For the first time since 2010, Croatia arrives at the European Athletics Championships without a clear medal favorite. Sara Kolak is the biggest hope, while young talents seek their chance.
The European Athletics Championships kick off today at the renovated Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, and for the first time in 16 years, Croatia will compete for medals without its brightest star. Sandra Elkasević, a seven-time continental champion, has decided to take a break this season and will not attempt to defend her impressive title. The team is thus left without the athlete who has guaranteed medals for years, raising the question of whether anyone else can extend the long-standing tradition of podium finishes.
The roster for Birmingham includes 16 Croatian representatives, but the reality is different: since 2010, we have not been in a situation without a single clear favorite for the podium. Elkasević has flawlessly filled that role in recent years, and now others must shoulder the weight of expectations.
The most concrete hopes rest on Sara Kolak, who arrives in Birmingham with the fourth-best javelin throw of the season (62.61 m). Only Norway's Borge (65.00 m), Serbia's Vilagoš (63.83 m), and Poland's Andrejczyk (62.78 m) have thrown farther this year. Kolak aims for a spot in the final, and perhaps even a medal, though the competition will be fierce.
Other Croatian competitors have more modest goals. Marino Bloudek (800 m), Marija Tolj (discus), Filip Pravdica (long jump), and Matija Gregorić (hammer) dream of reaching the final, while young talents Vita Barbarić and Jana Koščak (heptathlon) will gain valuable experience on the biggest stage. Barbarić will arrive in the UK straight from Eugene, where she competed at the World Junior Championships.
Interestingly, Birmingham is not a lucky destination for Croatian athletes. In three previous indoor competitions held in this city-the World Championships in 2003 and 2018, and the European Indoor Championships in 2007-we failed to secure a single medal. This fourth gathering could yield a similar outcome, though hope always remains.
In the overall history of the European Championships, Croatian athletes have collected 15 medals, including nine golds, which currently places us at a solid 25th on the all-time table. If we win at least one gold here, Romania and the Czech Republic could catch up with us.
At the Alexander Stadium, which shone during the 2022 Commonwealth Games, nearly 1,650 athletes from 49 countries will compete for medals. Interestingly, Great Britain will host the senior European Championships for the first time, and the home crowd will provide a strong boost to bring their favorites back to the top of the medal table-a position they held at the events in Zurich 2014, Berlin 2018, and Munich 2022, before finishing third in Rome 2024, behind Italy and France.
Birmingham will also host several European superstars looking to further cement their dominance. Sweden's Armand Duplantis, Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou are aiming for a fourth consecutive European gold. On the other hand, Britain's Keely Hodgkinson, Italy's Marcell Jacobs, and Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh will attempt to complete a "hat-trick," i.e., a third straight title.
Much attention will also focus on Dina Asher-Smith, one of Britain's most decorated female athletes. With six European golds and two silvers, Asher-Smith has a chance to surpass Sandra Elkasević (seven gold medals) and become the most successful female athlete in the history of the continental championships. Additionally, with a total of ten medals, legendary Polish athlete Irena Szewińska holds the title of the most decorated female athlete of all time, and the Brit could catch or even surpass her with a strong performance.
In the men's competition, Matthew Hudson-Smith has a similar motivation, with four golds and a total of seven European medals. Just one more medal would tie him with France's Christophe Lemaître, while gold would place him alongside British athletics legends Roger Black and Sir Mo Farah in terms of European titles.
Birmingham could become the stage for the fall of some of the longest-standing records. Every appearance by Armand Duplantis in the pole vault poses a threat to his own world record. Although he has broken barriers at the Olympics and World Championships, he has yet to do so at the European Championships, which adds an extra challenge.
Experts also predict a possible attack on the record in the women's sprint hurdles, where Switzerland's Ditaji Kambundji, Poland's Pia Skrzyszowska, and France's Cyréna Samba-Mayela threaten the 38-year-old mark set by Bulgaria's Yordanka Donkova. Organizers have also announced a novelty-the inaugural mixed 4x100-meter relay.
