Italy is the team to beat in Madrid this weekend as the Azzurri bring out their big guns in defence of the title they won two years ago in Poland
When Italy stormed to victory in the European Team Championships in Silesia, Poland, in 2023, it was their first-ever triumph in the event. This week in Madrid, though, they aim to prove it wasn’t a one off by successfully defending their crown as kings and queens of European athletics.
Italian athletics is on a high right now and building on the success of hosting the European Championships in Rome 12 months ago. In Madrid this week – from June 26-29 – their squad includes athletes such as shot putter Leonardo Fabbri, long jumpers Larissa Iapichino and Mattia Furlani, distance runners Nadia Battocletti and Yeman Crippa, sprinters Marcell Jacobs and Eseosa Desalu, hammer thrower Sara Fantini and hurdlers like Lorenzo Simonelli and Ayomide Folorunso.
The striking Conica track at the Estadio Vallehermoso Stadium in Madrid might be the unusual shade of green, but the colour on the top of the podium in a number of events is likely to be blue.
Two years ago Italy beat hosts Poland by 24 points as Germany finished third, Spain fourth and Great Britain fifth.
A bit like their national football team, Germany can never be discounted and they have a long history of success in this event. Spain, meanwhile, should put up an even better show than two years ago due to them being the host nation.
READ MORE: Italy win 2023 Euro Team Champs
For Great Britain, gone are the days when many of the country’s leading athletes ensured the European Cup, as it was known, was one of their big early-season goals. Back then, athletes like Seb Coe, Steve Cram, Linford Christie, Kriss Akabusi, Colin Jackson, Sally Gunnell, Roger Black and other stars were regulars. Nowadays, it is classed as more of a “development event” for the Brits and the chance to give up-and-coming athletes an international senior debut.
Still, the GB team this week contains several British No.1 athletes in their events, such as shot putter Scott Lincoln, hammer thrower Lawrence Okoye and long jumper Jazmin Sawyers. Don’t forget either, one of Britain’s most famous victories in this event came in Gateshead 25 years ago when a self-proclaimed “B team” beat Germany by half a point to the overall title following a flurry of last-minute, big-name withdrawals. It is also the kind of event where a low-ranked athlete who…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at Athletics Weekly…