Bence Halasz of Hungary won gold in the hammer throw at the European Athletics Championships on Tuesday, August 11, setting a Hungarian record of 84.25 meters. Paweł Fajdek of Poland finished fifth with a best effort of 79.13 meters, marking the first time since 2012 that Poland did not win a medal in the event.
The men's hammer throw final began at 20:10, with Fajdek opening with a throw of 79.13 meters to take second place in the first series. Halasz held the early lead with an opening mark of 80.96 meters and maintained high form by throwing over 80 meters in three of his first four attempts, improving to 81.84 meters in the third round.
Fajdek hit the net on his second attempt as Czech Republic representative Wołodymyr Myslyvcuk moved into second place with a 79.42-meter throw. The Polish athlete recorded a 76.71-meter throw in the third round and hit the net again on his fourth attempt, though he remained third overall after four rounds.
National record and final podium
The competition shifted in the fifth round when Mychajło Kochan of Ukraine threw 79.49 meters and Merlin Hummel of Germany recorded an 81.3-meter mark, dropping Fajdek to fifth place. Fajdek responded with a throw that failed to reach 70 meters.
Halasz opened the fifth round with his winning throw of 84.25 meters, creating a lead of nearly three meters over Hummel. Halasz's mark broke the Hungarian national record and stands as the seventh-best throw in history. Fajdek could not improve on his final attempt, leaving Halasz as European champion, Hummel as silver medalist, and Kochan with bronze.
On the opening day of the championships, Ewa Swoboda earned a silver medal in the women's 100 meters, which was the only medal won by Poland during the first day. Polish fans hoped Swoboda would claim gold, but Britain's Amy Hunt passed her near the end of the sprint.
The complete classification for the men's hammer throw final at the European Athletics Championships is as follows:
- Bence Halasz: 84.25 m
- Merlin Hummel: 81.3 m
- Mychajło Kochan: 79.49 m
- Wołodymyr Myslyvcuk: 79.42 m
- Paweł Fajdek: 79.13 m
- Soeren Klose: 78.13 m
- Hilmar Oern Jónsson: 77.26 m
- Armin Szabados: 76.91 m
- Yann Chaussinand: 76.19 m
- Christos Frantzeskakis: 75.72 m
- Jake Norris: 74.61 m
- Iosif Kesidis: 72.27 m
