Ewa Swoboda won silver in the women's 100 meters at the European Championships in Birmingham, giving Polish athletics its first medal of the 2026 championships.
Swoboda started strongly and held the pace for gold until almost the final meters of the sprint final. Amy Hunt of Great Britain crossed the line first in 11.00 seconds, with Swoboda finishing just behind in 11.02 seconds.
Speaking to TVP Sport immediately after the race, Swoboda said it was the best feeling in the world and that she hadn't felt that happy in a long time. She said she had defended her silver and achieved the minimum goal she had set for the trip.
A decade of medals
Two years ago in Rome, Swoboda became European runner-up for the first time in an individual event. She had already won silver at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, but as part of the 4x100m relay. Her collection also includes silver at the 2024 World Indoor Championships, gold at the 2019 European Indoor Championships, and silver at the European Indoor Championships in both 2017 and 2023.
From junior standout to team leader
Swoboda, from Żory, finished fifth at the World Junior Championships in 2014 at age 17. In 2015, at 18, she became European junior champion, and in 2016, at 19, she won silver at the World U20 Championships.
She placed sixth at the 2023 World Championships and missed the final at the 2024 Paris Olympics by 0.01 seconds.
Addressing her reputation
Asked about being labeled eccentric, often over her tattoos and nail styling, Swoboda said directly that it tires her. She said that after her silver in Birmingham, she felt she had returned to the form she had before Paris.
Swoboda is now 29 years old.
