Rising Stars: Five Outstanding Athletes Who Shined at the European Athletics U20 Championships

The European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem witnessed an extraordinary showcase of young talent, where the brightest stars of the track and field world converged to compete at the highest level. Amongst the myriad of remarkable athletes, five individuals, namely Mattia Furlani, Niels Laros, Agate Caune, Marek Zakrzewski, and Angelina Topic, emerged as the undeniable headliners of the event. With their exceptional skills, unwavering determination, and remarkable performances, these athletes captured the attention of spectators and experts alike, leaving an indelible mark on the championship and solidifying their status as rising stars in the realm of athletics.

Mattia Furlani

Furlani added the European Under 20 gold medal in the long jump to the two European Under 18 titles in the high jump and in the long jump he claimed in the same venue last year. The Italian 18-year-old star set a championship record of 8.23m in the first round, missing his Italian under 20 record set at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Hengelo last June. Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Saraboyukov responded with a lifetime best of 8.22m, the first jump of her career over the 8 metres barrier. The Bulgarian jumper, who won the silver medal in the high jump at the World Under 20 Championships in Cali 2022, produced an impressive series with five jumps over the 8 metres barrier. 

“I want to congratulate with Bozhidar because he is a great athlete. My only thoughts were jump, work hard. In the second jump there was too much wind and I started feeling the pressure of the competition. I decided non to do the last jump because I was tired. I want to go to Budapest at my best”, said Furlani. 

Italy won the second gold medal with Simone Bertelli, who won the men’s pole vault with 5.40m beating Valentin Imsand from Switzerland on countback. 

Angelina Topic

Angelina Topic cleared all heights until 1.90m in her first attempt to win the women’s high jump. Topic also finished sixth with 6.42m in the long jump the following day. The Serbian rising star is coached by her father Dragutin Topic, who  won the European title in Split 1990 and set a PB of 2.37m in his career. Angelina’s mother Biljana Mitrovic won the bronze medal in the triple jump at the World Championships in Berlin 2009. 

“I felt really great. I am feeling better than ever. I wanted to jump a bit higher but my coach told me to spare energy for the long jump. My father-my coach just told me after the competition:…