The final track events of the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham concluded on Sunday (16 August) with 4x400m relay golds for the Netherlands and Italy in the women’s and men’s races, respectively.
Great Britain came away with silver medals in both, coming closest in the men’s as Lorenzo Benati held off Charlie Dobson at the finishing line. The Italian men’s team set a national record in the qualifying round.
“This is a dream come true,” Benati said.
“In Rome, two years ago, we were coming for the gold medal on the home soil, but it was just a silver in the end. So this one is a little bit late. Finally, it is coming home. It is something magic. We worked for this result and we came here for this, and luckily we got it.”
In the women’s race, despite a late charge from 400m hurdle European silver medallist Emily Newnham, Femke Broeders-Bol’s return to the distance after her first European medal in the 800m saw her return to her old ways in one lap.
Peeling away from the Brit in the final 100m, the Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallists and reigning European champions from Rome defended their title.
“To win a third European title in a row, as a very small country, makes me very proud,” Broeders-Bol said.
“I haven’t done any sort of training on this speed, but on the other hand, we all exactly know what to do to get things right and to win that gold medal. This was a great way to finish this week.”
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/european-athletics-championships-2026-netherlands-and-italy-take-final-golds-of-the-championships-in-4x400m-relay
