Belgium dominates field and secures return to top division

Slovenian Maribor was the stage this past weekend for the European Athletics Team Championships. The Belgian women and men had made promotion their goal, while host country Slovenia was also dreaming of revenge after missing out on promotion to the Super League by just half a point two years ago.

It was particularly hot in Maribor, with temperatures soaring well above 30 degrees Celsius, forcing the athletes to contend with the weather as an extra adversary. But Team Belgium seemed to cope well with the heat and performed brilliantly in Slovenia.

On Sunday, Belgium and Norway joined the host nation Slovenia and were promoted from the second division of the European Athletics Team Championships. The Belgians, who won no fewer than nine events and finished second ten times, easily secured overall victory with 451.5 points. Slovenia too had reason to celebrate, as they were promoted for the first time in their history to the top athletics division. European discus champion Kristjan Ceh earned the maximum points with a best throw of 68.16 metres, which secured second place for his team, finishing 49 points behind the newly crowned champions. In the women’s 5,000m, home favourite Klara Lukan demolished the competition. Lukan crossed the finish line in 15:09, earning an ecstatic home crowd 16 points and making a huge contribution to promotion. Norway clinched bronze—without stars Karsten Warholm or Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the squad—and is promoted alongside Belgium and Slovenia to the top division.

Cyprus, Bulgaria and Latvia struggled in Maribor and have been relegated to the third division.

(Raul Stiens - Picture: ©Chiara Montesano for European Athletics)