European Athletics Championships continues in Birmingham
The European Athletics Championships 2026 is currently underway in Birmingham, marking the first occasion that Britain has hosted this competition. The event, which began on August 10 and runs until August 16, features athletes from 49 nations competing for 50 gold medals. Among them are 94 British sporting stars aiming for podium finishes.
Following the first two days of competition, Team GB leads the medal table. Their achievements so far include two gold medals, secured by Amy Hunt in the women’s 100m and Romell Glave in the men’s 100m. Additionally, Team GB has earned two silver medals, with Jeremiah Azu in the men’s 100m and the British 4x400m mixed relay team contributing to their tally.
Wednesday’s schedule and key athletes
Wednesday, August 12, features a full day of events across morning and evening sessions. The morning session commences at 10.35am with the men’s decathlon 100m. Other morning events include the women’s discus qualification, women’s 400m first round, men’s decathlon long jump, and women’s 200m qualifying. Zara Obamakinwa is scheduled to compete in the women’s discus qualification at 12pm.
The morning session also includes semi-finals for the men’s 800m, featuring Max Burgin and Ben Pattison, and the men’s 400m hurdles, where Josh Faulds, Jake Minshull, and Alastair Chalmers are set to compete. The men’s decathlon shot put will also take place in the morning.
The evening session begins at 6.40pm with the men’s decathlon high jump. Medal events are highlighted throughout the day. The women’s hammer final, featuring Charlotte Payne, is scheduled for 7.45pm. The men’s 110m hurdles semi-finals will see Tade Ojora and Sam Bennett in action at 7.55pm.
Later in the evening, the women’s 200m semi-finals will include Amy Hunt, Dina Asher-Smith, and Success Eduan at 8.20pm. The men’s triple jump qualification is set for 8.40pm, followed by the men’s 400m final at 8.50pm, where Matthew Hudson-Smith is expected to compete. The women’s 400m hurdles final, featuring Emily Newnham and Lina Nielsen, is at 9.08pm, and the men’s decathlon 400m at 9.22pm. The day’s events conclude with the men’s 110m hurdles final at 9.45pm.
Marcell Jacobs’ withdrawal from 100m final
In related news from the championships, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, an Italian athlete, was a leading contender for the men’s 100m title. He had aimed for a third consecutive European title in the event. However, he was unable to complete the final race, finishing seventh, after sustaining an injury before the start.
Jacobs, who previously won an Olympic gold medal in the 100m at Tokyo 2020 and European Championship gold medals in 2022 and 2024, expressed his disappointment. He noted that his semi-final time of 10.08 seconds was faster than the 10.09 seconds clocked by Romell Glave in the final, which secured Glave the gold medal.
The athlete shared on social media that an injury prevented him from competing in the final, despite feeling in good form. He stated that he would undergo necessary checks to understand the cause of the injury and determine the next steps. The 100m was the only event Jacobs had entered in Birmingham.
The European Athletics Championships are being broadcast extensively, with live coverage of the morning session on BBC One from 10.30am to 1.15pm. The evening session coverage will transition between BBC Two and BBC One, starting from 7pm.
Source: scotsman.com
