Greek pole vaulter Katerina Stefanidi finished sixth in the pole vault final clearing a season best 4.60 metres at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
Competing at Alexander Stadium, the most decorated Greek female athlete of all time cleared 4.30 metres and 4.45 metres on her first attempts. She then set a new season best mark by clearing 4.60 metres on her third jump, securing her place in the top six after showing initial difficulty. Stefanidi subsequently raised the bar to 4.70 metres to challenge for her sixth European Championship medal. Her first attempt completed but knocked the bar down, while exhaustion from the final prevented her from planting the pole on her remaining two tries.
Stefanidi arrived in England after recording a mark of 4.25 metres at the Panhellenic Championship and later cleared a season best 4.50 metres during qualification in Birmingham. She was accompanied at the championships by her husband and coach Mitch Krier and her young son George, who followed her barefoot throughout the trip and watched her during the final. Reports noted that her sixth place finish represented a major achievement as she competed while raising her young child.
Stefanidi is a premier international pole vaulter who previously won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2017 World Athletics Championships. The European Athletics Championships is a major track and field competition organized biennially by European Athletics, bringing together top athletes from across Europe.
Ariadni Adamopoulou finish and double Greek representation
Fellow Greek athlete Ariadni Adamopoulou finished 11th in the competition with a vault of 4.30 metres, marking her first appearance in a European Athletics Championships final.
Coached by Vasilis Megalooikonomou, Adamopoulou opened the final strongly by clearing 4.30 metres on her first try, but she failed to clear the next height of 4.45 metres on all three attempts.
The appearance marked a significant return for Adamopoulou, who had qualified for the final at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games but was prevented from competing due to an injury. The dual final performances by Stefanidi and Adamopoulou delivered double Greek representation in the European pole vault final, echoing past success for Greek athletics.
