Poland's Katarzyna Zdziebło won the silver medal in women's marathon walk at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Italian Sofia Fiorini won, while Spanish Raquel Gonzalez took bronze.
Race walking has undergone significant changes in recent years. World Athletics decided that, starting in 2026, race walkers would compete in the half-marathon and marathon distances. At last year's World Championships in Tokyo, they competed in the 20 km and 35 km races.
In 2022, Zdziebło became the World Champion in women's 20 km and 35 km race walks in Eugene - and won a silver medal at the European Championships in Munich in the 20 km race. In subsequent seasons, she was plagued by injuries and failed to build on those successes.
In Birmingham, however, after four years, she made a resounding comeback - finishing as runner-up in women's marathon race walk on Saturday.
Winner Fiorini improved the world record to 3:15.11. Zdziebło, second, set a national record of 3:19.50, also marking the second fastest time in the women's marathon race walk history. Gonzalez, third, clocked 3:20.49.
Zdziebło's silver was the fourth Polish medal (and the third Polish silver) at the European Championships in Birmingham. Previously, Ewa Swoboda won silver in the 100m, Pia Skrzyszowska was second in the 100m hurdles, and Jakub Szymański took third in the 110m hurdles.
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Source: PAP, IAR