Polish hammer thrower Paweł Fajdek missed out on a medal after throwing 79.13 metres as Hungary's Bence Halasz won gold. The 37-year-old opened with his best effort of the competition, but his hammer slightly clipped the net on the attempt.
Fajdek did not improve after his opening throw. He recorded a mark of 76.71 metres in the third round and fouled all of his other attempts.
Fajdek held second place after the opening round, behind Halasz's initial mark of 80.65 metres. Volodymyr Myslyvcuk of the Czech Republic moved ahead of Fajdek in the third round with a throw of 79.42 metres. In the fourth round, Mychajło Kochan of Ukraine threw 79.49 metres and Merlin Hummel of Germany reached 81.30 metres, pushing Fajdek down the standings.
Fajdek finished 36 centimetres away from a bronze medal. The result came despite his strong current form, including an 82.09-metre throw set a month ago that stood as his best mark since 2021 and ranked him third in Europe this season. Fajdek holds a personal best of 83.93 metres set in 2015.
Issues with the throwing circle
Speaking to TVP Sport a few minutes after the competition, Fajdek said he was furious and apologized to his family and fans. He said the throwing circle had been ground down three days before the start, leaving a slippery surface where he places his foot.
Fajdek said he was the only competitor placing his foot on that specific spot, which prevented him from entering his first turn cleanly. He said he was well prepared and that any normal throw would have cleared 80 metres to secure a medal, adding that one spot in the ring had failed him.
Halasz claims gold with world lead
Bence Halasz led the competition from the start and sealed his victory in the fifth round with a throw of 84.25 metres. The 29-year-old Hungarian embraced Fajdek, who walked over to congratulate him after seeing the mark.
The throw is the furthest in the world this year, topping marks set by Canada's Ethan Katzberg, who has dominated the event in recent years. It is also the 10th longest throw in world history and eighth in European history. Halasz had previously earned Olympic silver, three World Championship bronze medals, two European silvers, and one European bronze, but had never won a major title.
End of Polish hammer dominance
The result marks the end of a long period of Polish dominance in European hammer throwing. Fajdek won the European title in 2016 in Amsterdam, while Wojciech Nowicki won the next three editions.
Nowicki failed to reach the final after finishing 13th in qualification, leaving Poland without a men's medal. Anita Włodarczyk remains the last Polish thrower in competition ahead of Tuesday's women's final as Poland's veteran stars age without clear successors.
