Sara Kolak targets medal at European Championships after qualifying for final

Sara Kolak is heading to her third European Championship final in the javelin throw after a strong performance in the qualifying rounds. She achieved a distance of 60.82 meters, the third-best throw of the competition, and expressed confidence despite facing wind.

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Super, I am satisfied. Everything turned out as I expected. The wind was blowing a bit in my face, but the most important thing is that I made it to the final. You know how stressful and unpredictable qualifications always are. The first throw was good, already a qualifying result. The second series? I'll skip that, as if it never happened. In the third, I went full throttle, exceeded 60 meters, and now I will prepare for Sunday's final.

"Super, I am satisfied. Everything turned out as I expected," Kolak said. "The wind was blowing a bit in my face, but the most important thing is that I made it to the final. You know how stressful and unpredictable qualifications always are. The first throw was good, already a qualifying result. The second series? I'll skip that, as if it never happened. In the third, I went full throttle, exceeded 60 meters, and now I will prepare for Sunday's final."

Kolak, who won a bronze medal at the European Championships in 2016, is aiming for another podium finish after a ten-year gap. "I'm going for it all or nothing. I think I can throw a few more meters. It will be a big fight for a medal, and I will do my best to be on the podium again after ten years," she stated.

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I'm going for it all or nothing. I think I can throw a few more meters. It will be a big fight for a medal, and I will do my best to be on the podium again after ten years.

In other events, Vita Barbić, the current world junior vice-champion in javelin throw, finished 26th with a throw of 53.52 meters. She acknowledged that fatigue and the long journey likely affected her performance. "I think there is still a lot of room for improvement, and now at least I know what I need to work on for next season. This was an experience I will definitely cherish, but am I satisfied – no," Barbić said. Ivan Geronimo Šerić failed to qualify in the pole vault, missing all three attempts at 5.25 meters. Jana Koščak is currently in 13th place in the heptathlon after two events.

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I think there is still a lot of room for improvement, and now at least I know what I need to work on for next season. This was an experience I will definitely cherish, but am I satisfied – no.