Javelin thrower Gailums wins bronze at European Athletics Championships
Latvian javelin thrower Patriks Gailums won bronze at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Saturday with a throw of 82.97 metres.
Latvian athlete Patriks Gailums claimed third place in the javelin final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Saturday.
How the competition unfolded
Gailums opened with a throw of 70.93 metres, then improved by nearly eight metres on his second attempt to reach 78.59 metres. His best throw came in the third attempt, when the javelin landed at 82.97 metres — the distance that ultimately secured his final placing. He was unable to surpass that mark in his remaining three attempts, recording 78.30, 77.73 and 80.33 metres.
Gold for Germany, silver for a teammate
The title went to Germany's Julian Weber, who produced his best throw of 90.40 metres only on his final attempt. Second place, with 83.76 metres, went to fellow German thrower Niklas Ceyhan (referred to in the source as Tams). Gailums finished just one centimetre ahead of fourth-placed Dawid Wegner of Poland.
Path to the medal
In qualifying, Gailums threw 79.61 metres, the ninth-best mark overall. The 28-year-old was competing at his fourth European Championships — he placed sixth in 2022 with 78.82 metres, and finished seventh two years ago in Rome with a throw of 82.28 metres. His best result this season is 83.09 metres, ranking 14th in Europe.
Seven Latvian athletes are competing at the European Championships across four athletics disciplines, including javelin throwers Anete Sietiņa and Krišjānis Suntažs, pole vaulter Valters Kreišs, sprinter Oskars Grava, and race walkers Raivo Saulgriezis and Modra Liepiņa. The championships in Birmingham conclude on Sunday.
