Defending champions Italy have moved to the top of the table at the end of another dramatic day at the European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division in Madrid on Saturday (28).

After Day 2, the Netherlands were leading and won both the men’s and women’s 4x100m races in new national records. There were also eye-catching doubles for the Swiss, who won both the men’s and women’s sprint hurdles races, and Czechia also savoured victory in both the men’s high jump and the men’s 400m hurdles.

The performance of the evening undoubtedly belonged to Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, setting a championship record and world lead in the men’s long jump. Plus, former Olympic champions Anita Włodarczyk and Daniel Stahl showed they still have what it takes in the throws’ circles, winning the women’s hammer and men’s discus.

But there was a relentless consistency about the Italian team, who scored stealthily throughout the programme.

Lorenzo Simonelli was second in the men’s 110m hurdles, Ayomide Folorunso was second in the women’s 400m hurdles, Mattia Furlani was third in the men’s long jump, Eloisa Coira was third in a dramatic women’s 800m, and Erika Sarencini was third in the women’s triple jump – wherever you looked across the schedule, Italian athletes were contending for big points.

With 25 events of the 37 completed, the Azzuri lead on 290, 34 clear of four-time winners Germany, twice champions Poland are on 256.5 and the Netherlands (253.5), Great Britain (252) and Spain (249) will also be nurturing top three ambitions overnight.

Ukraine (160), Finland (158.5) and Lithuania (102.5) currently occupy the three relegation positions among the sixteen nations. But with a maximum of 192 points per team still up for grabs, a nail-biting climax is assured in the Estadio Vallehermoso on Sunday (29).

Watch the climax of the Madrid 2025 European Athletics Team Championships being streamed live on the European Athletics website courtesy of the Eurovision Sport Platform.

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Fantastic finale

Another brilliant day of action awaits in the Estadio Vallehermoso for the Madrid 2025 European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division on Sunday (29) including:

  • Throws world leaders Leonardo Fabbri (ITA) and Julian Weber (GER) in action in the men’s shot and men’s javelin, respectively
  • World record holder and Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) in the women’s high jump
  • A potentially decisive women’s long jump featuring Olympic gold medallist Malaika Mihambo (GER) and Larissa Iapichino (ITA)
  • An intriguing catchweight men’s 5000m race featuring Crippa (ITA), Ruppert (GER), Laros (NED), Lobalu (SUI), Ndikumwenayo (ESP)
  • The dramatic final event, the mixed 4x400m relay, including Netherlands and Poland, the last two Olympic gold-winning nations

Every minute will be live-streamed with full English commentary on the European Athletics website via the Eurovision Sport platform. 

You may also watch all the action from the 2nd Division in Maribor, Slovenia, which takes place 28-29 June.

Follow every run, jump and throw across multiple platforms, including:

Read the event reports from every event so far on the European Athletics website or even the beginner’s guide to get up to speed on the world’s premier athletics team competition.

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