Duplantis surpasses own pole vault championship record for back-to-back crowns, Bol becomes second Dutch female athlete to win three titles in same year in meet history and Gega gets first gold medal for Albania in any event with 3,000 steeplechase victory; Spotakova, 41, rallies for javelin bronze
By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor
Whether it was the masterful pole vault performance of Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, the magnificent 4×400-meter relay anchor leg of Femke Bol or the magnitude of the 3,000 steeplechase victory produced by Luiza Gega, it was a memorable Saturday night in Munich, Germany at the European Athletics Championships.
Duplantis surpassed his own meet record with a first-attempt clearance at 19 feet, 10.50 inches (6.06m) at Olympic Stadium to secure back-to-back titles for Sweden, producing the 51st 6-meter clearance of his career.
Bol became only the second Dutch female athlete to earn three gold medals at the same European Championships, adding to her victories in the 400 hurdles and 400 meters, by rallying The Netherlands to the 4×400 victory in 3 minutes, 20.87 seconds.
And Gega became the first Albanian athlete to capture gold in any event in meet history, achieving a European Championships record by clocking 9:11.31.
There was also a generational showdown in the women’s javelin throw final, with Greece’s Elina Tzengko, 19, becoming the youngest female athlete in meet history to win any throwing event by securing the title with a second-round throw of 215-11 (65.81m), finishing ahead of 18-year-old Serbian Adriana Vilagos.
Completing the podium was 41-year-old world-record holder Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic, who became the oldest women’s medalist in any field event at the European Championships.
Duplantis, who won his first European title at age 18 in 2018 in Berlin, became the first to repeat since close friend Renaud Lavillenie of France earned three straight titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
“Coming to the stadium, somebody told me there was a rainbow, but I did not see it. It is super beautiful. I wish I saw it. Honestly, it was a great evening. Considering the situation and circumstances, I cannot complain. It was very special for me today,” said Duplantis, the world indoor and outdoor record holder.
“I think this season, I have experienced all kinds of situations and these championships were very special to me. The crowd was very special, it is a special place here. That 6.06m jump is…
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