Two medals and a bitter taste for Spain at the European Championship in Istanbul

The Spanish athletic team returning from Europeans indoor track Istanbul (Turkey) included two medals (a gold of Adrian Ben in 800 and a silver of Adel Mechaal in 3,000), twelve finalists and a bitter taste due to the misfortunes of Iñaki Cañal, Saúl Ordóñez and Quique Llopis and the feeling that these two podium finishes fell short of the expectations that had been generated.

Adrian Ben touched the glory Istanbul when proclaimed European champion of 800 meters in a tight final decided by just three thousand. The Galician earned his first medal at a major full international championship after finishing fifth in tokyo olympics and sixth in Doha Outdoor World Cup 2019. In addition, he made forget the great Spanish reference far from recent times, the Murcian Mariano García.

Success and delivery are synonymous Adel Mechaalwho added silver to the 3,000 continental medals of the color missing from his indoor collection after the gold of Belgrade 2017 and the bronze at Torun 2021.

The Catalan athlete, based in Istanbul with her husband, the Turkish athlete emine hatunwas delivered on the track of Atakoy Arena to try to shade the Norwegian wonder, Jakob Ingebrigtsengreat hero of Europeans with golds at 1,500 and 3,000 showing unusual heights.

One of the trials in which more medal hopes were placed was the 4×400 relay. However, everything started to go wrong on the first day of the competition when Inaki Canal he broke his clavicle after falling at the finish line after running his 400 individual series, in which he was also eliminated in the first heat Saul Ordonez when he was late, burdened with physical discomfort.

In this way, two young men, Markel Fernandeztwenty years old, and david garcia zuritaseventeen, who were originally reserves, became stars along with Oscar Husillos and Lucas Búa. After a race in which they were in front for a large part of the route, the Spanish team finished fourth and without a medal at the end decided on a sprint.

The same fourth place was achieved Oscar Husillos at 400 meters, where he could not defend the continental crown of Torun 2021 after being penalized for running in two lanes. The victory went to the Norwegian Karsten Warholmwho is already an indoor champion at Glasgow 2019.

The biggest misfortune for the Spanish delegation came at the 60th hurdle. A few days before the trip asier martinez, European outdoor champion, is absent due to injury. his replacement, kevin sanchezfollowed by reaching the semifinals and Quique Llopiswho was aiming to get on the podium, suffered a fall in the final that prevented him from finishing the race, he fell to the ground after hitting his head and was transferred to a hospital in the Turkish city, where he was tested with a positive report without major damage.

He also stayed close to the medals Esther Guerrerothat this year broke his own record in Spain of the mile with a 4:24.92 in Boston (United States), who achieved the best Spanish mark of the year in the 1500 meters with 4:06.70. In great form, the Catalan planted herself in Istanbul and finished fourth in the 1,500m final, after a race dominated by Britain’s Laura Muir.

With 1,500 men, Burgos Jesus Gomezdouble bronze medalist 1,500 sa Europeans of indoor track in 2019 and 2021, this time he was just one step away from returning to the podium as he crossed the finish line fourth, in a race he dominated. ingebrigtsenwell led by the British Neil Gourley.

Of that 1,500 little more was expected from Granada Ignacio Fonteswho two weeks ago was proclaimed champion of Spain with authority and finished sixth in his qualifying series, a position that deprived him of access to the final.

the soriana martha perezcurrent Spanish indoor track champion 3,000again showed how competitive he is with seventh place in the continental final which the German won Hannah Kleinwho was declared European champion after surprising the favorite for gold, his compatriot KOnstanze Klosterhalfen.

The other Spaniard at a distance of 3,000, Leonesa martha garciaThe 25-year-old reached the time final and finished tenth in 8:54.92 in his second indoor European Championship.

The Barcelonan jamie guerra23 years old and current Spanish long-distance champion in indoor track, completed a great European in his international debut with the full Spanish team. He finished sixth in a final dominated again, as has been the custom in recent years, by the Greek Miltiadis Tentoglou.

the young sprinter Jael Bestue22, reached the final in times just three hundredths off the record for Spain and in the race with the best eight, he finished last with a score of 7.28. That didn’t stop him from making history by becoming the first Spaniard to run the final distance indoors. The previous best records of Spanish athletes in the indoor distance were those Sandra Myers35 years ago in Budapest, and christina larain 2017, finishing fourth in the semifinals.

Alicante Jorge Urenawho in 2019 was crowned indoor continental champion in Glasgow and two years later, in 2021, in runwas runner-up, again showing his competitiveness with a fifth place in heptathlonwhere the favorite, the Frenchman Kevin Mayer, prevailed.

the valencian Fatima Diame he was eliminated from the longitude qualifying round by staying, with a best jump of 6.48 meters, four centimeters short of the cut to make the top eight.

you tell me26, is looking for his second indoor continental final, after the one he played two years ago in 2021 in run (Poland), but could not reach its goal.

the madrilenian Lorea Ibarzabaldebutant at the international competition in Spain, was left without a bronze medal, by only two hundred, after finishing fourth in the final of 800 meterswhere he also set a personal best (2:00.87), becoming the second fastest Spaniard in indoor history.

In the general classification by countries, Jakob Ingebrigtsenwith two golds 1,500 and 3,000allowed Norway leading the European medal table, where they won five medals and won first place in the standings ahead of the Netherlands, second, and Great Britain, third.

In total, 21 countries were represented on a podium, including Spain, which was thirteenth of the medal table overall with two metals, Adrián Ben’s gold at 800 and Adel Mechaal’s silver at 3,000.