This week in Athletics the world watches as Faith Kipyegon attempts to become the first women to break the 4 minute mile barrier, records are smashed and titles are defended in the European team championships, a British world champion clocks a new PB and the long awaited return of Keely Hodgkinson. 

Italy defend Euro Team Title as Reardon Smashes Championships Record 

Maribor in Slovenia and Madrid in Spain played host to three divisions of the European Athletics Team Championships last week. The unique event sees nations select one athlete per event with points being distributed based on results.

The third division saw a dramatic end to proceedings as Iceland took the title with top three finishes across 37 events including 8 wins, a jaw dropping 461.5 points ahead of second place Luxembourg. The stand out Icelandic performance came courtesy of 17-year-old Eir Hlesdottir who won the women’s 200m in a national record time of 23.44. 

The final event saw a straight shootout for the final promotion spot in the mixed 4x400m. Moldova believed they had returned back to the second tier following their performance before being disqualified handing Bosnia and Herzegovina promotion for the first time in the history of the competition. 

Division One kicked off in Madrid on Friday with the Pole Vault competitions taking place in front of the spanish capitals Royal Palace. Czechia stormed out to an early lead with a win in Women’s Pole Vault courtesy of Amalie Svablkova. 

Saturday saw six previous Championship records smashed as two-time Olympic Bronze medalist Sam Reardon opened the proceedings by smashing the men’s 400m record in a time of 44.60. Femke Bol took the women’s record in a time of 49.48 which is also a leading European time for this season. 

The Dutch topped the table at the end of Day 2 ahead of the hosts Spain and Italy. 

Defending champions Italy came roaring back on Day 3 with podium finishes for the Likes of Mattia Furlani and Lorenzo Simmonelli.

The day was headlined by the 4x100m as the Netherlands took both races in championships record times with Germany and Great Britain placing second and third in the men’s races as Spain and Germany did the same for the Women. 

Italy successfully defended their crown with a total of 431.5 points. Poland and Germany once again retained 2nd and 3rd with the Dutch fading away into fourth. 

Ukraine, Lithuania and Finland were all relegated from the first division. 

Belgium took victory in the Second Division with Slovenia and Norway also booking their place in the first division for 2027.

British World Champion Clocks impressive PB 

Many of Britain's elite athletes descended on Cardiff over the weekend for the European U23 championships qualifiers. There were fast times clocked in the 400m with Yemi Mara John crossing the line in 51.57 ahead of Poppy Malik who clocked a PB of 51.90. 

4x100 World Relays Gold Medalist Success Eduan ran a 200m PB of 22.69 (NWI).

That was before 60m World Indoor Champion Jeremiah Azu took the track in a competitive men’s 200m. Jeriel Quainoo topped the standings in a time of 20.70 (0.3) over Welshman Azu who crossed the line in a personal best time of 20.83.

Faith Kipyegon Falls Short of 4 Minute Mile But Smashes World Record

The eyes of the Track and Field world descended on Paris as Thursday evening saw one of the sports greats attempt to rewrite history. Faith Kipyegon already carries a storied legacy but last week's attempt to become the first women to run a mile in under four minutes would be the pinnacle of her legacy. 

A strong crowd flanked by a broadcast team featuring Carl Lewis and Keely Hodgkinson MBE were present at the Stade Sebastien Charlety, home of the Paris Diamond League, to witness the attempt. 

The stadium was selected for its famously low winds which saw Kipyegon break the 1500m world record in 2024. 

The 3 time olympic champion was joined on track by a team of elite runners who acted as her pace makers and wind resistance during the attempt.

The team of pacers which included Brits Elliot Giles, Jemma Rieke and Georgia Hunter-Bell stayed throughout the four laps with Rieke and Hunter-Bell dropping out at the 800m mark. 

Giles led from the front as Kipyegon passed through the first lap in an astonishing 1:00.20. The second lap saw the team of 14 come round in 2:00.75. Lap 3 saw the time drop by a second to 3:01.84 leaving it all to do on the final lap. As the pacers moved away on the home straight Kipyegon crossed the line in 4:06.42. 6 seconds over the attempted mark but smashing the previous world record for the women's mile. 

Following the race Kipyegon said “Absolutely there will be a woman running a mile in under four minutes,” she said. “And I think it will take less than 10 years. And if it doesn’t come my way, it will be someone else doing it.”

Hodgkinson Returns In Meet For The Ages

Saturday will see the long awaited return of Keely Hodgkinson MBE from an injury which she suffered days before the World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze event Keely Classic in February. Following a thwarted attempt at a return in Stockholm 2 weeks ago the 22-year-old will now begin her campaign to finally take a World Championship title in Eugene this weekend as she takes to the track in a historic Prefontaine Classic meeting.

The Brit will line up in an 800m field including the likes of Prudence Sekgodiso, Mary Moraa, Jemma Rieke, Athing Mu and Tsige Diguma.

Hodgkinson returns to the same track that she opened up her olympic title winning season last year where she stormed to an aggressive victory in a World Leading time of 1:55.78.

Elsewhere an iconic Bowerman mile is set to headline the show with Brit’s Neil Gourley and 2022 1500m World Champion Jake Wightman will take on the likes of Hobbs Kessler, Cole Hocker, Grant Fisher, Timothy Cheruiyot and Azzedine Habz. 

The Women’s and Men’s 100m will headline the meet with Sha’Carri Richardson, Julian Alfred, Kishane Thompson and Christian Coleman will all take to the Hayward Field track.

Britain's Best Club Ready For Round 2

Britain's most elite Athletics clubs will meet once again this Saturday in the second round of the National Athletics League. Following Thames Valley Harriers dominant performance last time out in Eton the rest of the field have catching up to do if they want to stop TVH securing their fifth title in the final meet in Birmingham on August 16th. 

Can anyone stop them?

Find out this Saturday from 11am BST live on vincosport.com