Norway wins historic first European Athletics Championships relay gold
Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Norway secured its first-ever European Athletics Championships gold medal in a relay event.
- The men's 4x400m relay team, including Karsten Warholm, set a new Norwegian and championship record with a time of 3:09.63.
- The victory came amidst personal grief for some team members, who competed with black armbands to honor a deceased former national record holder.
Norway achieved a historic milestone at the European Athletics Championships, clinching their first-ever gold medal in a relay race. The men's 4x400 meter team delivered a stunning performance, crossing the finish line with a new Norwegian and championship record time of 3 minutes and 9.63 seconds.
This was very fun.
The quartet, featuring prominent athlete Karsten Warholm, delivered a thrilling race. Warholm initiated the race, handing off to Amalie Iuel, who maintained a strong position. Andreas Ofstad Kulseng kept the team in contention before Henriette Jรฆger anchored the final leg. Despite trailing in third place entering the final stretch, Jรฆger surged past competitors with a powerful sprint to secure the victory.
It was raw.
"It was a beast that opened up. Damn, what an finish," commented NRK's expert commentator Vebjรธrn Rodal on Jรฆger's performance. Jรฆger's mother, Unn Merete Jรฆger, added, "Henriette was served it on a silver platter. The other three delivered so incredibly well."
It was a beast that opened up. Damn, what an finish.
The victory was particularly poignant for Warholm, Iuel, and coach Leif Olav Alnes, who were mourning the recent death of Atle McAdam, a former Norwegian record holder in the 400m hurdles and a mentor to Warholm. The team had requested to wear black armbands in McAdam's honor, but this was not permitted by the European Athletics Association. Despite the somber circumstances, the team competed with determination, dedicating their performance to McAdam's memory.
Henriette was served it on a silver platter. The other three delivered so incredibly well.
Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.