 100m final was set for Monday evening at 9:50pm, with Britain's Amy Hunt a warm favourite. Dina Asher-Smith, the defending champion and the British athlete with the most European gold medals, looms over that event. Later in the week, Karsten Warholm targets a fourth European 400m hurdles title, Mondo Duplantis takes aim at the pole vault, and Nadia Battocletti attempts to defend her 5000m crown European Athletics.
The championships, running 10 to 16 August, have drawn a sizeable crowd to the rebuilt Alexander Stadium. Over 250,000 tickets were made available, with junior prices starting at £10 Birmingham 2026. For the opening evening session, the cheapest adult tickets cost £26 for seats at the back of the north stand; sitting on the home straight ran to £150 The Guardian.
What makes these championships feel different is the depth across the programme. With €500,000 in prize money on offer and a Gold Crown award for the best individual performers, the incentive to peak in Birmingham is real European Athletics. The first day's results suggest the athletes have taken that seriously.
