Gesa Krause wins European Championship gold in the 3000 metres steeplechase in Birmingham

Behind Krause, Olivia Gürth secured the bronze medal and thus celebrated the biggest success of her career. Gürth had not necessarily been regarded as a contender for an individual medal beforehand, but she took the chance that arose from Meyer's exit and the constellation in the final. She ran a tactically clever race and held her position in the leading group until the finish.

Gürth celebrates career bronze

The French athlete Alice Finot, who had been regarded as one of the top favourites for the title ahead of the final, fell short of expectations and missed out on a medal. The final thus developed into a German day of celebration, at the end of which both Krause and Gürth stood on the podium. This brings a strongly fielded steeplechase race to a close with a strong German tally.

Krause's success is also remarkable because the steeplechase discipline in Germany was dominated by only a few female athletes for many years. With the European Championship title in Birmingham, Krause now continues this run of success on the international stage. The competition took place in front of an international audience and is a focus of the athletics season.

Alongside the track events, decathlete Leo Neugebauer was competing in the combined events. His appearance at the European Championships slotted into the overall context of the German team's performance, even if the focus on the steeplechase days was clearly on Krause and Gürth. Both athletes delivered consistent performances throughout the entire championship.

Krause executes her plan in the final metres

Krause herself had approached the season with the clear goal of running for the title in Birmingham. In the final, she patiently executed her plan, ran in the slipstream for a long time, and then pulled away decisively in the final metres. The home straight in the Birmingham stadium turned into a stage for the German triumph.

Gürth's bronze medal also underlines the growing depth in German steeplechase running. Just a few years ago, a second German medal at a European Championship in this discipline would have been hard to imagine. Now both athletes are standing together on the podium, which underscores the strength of the current training and competition structure within the DLV.

With the title in hand, attention now turns to further season planning. For Krause and Gürth, there is no question that the European Championship success in Birmingham provides a boost for the upcoming international tasks. The German team leaves the championships in England with the certainty that the women's steeplechase discipline remains a reliable source of medals.