Duplantis sets new championship record for fourth straight European gold
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis won his fourth consecutive European title in Birmingham, clearing 6.15 metres for a championship record. Seven Latvian athletes also competed as the 2026 European Athletics Championships concluded.
The 2026 European Athletics Championships concluded in Birmingham on Sunday, August 16, with the final set of medals awarded. The highlight was Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis claiming his fourth consecutive European title in the event.
Duplantis cleared 5.55 and 5.85 metres on his first attempts, cleared six metres on his second try, then returned to first-attempt form to clear 6.10 and 6.15 metres, setting a new championship record. Greece's Emmanouil Karalis took silver with six metres, while France's Baptiste Thierry finished third at 5.85 metres. Duplantis did not, however, surpass his own world record of 6.31 metres, set in March this year in Sweden.
Other medals
In the women's 1500 metres, Britain's Georgia Hunter won in 4:07.78, ahead of Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska and Portugal's Patricia Silva. Germany's Frederik Ruppert won the 3000-metre steeplechase, with Luxembourg's Ruben Querinjean second and Germany's Karl Bebendorf third.
In the women's 4x400m relay, the Netherlands took gold ahead of Great Britain and Italy. In the men's relay, Italy held off Great Britain in a close finish, with the Netherlands taking third.
Latvian participants
Latvia was represented by seven athletes across four disciplines. Pole vaulter Valters Kreiss placed 17th in qualifying with 5.45 metres among 27 competitors. Javelin thrower Patriks Gailums finished third, while 200-metre runner Oskars Grava placed fifth. Latvia's team also included javelin throwers Anete Sietina and Krisjanis Suntazs, as well as race walkers Raivo Saulgriezis and Modra Liepina, supported by several coaches and a physiotherapist.
